After years of waiting on deck, it might just, possibly, be the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium’s overdue turn at bat.

Since its 1998 inception, the softball facility has, both literally and figuratively, languished in the shadow of its grander, more well-appointed lower campus neighbor, Les Murakami Stadium, a couple of Rachel Lack home runs away.

Going on two decades — across the tenure of four athletic directors and as many chancellors — that disparity has raised long-running, yet-to-be-resolved Title IX issues.

Now there are signs that the stars are finally aligning to bring about some long-promised upgrades.

Though, at UH — motto: believe it only when you can see and touch it — the elation will wait until the actual opening.

Winding its way through the legislature is a $2.95 million appropriation that would, when passed, go toward plans, design, construction and equipment for renovations and upgrades of the facility.

In addition there is pressure from the UH Board of Regents to get up to date before the school finds itself in a situation similar to the build-it-or-else edict that came with the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletic Complex when UH faced the threat of NCAA sanctions. That facility, overdue and over budget, was required to address Title IX shortcomings for women’s track, cross country and soccer.

Now that the $15 million Ching Complex is open, UH says it is the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium’s turn to finally come off the dusty drawing board.

Time to bring long-enduring coach Bob Coolen’s vision to life.

“The softball stadium is the last gender-equity project that the university needs to commit to and complete on a timely basis,” Marilyn Moniz-Kaho’ohanohano, UH associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator, told a regents committee reviewing Title IX compliance. “And, that’s our top priority in our capital improvements request (to the university administration).”

To be sure, it has been an exhausting climb to the top of the priority pile. For example, the 2002 “‘Just Do It’ A Plan for Gender Equity” lists a “target date” of May 2004 for construction of home and visitor locker rooms with showers, an umpires locker room, a meeting room, coaches offices and training and equipment rooms.

The lack of progress in the intervening years prompted a 2013 Athletic Advisory Board committee’s equity report to declare “a continuing concern is the inequity between the baseball stadium and softball stadium.”

That progress has been so glacial it brought criticism from astonished regents concerned that continued deficiencies could lead to litigation. “Talk about risk management, that’s something that could be very expensive if there are violations,” said Jeff Portnoy, an attorney and chair of the regents’ Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics.

“We are moving forward,” athletic director David Matlin pledged, citing preliminary design work that is underway.

Meanwhile, wedged against the back of the UH quarry, the stadium waits. Patiently.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.