Game Notes
LOGAN, Utah--The 25th-ranked University of Hawai'i softball team's second roadtrip of the season continues with a mid-week, three-game, Western Athletic Conference series at Utah State (14-15, 2-3 WAC). The Rainbow Wahine (28-11, 6-0 WAC) will face off against the Aggies in a single game on Tues., Apr. 6 at 3:00 p.m. and a doubleheader on Wed., Apr. 7 starting at 1:00 p.m. All games will be played at Johnson Field on the Utah State campus.
The Rainbow Wahine begin the ninth week of the season atop the WAC standings with a 6-0 conference record. Hawai`i completed a three-game sweep at New Mexico State this past weekend. UH held off the hard-hitting Aggies, 9-8 in the series' opener, then overpowered NMSU in the final two games, 14-3 and 13-1 (five innings).
As a team, UH is hitting a combined .297 and have outscored their opponents 257-121 this season. But, it is their power numbers that pop-out instantly. The 'Bows launched 13 home runs this past week in three games, bringing their season total to 80. The Rainbow Wahine are now just four homers short of tying the school's record of 84 set by UH's 2007 Super Regional squad. All nine of UH's offensive starters have all hit at least five home runs each, while 13 players have hit at least one this year. In addition to the home runs, Hawai`i has also hit 54 doubles and three doubles in addition to their home runs, giving the team 137 extra base hits.
Kelly Majam continues her assault on UH's home run record in her rookie season. For the second week in a row, Majam leads the nation, with 20 home runs and is just one shy of tying former UH All-American, Kate Robinson's school record of 21, which was set in 2008. Currently Majam, UH's centerfielder and lead-off hitter, leads the 'Bows and the WAC with 49 hits, 42 runs scored, and 120 total bases. Majam also leads UH with two triples, 37 RBI, a .945 slugging percentage and .477 on-base percentage, plus she has yet to make an error in centerfield. Fellow freshman, shortstop
Jessica Iwata, is now second on the team with a .361 average overall and she leads UH with a .538 average in conference games. Iwata has a team-high14 doubles overall and is third on the team with 33 runs scored. Junior third baseman
Melissa Gonzalez has continued to post solid numbers and is third on the team with a .361 average (44-for-122) and she has scored 24 runs with five doubles, a triple and 10 home runs.
Ironically, UH's top four hitters statistically for the 'Bows are also the first four hitters in the UH line-up in the same exact order: Majam (.386), Iwata (.361), Gonzalez (.361), and
Jenna Rodriguez (.325).
Sophomore
Stephanie Ricketts and freshman,
Kaia Parnaby have become a formidable one-two punch in the pitching circle. Ricketts is 13-6 this season and 4-0 in the WAC with 16 complete games. She has 94 strike outs and 52 walks in 109.2 innings pitched while holding opponents to a .234 average. Parnaby is 14-5 overall and 2-0 in conference. Overall, she has tossed 14 complete games in 18 starts and has six shut-outs under her belt and brings a 2.11 ERA into this week's series. In 109.2 innings she has fanned 138 batters while walking just 29.
Head Coach
Bob Coolen is in his 19th season and closing in on yet another milestone in his stellar coaching career. Currently, Coolen has a 695-423-1 record at the University of Hawai'i, overall, he is 767-516-1 in a career that spans 24 seasons.
First year head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba and her Aggies primed and ready for their match-up against the 'Bows. Last weekend in Logan, the Aggies swept Nevada in a doubleheader 12-4 and 11-7 before an overnight snowfall left the field unplayable for the series finale. USU is now 14-15 overall and 3-2 in conference. Millsap-Kalaba spent the past five years as the head coach at Biola, where she compiled an overall record of 143-93.
Offense...
Utah State is hitting .270 as a team and has solid hitters one-through-nine in the line-up. Four players are hitting over the .300 mark, with freshman Kali Cancelosi leading the way with a .317 average (19-for-60) and senior, Simone Hubbard, is right on her heels, hitting .316 (18-for-57). But look out for Nicole Tindall who leads the Aggies with 25 hits, 19 runs scored, and 20 RBI. Tindall is also the team leader in stolen bases, swiping 6-of-7 bags. Kelly Kaneshiro has returned after an injury held her out last season, and she's come back with a bang. She leads USU with six home runs and a .512 slugging percentage, and is second on the squad with 19 RBI, 23 hits and 17 runs scored.
Pitching...
The Aggies pitching staff is led by Kate Greenough who is 7-7 overall. She is 3-0 in the WAC, accounting for all of USU's conference wins thus far. Overall, she has thrown a team-high 84.2 innings and has a team-low 3.64 ERA. She has struck out 62 batters walked 30 and held opponents to a .278 average. Last week, she earned both wins over Nevada and she also tossed all 9.0 innings in a 3-2 win at Louisiana Tech. Mandy Harmon has thrown 52.0 innings and brings a 5-6 record into the series with a 5.12 ERA. Shelbi Tyteca and Stacey Ellingsworth are both 1-1 this year and thrown an identical 21.2 innings. Tyteca has a 3.88 ERA and Ellingsworth has a 4.20 ERA.
HAWAI`I at UTAH STATE
What: Hawai'i (28-11, 6-0 WAC) at Utah State (14-15, 3-2 WAC)
When: Tues, Apr. 6 at 3:00 p.m.; Wed., Apr. 7 at 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Where: Johnson Field (Logan, Utah)
Live Stats: Live stats for the UH vs. USU series will not be available
Ticket Information: Adult General Admission $5, Youth General Admission $1
Coaches: Bob Coolen (UH: 695-423-1/Overall: 767-516-1) is in his 19th year at UH. Utah State's Carissa Millsap-Kalaba is in her first season with the Aggies and is 14-15 overall.
Series Information: Hawai'i and Utah State have faced off 44 times through the years with UH holding a 28-16 advantage over the Aggies. Last season, the 'Bows swept USU in Honolulu. UH won the first game 9-1 in six innings, but struggled the following day, coming from behind late in the game to down the Aggies 4-3 in 10 innings and 3-2.
