STARKSVILLE, Miss. – A record-breaking seven University of Hawai'i softball players were named National Fastitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athletes for the 2009 season. Alexandra Aguirre, Julie Franklin, Kelly Majam, Dara Pagaduan, Stephanie Ricketts, Clare Warwick and Traci Yoshikawa all were selected for their exceptional work in the classroom. 

Only 14 other Rainbow Wahine softball players have ever earned the prestigious honor since the award was established by the NFCA in 1998. To qualify, individuals must maintain a cumulative 3.50 GPA or higher for the fall and spring semesters combined. Just six players from Hawai'i have earned the award more than once, including Franklin, Warwick, and Yoshikawa. Hawai'i was represented by four freshman, a junior and two seniors.

Franklin and Warwick were both four year letterwinners, joined fellow UH alumnae Tracie Uchima, as the only three Rainbow Wahine to ever garner the academic honor all four years.

A psychology major from Temple City, Calif., Franklin completed her playing career and graduated this past spring with a 3.96 grade point average. The Phi Beta Kappa student-athlete also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this past year and was named to the academic All-WAC team. In 2009, Franklin appeared in 37 games with 27 starts primarily at shortstop, hitting .222 (16-for-73) with three doubles, three home runs, and a career-high nine RBI.

Warwick, a kinesiology and rehabilitation sciences major out of Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, posted a 3.90 GPA in 2009 and is slated to graduate next month. The All-American third baseman was a four-year starter for the 'Bows and finished her stellar career with a .328 career batting average. She also etched her name in the UH record books, finishing second all-time with 160 runs scored and is third in school history with 240 career hits. In 2009, Warwick had a .974 fielding percentage at the hot corner, committing just five errors with 134 assists and 56 putouts. Warwick also holds the school record as the only Rainbow Wahine softball player to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors three times and she earned both all-WAC and academic All-WAC team honors the past three years.

Yoshikawa, a two-time NFCA scholar-athlete, earned a 3.67 GPA in kinesiology and rehabilitation sciences in 2009. The junior infielder out of Honolulu, O'ahu and Moanalua High School saw action in 30 games while starting 18 primarily at shortstop. Yoshikawa was also selected to the academic all-WAC team this past year. As a junior, she scored 11 runs, had 11 hits with a double, two home runs and eight RBI.

Aguirre, an outfielder from Temple City, Calif., posted a 3.76 GPA in 2009. The journalism major appeared in 40 games with 11 starts in her freshman campaign. Aguirre was also recognized as a 2008-09 Academic All-WAC Freshman Team for her work in the classroom.

Majam is a general arts and sciences major who logged a 3.66 GPA in her first year at Hawai'i. The centerfielder from Pine Valley, Calif., showcased her skills in last year's preseason, Kama'aina Classic. In that tournament, Majam hit .625 with two doubles, a home run, seven runs scored with six runs batted in. Unfortunately, an injury during the final game of the tourney derailed her rookie season in which she received a medical redshirt.

Pagaduan, a second baseman from Kapolei, O'ahu and Kamehameha Schools, earned a 3.94 GPA with a double major in biology and Hawaiian language. Pagaduan appeared in 47 games with 37 starts at second base for the 'Bows as a freshman. She hit a solid .274 (29-for-106) with 23 runs scored, seven doubles, three home runs and was fifth on the team with 19 RBI. Pagaduan's efforts athletically and academically combined also earned her Academic All-WAC Freshman Team honors.

Ricketts showed her brilliance both on and off the field as a rookie. The 2009 WAC Freshman of the Year posted a 3.62 GPA in general arts and sciences. Ricketts, a San Jose, Calif. native, appeared in 43 games while starting 30 as a pitcher. Ricketts threw 239.2 innings with a 1.78 ERA while notching a 22-11 record in her first year, which tied her for fourth in school history for most single-season wins. Ricketts fired nine shutouts, including a pair of no-hitters against Louisiana Tech (March 21) and Boise State (May 1) and she struck out 178 batters, the fifth highest total in UH single-season history while walking just 48. Ricketts was also recognized on the Academic All-WAC Freshman Team.