View "Between The Lines" Part 1 - WAC Tournament

Follow the University of Hawai'i softball team during the 2012 NCAA Regional Tournament hosted by the University of Arizona in Tucson. HawaiiAthletics.com will chronicle the team's tournament with the blog, “Between the Lines.” Hawai`i will face Notre Dame on Friday, May 18 at 2:30 p.m. (PT). 

by Kara Nishimura, Media Relations Assistant Director

Day 5: Saturday, May 19
Unfortunately, this wasn't the outcome this 2012 University of Hawai`i softball team had anticipated. But this team, that started the season with a school record 21-straight wins and won the program's fourth Western Athletic Conference regular season title, fought and battled until the final out of their NCAA elimination game against North Dakota State. The players and coaches had worked so hard to get to the NCAA tournament and it was a rough way to end the season. 

But nothing can take away the amazing regular season that the team had, highlighted by a thrilling 10-inning, come-from-behind win over then undefeated and No. 1 California; UH's first series sweep over conference rival Fresno State which included junior pitcher Kaia Parnaby firing an 11-inning shut out over FS and Stephanie Ricketts tossing her sixth career no-hitter in the series finale against the Bulldogs on Senior Night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Not only did this team set a new record for the best start and longest win-streak in UH history, but individually, many career records were broken this season--including Jessica Iwata becoming the UH RBI career-leader, Kelly Majam breaking the UH career home run and walks record; and Ricketts breaking almost every UH pitching record imaginable with 102 wins, 164 appearances, 139 starts, 33 shutouts, 116 complete games, 938.1 innings pitched, and 818 strike outs.

Ultimately however, this is a team game and everyone's role is vital to its success. And although the team is losing a very strong senior class including Alexandra Aguirre, Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, Jocelyn Enrique (fourth year junior), Shannon Lum, Dara Pagaduan, Rachel Paragas, Stephanie Ricketts, and Sarah Robinson, there is a solid core retuning--including Iwata, Majam, Parnaby to name just a few that will be bolstered by a large and talented group of incoming rookies that will have to maintain the level of excellence that has been set by the past few teams that have garnered much national attention. 

Today, Sunday, has been a day for the team to start saying its good-byes. A group of players from California have already left to drive home with their families while the balance of the team will load the bus at 3:15 Monday morning to begin our trek home at the Phoenix airport. Six will be flying to various places across the nation, while 15 of us will be returning to Honolulu at 11:30 am. 

It has been an amazing season to be a part of, and it is sad to see it end so soon but keep believing and cheering for the Rainbow Wahine now and in the future.



Day 4: Friday, May 18
The first game of the Tucson Regional was a nine-inning, back-and-forth battle between Hawai`i and Notre Dame. Unfortunately, the Fighting Irish came out on top, posting four runs in the top of the ninth to knock the 'Bows into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination Regional. The two teams squared off in triple-digit heat in a hard fought game. Hawai`i was out-hit 14-to-7--with four of those hits coming off the bat of Kelly Majam who also launched two bombs for the fourth time in her career. Leisha Li`ili`i also hit her first home run in the post-season in the loss. Hawai`i will now have to fight their way through the loser's bracket to advance to the school's third Super Regional.

After the game, the team boarded the bus back to the hotel. Some players were able to spend some time with friends and family members who have come to Tucson to support the Rainbow Wahine. The rest of the team were able to get some "local food" and sticky rice at a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant located near the UA campus. 



Day 3: Thursday, May 17
Today was the final day of practice before the Tucson Regionals start with all four teams scheduled for an hour-and-a-half of practice time--30 minute in the cages and an hour on the field. All four teams had to also go through bat testing today that was conducted by the NCAA--and the bats will be tested before every day of competition from here on out. 

Several stations were set up in the cages for batting practice and then the team went out to the field to warm up and then go through defensive drills. The practice ended with Coach Bob throwing with the batters hitting situation drills. 

After practice, Coach Bob, Jessica Iwata, Kelly Majam and Stephanie Ricketts had to go to a press conference in the air conditioned media room beyond the leftfield fence. Some local media plus ESPN 1420/1500's Blaine Kauwe and Pam Ward--the play-by-play talent for this week's ESPN broadcast. After taking questions from all present, Ward talked with the four for awhile about various things to get some backround on them as well as the team. 

While the press conference was going on, the rest of the team went to a grocery store to pick up lunch and food for the rooms...and i'm assuming lots of water! Later, the team all went together to a team dinner at one of their favorite roadtrip eateries.


Day 2: Wednesday, May 16
The Hawai`i team woke up early and had a team breakfast in the hotel at 8:00 am before heading to their first practice at the Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Softball Stadium on the University of Arizona campus at 9:30 a.m. The team practiced majority on defensive drills before heading to the batting cages to get some hitting in before their hour-and-a-half practice came to a close. The team was sure to hydrate a lot during the practice as they acclimate to the arid air and high temperatures in Tucson.
 
After returning to the hotel, some decided to cool off with some time in the pool while others opted to cool off at the local mall. 

Day 1: Tuesday, May 15
Today, the Rainbow Wahine were on the move early...waking up at 8:00 am with a 9:00 am lift session at the New Mexico State weight room that the Aggies graciously let the Rainbow Wahine use. After the lift, the players returned to the hotel while the coaches drove our vans all the way back to the El Paso International Airport to return them. A charter bus then picked up the coaches and staff and drove up the I10-West to pick the team up in Las Cruces and then continue on to Tucson, Ariz.
 
The drive was pretty fast—a little less than four hours without a break—enough to watch a couple of movies though. Upon stepping off the bus, we were greeting by a blast of hot, arid air. After a quick meeting in Coach Bob's room, the team settled in and later picked up dinner in shifts as we have just two vans for this trip.
 
Tomorrow, the 'Bows will begin preparing for the program's 10th appearance in the NCAA tournament with their first practice at the Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium on the University of Arizona campus from 9:30-11:00 p.m with lunch and a possible trip to the mall later in the day.