Follow the University of Hawai'i softball team during the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Tournament hosted by New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M. HawaiiAthletics.com will chronicle the team's tournament with the blog, “Between the Lines.” Top-seeded Hawai`i has a bye in the first round and will facethe winner of the No. 4 San Jose State vs. No. 5 Nevada game on Thurday, May 10 at 11:30 a.m. (MT). 

by Kara Nishimura, Media Relations Assistant Director

Day 6: Sunday, May 13
This morning, the day began with a team meeting at 8:00 am when the team was told that we would not be flying back to Honolulu, but instead staying in Las Cruces to watch the NCAA selection show. Our tickets to go home were cancelled this morning taking the calculated risk of us not going all the way home only to turn right-around in a day's time to come back to the mainland if we did not end up hosting one of the NCAA Regionals.

So instead of starting to make our way back to Manoa, the team relaxed in the morning before holding a workout session in the hotel, they then grabbed something to eat before practice started at 4:00 p.m. New Mexico State was very gracious in allowing us to use their softball complex for a couple of hours. The weather seems to be getting hotter and drier, not like last week's overcast and rainy conditions. We all returned to the hotel for a little bit before loading the vans again to go to "The Game" (a sports restaurant near the NMSU campus) to watch the NCAA tournament selection show on ESPNU. 

The Game opened special for us and we were placed in a separate room with several televisions so we could all watch. We at dinner first (salad, pasta, chicken and bread pudding) and watched the NCAA lacrosse tournament before the softball show came on air. We watched...and watched...and watched the show until the final brackets were revealed and it was announced that the Rainbow Wahine would be travelling to the 13th-seed Arizona to open against Notre Dame. The other half of the Regional will feature the Wildcats vs. North Dakota State.


Day 4: Friday, May 11
The Rainbow Wahine had a tough day at the ballpark in their two games and got eliminated from the 2012 Western Athletic Conference tournament with a 6-4 loss to BYU and a 9-7 loss to Fresno State. In both games, the 'Bows popped out to early leads, only to see their early advantages evaporate. Against the Cougars, UH jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a three-run bomb hit by Jessica Iwata. But in the bottom of the frame, BYU answered right back to post six runs and they held off the 'Bows the rest of the game. The second game against the Bulldogs was delayed for an hour because of lightning. Hawai`i got out to a 6-0 lead in the third inning on a pair of three-run home runs by Sharla Kliebenstein and Kelly Majam. But the 'Bows let the Bulldogs back in the game in the bottom of the third, as FS scored four runs and then another five runs in the fifth to leapfrog UH, 9-6. Hawai`i got one run back in the seventh, but it was not enough. 

Congratulations to junior shortstop Jessica Iwata and Kelly Majam who both earned WAC All-Tournament Team honors. 

With finals now over, the team decompressed and regrouped on Saturday spending time with family and friends who came up to support UH--and then helped celebrate first baseman Jori Jasper's birthday! 




Day 3: Thursday, May 10
The team woke up early and was at breakfast at the hotel restaurant this morning when Coach Bob Coolen got word that our game against San Jose State would be pushed back from 11:30 am, to sometime after 2:30 following the completion of the tourney's second game from last night between Fresno State and Louisiana Tech that was suspended last night because of lightning. After breakfast, the players went back to their rooms to either study for their finals, relax a little, or hang out with family and friends who are here to cheer on the Rainbow Wahine. 

The vans were loaded by 1:00 p.m. and we headed toward the field. Hawai`i came out on top over the Spartans, 5-1. Stephanie Ricketts earned her 28th win of the season, while the offense was highlighted by a three-run inning that featured a two-RBI single up the middle by Jessica Iwata.

After the game, the team got back to studying as many had to take final exams tonight, while some others went to dinner with their families. Hawai`i will now face BYU who advanced with a 6-1 win over Louisiana Tech tonight. The UH-BYU game will be on Friday, May 11 at 2:00 p.m.




Video Blog #2 - Wednesday, May 9



Day 2: Wednesday, May 9
 It was an eventful morning for the Rainbow Wahine who attended the 2012 WAC Softball Banquet brunch along with the other five teams that qualified for the tournament. It was held at the NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum near the campus of New Mexico State. 

After brief welcoming speeches by the WAC Associate Commissioner Mollie Lehman and the New Mexico State Athletics Director, Dr. McKinley Boston, the teams and staff ate their brunch before the program  started. First, the head coaches were called up to introduce their seniors and then one-by-one, all of the Verizon WAC Pitchers and Hitters of the Week were announced and they went up on stage to receive a certificate. In all, Stephanie Rickets had to make her way up on to the stage five times with Leisha Li`ili`i, Jessica Iwata, Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, Kelly Majam and Kaia Parnaby all collecting their hardware. 

The all-WAC teams were then announced and Hawai`i was well represented! Three made second team all-WAC: Alexandra Aguirre, Kaia Parnaby and Li`ili`i, while five more UH players--Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, Iwata, Majam, Ricketts, and Sarah Robinson--were named first team all-WAC. The giant trophy for winning the WAC regular season was then awarded to the captains of the team and soon thereafter the brunch came to a close. 

The team returned to the hotel and got some rest or study time in as many are still in the middle of taking their final exams. After a couple of hours, the 'Bows loaded the vans again at 1:00 pm and headed to the NMSU field for an hour-long practice. The team got in some hitting, pitching and throwing before they had to start heading back to grab some lunch before taking their tests. 

In game one today between No. 3 San Jose State and No. 4 Nevada, the Wolf Pack had a comfortable 6-2 lead before the Spartans started to launch home runs to tie the game and then win, 9-6 on a three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh. No. 1 seeded Hawai`i will open the tournament against SJSU on Thursday morning at 11:30 am (MT). The second game on Wednesday between No. 3 Fresno State and No. 6 Louisiana Tech was suspended due to lightning with the Lady Techsters leading 13-7 in the fifth inning. The game will resume on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.



Video Blog #1 - Tuesday, May 8



Day 1: Tuesday, May 8
The Rainbow Wahine actually arrived on Monday night after a long day of travel. The team packed their bus at 8:00 am and headed from Logan, Utah to Salt Lake City where they then caught a flight to Denver and from Denver UH boarded another plane to El Paso, Texas. The 'Bows then drove another hour to Las Cruces, N.M. where they arrived after 8:30 pm. After a team meeting and a late dinner it was time to settle down for the night.

This morning, the 'Bows woke up fairly early, ate breakfast and then left for the NM State Softball Complex for practice at 10:00 a.m. Upon arrival, the team stretched out and had a short work out while Coach Bob had to get their bats tested by WAC officials. UH started their batting practice promptly at 11:00 a.m. They had several hitting stations going--hitting live off of Coach Bob, and three different drills in the batting cages plus hitting off the tee in the space just beyond the leftfield fence. After hitting the team used the balance of the time to warm up throwing and then do some infield/outfield drills before wrapping up the hour on the field.

After practice, the team headed back to the Hotel Encanto, which will be our home for the next few days. Players grabbed some lunch and then studied a little before they had to start taking their finals which are being proctored by academic advisor Kehau Marzan in one of the hotel's ballrooms. 

We are now hunkered down in the hotel as a severe thunderstorm rages outside the hotel throughout this area of New Mexico.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) the team will attend the WAC Banquet at the NM Farm Ranch and Ranch Heritage Museum at 10:00 a.m. The Rainbow Wahine will receive their WAC regular season trophy. The WAC's weekly Pitcher and Hitter of the Weeks will be recognized and the first and second team players will be announced, in addition, the Freshman, Pitcher, Player and Coach of the Year honors will be awarded. Come check back tomorrow for the latest updates on the team!