HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i head coach
Bob Coolen announced the signing of Kaia Parnaby, a 5-5 left-handed pitcher from New South Wales, Australia. Parnaby is the third player to join the Rainbow Wahine's 2010 recruiting class.
Parnaby, a hard-throwing southpaw who throws in the low-to-mid 60 mph range, attended Narrabeen Sports High School and graduated from the Freshwater Senior Campus. She is a member of the U-19 NSW and Australian national squads. Most recently, she was selected to play with the Australian open national team in three elite softball tours this summer—the Canada Cup, the Japan Cup, and the US World Cup in Oklahoma City, Ok. Parnaby is one of the youngest players on the squad's staff, but is already a well-seasoned competitor with international experience playing in the Aussie system.
She will be teaming up with former UH softball greats, Stacey Porter,
Justine Smethurst, and
Clare Warwick on the open national team this summer. She will also be facing current Rainbow Wahine pitcher,
Stephanie Ricketts, who will also be playing in the prestigious Canada Cup competition.
During the U-19 2008 Australian National Tournament, Paranaby pitched every game for her NSW team and went 6-0 with a 0.26 ERA. In the tourney, she struck out 37 batters in 27 innings and gave up just seven hits overall. She also earned U-16 pitching awards at the nationals in both 2005 and '06.
“Kaia will be a good complement to Ricketts on the mound, and the two of them together will be a formidable “one-two” punch for us next year. Parnaby's experience from playing with the Australian national team this summer will be huge for her as it will prepare her well for the level of competition she will face in DI.”
Parnaby is the latest in Coolen's Aussie pitcher pipeline which includes former UH standouts, Brooke Wilkins, Kelly Gentle, Felicity Witt, Paula Blanning, and
Justine Smethurst. Overall, she will be the 12th Australian to don the green and white.
2010 University of Hawai`i Softball Signees
Brittani Bertussi, 5-6, SS/2B, El Cajon, Calif. (Granite Hills HS)
Jessica Iwata, 5-5, SS/2B, Lihue, Kaua'I (Kaua'i HS)
Kaia Parnaby, 5-5, pitcher, NSW Australia (Freshwater Senior Campus)
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