Game Notes  |  VIDEO: 2014 Season Preview

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team kicks off its 2014 season with the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic this week from Feb. 6-8 at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The 'Bows will battle Hampton, Delaware and No. 16/13 UCLA.
 
The Rainbow Wahine have reloaded for 2014 with nine newcomers joining 13 returning letterwinners. UH brings back six starters and one pitcher from last year's team. Leading the 'Bows into 2014 is senior second baseman Jazmine Zamora who earned NFCA all-West region honors and was voted to the All-Big West first team after hitting a team-high .337 overall and .422 conference batting average. Joining Zamora (55 H / 29 RBI) on the All-Big West teams were first team selections sophomore outfielder/pitcher Keiki Carlos (.320 BA / 57 H / 13 2B / 32 RBI) and junior catcher Kayla Wartner (.314 BA / 38 Runs / 55 H / 11 HR / 37 RBI). Junior first baseman Leisha Li'ili'i (.301 BA /13 HR / 41 RBI) earned second team honors while senior utility player Sharla Kliebenstein (.243 BA / 7 2B / 12 HR / 37 RBI) garnered honorable mention honors.
 
In the circle, the 'Bows pitching staff is comprised of sophomores Loie Kesterson and Keiki Carlos and freshmen Heather Morales and Brittany Hitchcock. Hawai'i will look to Morales and Kesterson as starters with Carlos coming in as the reliever as Hitchcock continues to work on returning into the rotation.
 
Hawai'i was narrowly picked to finish first in the Big West on Monday, edging out Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton. The Rainbow Wahine also received voted in both preseason national poll but are just outside the Top 25. Last year, Hawai'i posted a 45-13 record with a 20-4 conference mark to capture the programs second Big West title and third conference championship in four years.
 

Scouting the Hampton Lady Pirates
Hampton, the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, are led by interim head coach Michael Pelegrino. Last year, the Lady Pirates dominated in the MEAC with a 16-2 record and a 34-26 overall mark, advancing to their second NCAA tournament. Hampton return seven letterwinners, five starters and two pitchers from last year's squad. Junior pitcher Jailynn Jackson returns in the circle after posting a26-13 record last year with a 2.61 ERA in 252.0 innings pitched. She fanned 255 opposing batters while walking just 95. Taylor McCoy returns for her sophomore season after lighting it up on offense last year, finishing the year with a .391 batting average with 72 hits, 38 runs scored and 43 RBI.
Series History: First meeting 

Delaware Blue Hens
Last season, the Blue Hens went 35-22 overall and 12-9 (4th) in the Colonial Athletic Association. This year, Deleware returns 10 letterwinners, six starters and two pitchers led by junior outfielder Jessica Grisler. Last season she hit .365 with 13 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases. Senior infielder Michelle McKinnon batted .320 with 17 RBI and seven steals. Sophomore pitcher Kiersten Coffman returns after recording a 9-3 record with a 3.11 earned run average in 96.2 innings of work. The Blue Hens are led by head coach Jaime Wohlbach, who is in her fourth year with a 71-97-1 record at Delaware and a 125-182-1 overall record overall in six seasons.
Series History: First meeting
 
No. 16/13 UCLA Bruins
UCLA tallied a 40-20 record last season and finished tied for fifth in the powerful Pac-12 with a 10-14 record. Kelly Inouye-Perez is in her eighth year as the head coach of the Bruins with a 295-108 record. The Bruins have a veteran squad of 15 returning letterwinners including seven position starters and all three of her pitchers. On offense, the Bruins return four of their top five hitters from last year, led by junior pitcher/utility player Ally Carda who hit .339 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI at the plate while going 23-10 with a 2.30 ERA in 206.2 innings in the circle a year ago en route to earning NFCA first team all-Region and Pac-12 first team honors. Junior infielder Stephany LaRosa returns as their top hitter after batting .370 with 15 home runs, and 52 RBI.
Series History: UCLA leads the series history 16-4, with the Bruins winning the last three straight. UCLA defeated UH last season in Las Vegas, 11-1 in five innings (Feb. 15). Hawai'i's last win over UCLA came during the Los Angeles NCAA Regional in 2007, when UH  defeated the Bruins 3-1 (8) in the Regional semi-final game en route to the program's first-ever trip to the Super Regionals.
 

2014 Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic
Who: Hawai'i, Hampton, Delaware, No. 16/13 UCLA
When: Thursday, Feb. 6 – Saturday, Feb. 8
Where: Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium (1,200)
Television: Friday night's games against Delaware and UCLA will be televised statewide on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD). Howard Dashefsky (play-by-play) and Lori Santi (color) will be on the call.
Streaming video: Friday's UH games can be viewed online at BigWest.tv.
Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Admission is FREE!
Coaches: Hawai'i head coach Bob Coolen is entering his 23rd season at the helm of the Rainbow Wahine program. He is 843-468-1 at UH and 915-561-1 in 27 years as a head coach. Hampton is led by interim head coach Michael Pelegrino who is in his first season. Delaware is led by Jaime Wohlbach, who is in her fourth year with a 71-97-1 record at Delaware and a 125-182-1 overall record overall in six seasons. UCLA's Kelly Inouye-Perez is in her eighth year as the head coach of the Bruins with a 295-108 record.
Promotions: Oceanic Time Warner Cable is the tournament sponsor and will provide great prizes for the winners of the popular"Ballpark Bingo." Also, Oceanic bags will be thrown into the stands during the fourth inning of each UH game.