NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete ListLOUISVILLE, Ky.- Seven University of Hawai'i softball players have been named as 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I All-America Scholar-Athletes.
Kanani Aina Cabrales (Lawerenceville, Ga./Georgia Tech),
Keiki Carlos (Mililani, O'ahu/Mid-Pacific Institute),
Brittany Hitchcock (Huntington Beach, Calif./Ocean View HS),
Ulu Matagiese (Waimea, Kaua'i/Waimea HS),
Dori Ann Sugai (Honolulu, O'ahu/Moanalua HS),
Rachael Turner (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS) and
Kiani Wong (Hilo, Hawai'i/Kamehameha Schools—Hawai'i)—all earned the accolade which is given to players who achieved a 3.50 grade point average or higher during the 2014-15 academic year. Only 34 different Rainbow Wahine softball players have ever been selected for the national honor. For both Carlos and Hitchcock, it marked the second time in their careers that they earned NFCA academic honors. It was the first time being honored by the NFCA for Aina-Cabrales, Matagiese, Sugai, Turner and Wong.
Carlos is one of UH's cornerstones in the outfield. In 2015, she started all 54 games as a junior last season and finished with a .293 batting average (51-for-174). She led Hawai'I with 38 runs scored (career high), 51 hits (tied with Leisha Li'ili'I for team-high), 11 doubles and six stolen bases in eight attempts (career highs). Carlos also led UH with 14 multiple-hit games—including a pair of games with a season-high three hits against Columbia (Mar. 17) and Long Beach State (Apr. 11). She was named all-Big West honorable mention on the field while earning Big West Academic All-Conference honors in the classroom. This is the second-straight season that Carlos, a family resources major, has been named an NFCA scholar-athlete.
Hitchcock, one of UH's starting pitchers, is also majoring in family resources. She finished the 2015 season strong with an 18-7 overall record and a 9-2 Big West record. She was named to the all-Big West second team, all-conference freshman team, and she earned NFCA All-West Region third team honors after her rookie season. Overall, Hitchcock recorded 15 complete games with four shutouts in 32 appearances with 29 starts. She recorded a team-low 2.37 ERA in 174.1 innings pitched. She struck out 85 batters while walking 40. She held opposing hitters to a .271 batting average. In conference, Hitchcock posted an 8-2 record. She made 12 appearances with 11 starts and eight complete games. She tossed 76.0 innings with 14 walks and 37 strike outs. Hitchcock also earned Big West Academic All-Conference honors. It is the second time that she has earned NFCA academic honors. Last year, she earned the honor for her red-shirt year in 2014.
Aina Cabrales transferred from Geogia Tech last year and made an immediate impact for the Rainbow Wahine. The pitcher appeared in 37 games with 24 starts in the circle as a sophomore last season. Aina-Cabrales recorded a 13-15 overall record overall with a 2.82 ERA in 158.2 innings pitched. She is a business administration major.
Matagiese appeared in 43 games with 32 starts—21 in centerfield and 11 in leftfield. She finished her sophomore season last year with a career-high .267 batting average (23-for-86). She also posted career-highs with 86 at-bats, 23 hits, 12 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 14 RBI. In conference, raised her average to .323 (10-for-31) which was second on the team. Matagiese also was named to the Big West Academic All-Conference Team.
As a junior last year, Sugai appeared in 32 games with 20 starts--18 games at second base and two games at shortstop. She finished the season with a .136 batting average overall (6-for-44) with three runs scored a double and two RBI and she was 1-for-2 in stolen bases.
Turner appeared in just two games as a freshman against Portland State in Las Vegas, Nev. (Feb. 15) and UCF (Feb. 22). The communications major came off the bench to play at first base with one put-out against the Pilots. Turner was a pinch-hitter against the Knights with one at bat.
Wong, who is an English major, played in 16 games as a junior with three starts in centerfield but was primarily used as a pinch-runner. She hit .143 overall (1-for-7) with four runs scored and was 1-for-1 in stolen bases. Wong scored the winning run in an 8-7, eight inning game against Longwood (Mar. 5) on a sacrifice fly.
