HONOLULU--The University of Hawai'i softball team enters the 2017 season with the largest pitching staff during head coach Bob Coolen's 26-years at the helm of the program. Bearing much of the load again this year are the two projected returning starters—junior Brittany Hitchcock and senior Kanani Aina Cabrales.
 
Hitchcock was the anchor of the staff last season and led the NCAA DI in lowest "walks allowed per seven innings" issuing just 0.59 base on balls per frame. She only allowed a career-low 15 walks in 177.0 innings pitched and she did not allow a walk in 21 of her 31 appearances. Overall, Hitchcock recorded a 2.18 overall ERA while tallying a 13-15 record with four shutouts while striking out a career-high 103 batters. In conference action, Hitchcock went 7-7 with a 1.77 ERA and 11 complete games. She made 15 appearances with 89.2 innings pitched with 11 walks and 45 strikeouts en route to earning second team all-Big West honors for the second straight season. This past fall, she went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA as she did not allow an earned run in 18.0 innings. Hitchcock had just one walk with 16 strikeouts.
 
 Aina Cabrales enters her senior season after posting an 8-11 overall record with a 3.45 ERA in 28 appearances last year.  She fired 134.0 innings pitched with 38 walks and 77 strikeouts. In the Big West, Aina Cabrales went 1-4 in nine appearances. She had a 2.83 conference ERA with three complete games and 42.0 innings pitched with 11 walks and 23 strike outs. This past fall, Aina Cabrales also recorded a 3-0 record with a save in four appearances. She had a 0.74 ERA in 19.0 innings pitched with 27 strike outs to just one walk.
 
Joining the starting rotation is junior transfer Dana Thomsen who comes to Hawai'i after spending the past two seasons at Santa Rosa Junior College. Last year as a sophomore, she appeared in 31 games with 21 starts in the circle. Thomsen finished the year with an ERA of 2.08 and 17-11 overall record, notching 239 strikeouts for  an average of 9.4 strikeouts per seven innings.
 
Both Jennifer Iseri and Naomi Monahan return for their sophomore campaigns with the Rainbow Wahine. Iseri made 14 appearances and eight starts as a rookie. She had a 3-4 overall record and four complete games with 17 walks and 11 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched. Monahan was used sparingly last season, making three appearances with 3.1 total innings pitched.
 
Also still in the mix is senior Heather Morales. Although she did not make an appearance last season, she has a career record of 13-11. Morales made nine appearances as a sophomore and 27 as a freshman, Overall she has thrown 171.2 innings with 91 strikeouts and 72 strikeouts.
 
The Rainbow Wahine open the 2017 season hosting the Paradise Classic from Feb. 9-11. Coming to Honolulu to kick the season off are Boise State, Oregon State, Sacramento State, and UAB.