NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (30-13, 11-4 Big West) heads off on its final roadtrip of the year to take on CSUN (24-24, 8-7 Big West) at Matador Diamond this weekend. The two teams will square off in a single game on Friday, May 3 at 12:00 pm HT and a doubleheader on Saturday, May 4 at 10:00 am HT. The Rainbow Wahine remain one game behind league leader, Cal State Fullerton, with two Big West series left in the season.
 
Teams: Hawai'i (30-1, 11-4 Big West) vs. CSUN (24-24, 8-7 Big West)
Date/Time: Friday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m. HT; Saturday, May 4 at 10:00 am HT (DH)
Site: Matador Diamond – Northridge, Calif.
Video Stream/Livestats: gomatadors.com
Series History: UH and CSUN are tied at 16-16-1 all time. Last year the Matadors took the last two games of the three game series in Honolulu.
 
Game Notes:

• The Rainbow Wahine enter this week just one game behind conference leader, Cal State Fullerton and one game in front of UC Davis. The Titans lead the Big West with a 12-3 record and are 32-16 overall. UH is 11-4 in conference and are 30-13 overall. UC Davis is 10-5 in the Big West and are 36-10 overall. UH will take on the Aggies in their last home series to end the season.
• With the three-game sweep over UC Riverside the past weekend, Hawai'i hit the 30-win mark for the first time since 2015.
• Seniors Brittany Hitchcock and Nicole Lopez earned Big West Pitcher and Player of the Week honors this week for their roles leading the 'Bows sweep over UCR. Hitchcock earned all three wins over the Highlanders with a .045 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. Her first two wins came as complete-game victories and her third win came in relief of starter Izzy Dino. Lopez hit .556 over the weekend with a team-high five hits and four runs scored. She hit safely and scored at least one run in all three games this past weekend. Her solo home run in the second game pushed her into No. 6 alone in UH's home run record book with a career total of 37 home runs.
• In UH"s second win over the Highlanders, five different players launched home runs en route to the 'Bows, 9-1 mercy rule win. Lopez, Alyssa Sojka, Madison Veldman, Brittnee Rossi and Jenna Kumabe all hit homers. Kumabe's was a solo, walk-off home run to end the game in five innings.
• The series finale was a pitcher's duel that went to eight innings. Izzy Dino allowed one run in the second inning and lasted into the fifth inning. Hitchcock earned the win firing the last 3.2 innings in relief. Cheeks Ramos tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth and Callee Heen won the game on a three-run, walk off bomb hit to centerfield in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was Heen's 14^th homer of the season, tying her career-high and moving her into a tie with Lopez at No. 6 in the UH all-time home run record book.
• Although Heen only had one hit against UCR this past week, it was a game-winning hit in the series finale. Overall, Heen continues to lead the Big West in home runs (14) and walks (.63 p/game) and is second in the league with a .800 slugging percentage. Heen also leads UH with a .382 batting average and 43 RBI. She has a team-high 14 multiple-RBI games and is 2^nd wieth 13 multiple-hit games.
• Lopez is having her best offensive season of her career, hitting .368 overall with a team-high 53 hits while scoring a career high 43 runs, 11 doubles, and 12 home runs. She leads UH with 16 multiple-hit games and is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases.
• Hitchcock has been the anchor of the pitching staff and she enters this week with a 17-7 overall record and 18 complete games in 23 starts. She has fired six complete game shutouts while recording a 1.78 ERA in 141.1 innings pitched. She leads the Big West in walk-to-strikeout ration with 22 walks and 92 strikeouts.