HONOLULU-- After starting the conference season with back-to-back series wins against UC Santa Barbara and CSUN, the University of Hawai'i softball team returns home to host UC San Diego for a four-game series beginning on Friday.
 

HAWAI'I (4-5, 4-2 Big West) vs. UC SAN DIEGO (5-6, 2-1 Big West)
Date | Time				Friday Apr. 2, 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. HT, Saturday Apr. 3 6:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. HT
Location				Honolulu, O'ahu - Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Television				None
Live Stream				None
Radio				None
Live Stats				HawaiiAthletics.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i | UC San Diego
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @hawaiisoftball  | Facebook

 
HEAD COACH BOB COOLEN 
Overall record: 1,089-727-1 (35th season)
At Hawai'i: 1,019-631-1 (30th season)

SERIES VS UC SAN DIEGO
Overall record: First-ever meeting
Streak: N/A
Last Hawaii win against UC San Diego: N/A 

FIRST PITCH

• The offense came alive for the Rainbow Wahine on the road at CSUN, scoring 20 runs over the three-game series, including a 12-0 victory in game two of the series where UH collected 16 hits.
• Sophomore right fielder Maya Nakamura leads the offense against conference opponents as she enters the series with a .444 batting average ranking at No. 9 in the Big West, including going 5-for-9 against the Matadors, scoring four runs.
• Senior left fielder Bree Soma has been swinging a hot bat of late as she's second on the team with a .385 batting average against conference opponents but leads the team in slugging percentage at .846 against the Big West. She ranks at No. 5 in the conference in slugging while Nakamura sits at No. 7 (.778), and junior shortstop Nawai Kaupe comes in at No. 9 (.667).
• The long ball has been a friend of the 'Bows in their six conference games as they lead the conference with five. Kaupe is tied for No. 2 alongside Sherriah Harrington of the Tritons with two.
• Pitching made a big difference in the Matadors series as head coach Bob Coolen relied on junior Ashley Murphy and freshman Jetta Nannen for 100% of the pitching duties. Nannen flirted with history on Saturday as she was an inning away from a no-hitter, while Murphy pitched a complete game gem on Friday for a 5-1 victory.
• Against the Big West, UH pitching has been stellar with a 2.41 ERA, accompanied by an opposing batting average of .262. The 'Bows rank No. 4 in both categories, while only allowing one home run on the season, putting them at second-fewest allowed.
• Defense has played a role in the early success of the 'Bows with a team fielding percentage of .962 for third-best in the Big West. In 182 chances, UH has only committed seven errors on the season, including just two against the Matadors.
• The series with UCSD will be the first-ever meetings between the two programs. The last time UH played a team from the city of San Diego was back in 2010 when the 'Bows' posted a 50-16 record and took down the University of San Diego in the Louisville Slugger Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada, 16-2.

FAN CUTOUTS AT RAINBOW WAHINE SOFTBALL STADIUM
The University of Hawai'i Athletics Department is offering fans an opportunity to get a cutout of yourself, a friend, a family member or even your pet which will be placed in an open seat in the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Each cut out will cost $50 and remain in place for all 2021 Rainbow Wahine Softball home games. Proceeds from the cutouts will support University of Hawai'i student-athletes.

NCAA EXTENDS EXTRA YEAR TO SPRING SPORTS ATHLETES

All returning college players were granted an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that ended the 2020 season six weeks into the season. All NCAA athletes (D-I, D-II and D-III), and junior college athletes keep their athletic standing from the 2020 season. Thus a freshman in 2020 is a freshman in 2021. A redshirt junior in 2020 stays a redshirt junior in 2021. 

Hawai'i has decided to label all athletes as their athletic eligibility rather than advance their eligibility or add on additional confusing language such as "second-year freshman" or "sixth-year junior."

Incoming freshmen are as listed, freshmen. 
 

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