SANTA BARBARA--The University of Hawai'i softball team (6-9, 0-0 BWC) opens their Big West season on the road this week. the Rainbow Wahine will play a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 19 and a single game on Sunday, March 20. First pitch for both days are 10:00 a.m. HT.
 

GAMES #16-18
Teams				Hawai'i (6-9, 0-0 Big West) at UC Santa Barbara (7-17, 0-0 Big West)
Date | Time				Saturday, March 19, 2022 (DH) at 10:00 a.m. HT Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. HT
Site				Campus Diamond - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Teams				Hawai'i (6-9, 0-0 Big West) at UC Santa Barbara (7-17, 0-0 Big West)
Livestats				Game 1 - Livestats Link Game 2 - Livestats Link Game 3 - Livestats Link
Live streaming video				Video Link
Game Notes				Hawai'i  |  UCSB
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook

ALL-TIME RECORDS vs. UC SANTA BARBARAUH is 54-27 against the Gauchos. The 'Bows had won five-straight games before UCSB snapped their losing streak with a 7-0 win over UH last season, 7-0 on 3/20/21

HEAD COACH BOB COOLENCAREER RECORD: 1,105-750-1
HAWAI'I RECORD: 1,033-656-1

NEWS & NOTES

• Hawai'i posted a 1-4 record last week in the high-powered Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic which featured Baylor, California and No. 1 and defending NCAA Champions, Oklahoma. UH had lost its first four games in the tourney. In their second game againstthe Sooners, the 'Bows were no-hit, but they bounced right back for one of their best games of the year thus far, ending the tournament on a high with a 6-1 victory over Cal. The win over the Golden Bears marked UH's first win over California since a 6-2 win on March 8, 2014. It was also the first win over a PAC-12 team since knocking off Utah, 5-1 also on March 8, 2015, and the first win over a power five conference team since UH defeated Purdue on March 18, 2017.
• Senior shortstop Nawai Kaupe led UH in this past tournament, reaching base safely in all five games and hitting a team-best .417 batting average. She also had a team-high five hits with a home run and was 4-of-5 in stolen bases. Overall, Kaupe alsoleads the team with a .378 batting average, 10 runs scored, 17 hits, four home runs and nine RBI. She has seven stolen bases already this season.
• Against California in the tourney's finale game, senior centerfielder Brittnee Rossi had herself a game. After shifting down to the middle of the order, Coolen put her back at her customary leadoff hitter role and she responded. Rossi led off the game with a solo home run and went 2-for-2 with a homer and a double with three runs scored, two RBI and a walk. On defense she also made a web-gem sliding catch right in the middle of the field's giant H logo. Overall, Rossi is hitting .214 and is tied with Ka'ena Keliinoi for second on the team with six runs scored.
• Hawai'is freshmen pitchers have proven their mettle in the circle with their bulldog mentality. Lefty Brianna Lopez goes into the Big West season with a 3-3 record and a 2.07 ERA in 44.0 innings pitched She has 15 walks to 34 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .236 batting average. This past weekend, she earned the complete-game win over California. She allowed just one run in the first inning while spacing five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. For the tournament, Lopez had a 1.40 ERA in three appearances and 15.0 innings pitched. She held opposing batters from OU, Cal and Baylor to a .214 average. She was voted Big West Freshman of the Week on Feb. 28.
• Fellow freshman pitcher, righty Chloe Borges begins the Big West with a 3-4 record and a 5.00 ERA in eight appearances. She has thrown a team-high 49.0 innings with 26 walks and 25 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .285 against her.
• Sophomore utility player Maya Nakamura is second on the team right behind Kaupe with a .372 batting average. She leads UH with three doubles and is tied for the team lead with nine RBI with Kaupe. She has a team-high eight walks. She leads UH with a .481 on-base % and is second on the team with a .442 slugging percentage. Defensively, she has been solid, committing just one error with 42 putouts and 34 assists for a .987 fielding % at second base.
• Freshman Izabella Martinez has started 14 of 15 games thus far at catcher--including the last 13 consecutive games. She has been the No. 2/No. 3 hitter in the lineup for the past couple of weeks. Overall she is hitting .257 with 9-for-35 at the plate with a double and five RBI. She has thrown out six runners attempting to steal.
• Ka'ena Keliinoi, who has started 13 games in the outfield (12 in left and one in right), slid over to start at third base in UH's most recent game vs. California. She did not disappoint. In addition of going 1-for-3 with a run scored, Keliinoi fielded five balls at third and looked like she'd been there since the RWSS was built.
• The anchors: Only three Rainbow Wahine have now started all 15 games thus far--Maya Nakamura at second, Nawai Kaupe at shortstop and Brittnee Rossi at centerfield.