HONOLULU - The University of Hawai'i softball team (15-15, 9-6 Big West) returns home to host CSU Bakersfield (8-25, 3-12 BWC) in a three-game Big West series this week. The teams will open the series with a single game on Friday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23 at 2:00 p.m.. Prior to Saturday's double-dip, the Rainbow Wahine will be hosting "Youth League Day" at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. 

*IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON COMING TO SOFTBALL THIS WEEKEND - Please be aware that the University of Hawai'i is also hosting the Big West Women's Water Polo and Big West Men's Volleyball championship tournaments this weekend so parking structure will be very busy. Check out the link above (Important Parking Information) for more information.
 

GAMES 31-33 - HAWAI'I (15-15, 9-6 BIG WEST) VS. CSU BAKERSFIELD (8-25, 3-12 BIG WEST)
GAME SCHEDULE				Friday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 23 (DH) at 2:00 p.m.
Location				Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium (1,200) - Honolulu, O'ahu
Radio				Friday's game will be broadcast live on CBS 1500 with Dave Kawada handling the play-by-play
Audio Stream				cbssportshawaii.com
Live Stats				Game 1  |  Game 2  |  Game 3
Game Notes				Hawai'i  |  CSU Bakersfield
Promotions				Softball fans will receive great prizes for the winners of the popular "Ballpark Bingo."  T-shirts will be thrown into the stands during the fourth inning of every game.  SATURDAY is "Youth League Day" at the RWSS. Contact Kelsey Kozuma (kozuma2@hawaii.edu) to register your team!
Tickets				Admission is FREE at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Game Day Rosters				UH vs. CSUB (PDF)
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook

HEAD COACH BOB COOLEN

CAREER RECORD: 1,114-756-1 (36)
HAWAI'I RECORD: 1,042-662-1 (32)

ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CSU BAKERSFIELD

• UH has only played CSUB three times in school history and holds a 3-0 record against the 'Runners. UH played CSU Bakersfield earlier this season at the 2022 UNLV Rebel Kickoff tournament in Las Vegas, where the 'Bows held off the Roadrunners, 7-5 and head coach Bob Coolen recorded his 1,100th career win. 

LAST TIME OUT...

• Last week, the Rainbow Wahine got back on the winning track after getting swept the week before by Cal Poly. Hawai'i shut out the Highlanders 2-0 to open the series. The Highlanders held off Hawai'i, 3-2 to start Saturday's doubleheader, but the 'Bows battled back to win the series with a 7-1 victory in the series' finale. UH has now won four of its first five Big West series this season.

NEWS & NOTES

• PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Freshman pitcher Brianna Lopez earned her first career Big West Pitcher of the Year honor after posting a pair of wins last week at UC Riverside. It was a homecoming for Lopez who hails from Riverside, Calif. and is an alum of Ramona High School. She earned two complete game wins--including a two-hit shut out to start the UCR series. In 14.0 innings of work, Lopez tallied a 0.50 ERA while holding the Highlanders to a .140 batting average. She is the first Rainbow Wahine to earn Pitcher of the Week honors since Brittany Hitchcock on May 6, 2019, and she is just the fifth Rainbow Wahine to earn Big West Pitcher of the Week honors since the 'Bows rejoined the league in 2013. She is the ninth UH hurler overall to earn the BWC weekly pitching honor. She joins Dionne Peltier (1), Amie Stewart (1), Brooke Wilkins (5), Kelly Gentle (1), Stephanie Wiese (1), Kaia Parnaby (5), Dana Thomsen (1), Kanani Aina-Cabrales (1), and Brittany Hitchcock (5).
• THAT BALL SAID ALOOOHA! - Hawai'i leads the Big West averaging 0.83 home runs per game which ranks them 85th in the NCAA. Last week at UC Riverside, Hawai'i's Nawai Kaupe, Ka'ena Keliinoi, and Brittnee Rossi all launched solo home runs. 
• TURNING TWO - Hawai'i's defense turned one double play last week at UCR and fell in the rankings to No. 2 in double plays per game, averaging .60. UH has turned a total of 18 double plays ths season. The league leader is Cal State Bakersfield is averaging .61 DP's/game and have turned 20 total this year.
• LEADER OF THE PACK - Sophomore second baseman Maya Nakamura continues to lead the Rainbow Wahine on offense with a .341 batting average. She leads UH with 29 hits, 20 RBI, 15 walks and a .456 on-base percentage. Nakamura also leads UH with seven-multiple RBI games. Although her hit-streak was halted this past week at six, Nakamura still her "reached-base safely" streak in tact at 10 games and counting.
• HOME RUN LEADER - Senior Nawai Kaupe leads the Big West with eight home runs, which is a career high for the shortstop from Wailuku, Maui. She leads UH with 17 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Her 12 stolen bases is the most in a season for a UH player since Kelly Majam swiped 12 in 2013, her senior season. Kaupe is ranked second on the team with 27 hits, 15 RBI (tied with Ka'ena Keliinoi), 11 walks, and a .406 on-base percentage.
• STREAKING INTO THE WEEK - Sophomore utility player Ka'ena Keliinoi currently is on a nine-game hitting streak--the longest of her career and for UH this season. On defense, she has been the definition of what a "utility player" is. During her career, Keliinoi has started 73 games at seven different positions and playing where ever she can help the team the most. This year alone, she has started 13 games in leftfield, 13 at third base, two in centerfield and one in rightfield. Last season, Keliinoi started 22 games at catcher, one at second base, one as designated player. In her true freshman year, she caught 11 games, played 11 at second base, one in rightfield and one as designated player during the COVID shortened season. This year, Keliinoi is third on the team with a .319 batting average and leads the team with six doubles and is tied for second with 14 RBI.
• ALL 808 IF —With the exception of the UH battery, in 10 of the last 13 games, UH has started an all-local infield. First baseman Dallas Millwood earned all-state honors in 2016, '17, and '18 at Kamehameha Schools—Kapalama. Maya Nakamura was an all-state shortstop at Roosevelt High School in 2017 and '18. Shortstop Nawai Kaupe garnered all-state honors in 2017 playing for Maui High School, while third baseman Ka'ena Keliinoi was an all-state catcher in 2018 and '19.
•  OFFENSIVE IMPACT - Redshirt freshman Haley Johnson has made 18 appearances--including starting 10 of the last 12 games played. Since being inserted into the lineup, the designated player has made an instant impact. She leads UH in the Big West games with a .321 batting average (9-for-28). Five of her nine hits have gone for extra bases (two triples and three home runs. She has a team-best .786 slugging percentage and has scored six runs with 10 RBI.
• BEHIND THE DISH - Freshman catcher Izabella Martinez has been solid behind the plate this year. She has started 29 of 30 games in her rookie season and is hitting .238 (20-for-84) with seven runs scored and driven in 11 runs. She is a rarity as Martinez call her own game and has been a great receiver for all four pitchers used this season.
• THE ANCHORS IN THE MIDDLE —Only two Rainbow Wahine have started all 30 games this season--second baseman Maya Nakamura and shortstop Nawai Kaupe.