DAVIS, Calif.--The University of Hawai'i softball team (22-17, 16-8 Big West) travels one last time to the mainland to close the 2022 season at UC Davis (21-28, 8-13 BWC). The series will open on Friday, May 13 with a single game at 12:00 p.m., followed by a season finale doubleheader on Saturday, May 14th beginning at 10:00 a.m.. The Rainbow Wahine are coming off their first ever sweep over previous league-leader, Cal State Fullerton.
 

GAMES 40-43 - HAWAI'I (22-17, 16-8 BIG WEST) VS. UC DAVIS  (21-28, 8-13 BIG WEST)
GAME SCHEDULE				Friday, May 13, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. HT  |  Saturday, May 14, 2022 (DH) at 10:00 a.m. HT
Location				La Rue Field - Davis, Calif.
Live Video Stream				UCDavisAggies.com
Live Stats				Game 1  |  Game 2  |  Game 3
Game Notes				Hawai'i  |  UC Davis
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook

 
HEAD COACH BOB COOLEN

CAREER RECORD: 1,121-758-1 (36)
HAWAI'I RECORD: 1,049-664-1 (32)

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. UC DAVIS Hawai'i holds a 17-12 all-time record against UC Davis. Last season, the Aggies won the three-game, Big West series, 2-1 in Honolulu

LAST TIME OUT...Last week, the Rainbow Wahine recorded an epic series swept over league-leader Cal State Fullerton during Senior Week. Hawai'i's freshman pitcher Brianna Lopez shutout the Titans, 1-0 in the opener. In the second game (first game of Saturday's doubleheader), UH squandered a nine-run lead after three innings as Cal State Fullerton battled their way back to force an extra inning. In the eighth, junior first baseman Dallas Millwood blasted a two-run, walkoff, home run to propel the 'Bows to their first series victory over CSF since 2015. In the series finale, senior shortstop Nawai Kaupe accounted for both runs in a 2-0 win with a solo home run in the first and an RBI-double in the third. Lopez was solid all weekend, figuring in the decision of all three games, earning the complete game win in the opener; the win in relief in the second game; and a save in the series finale. Lopez and Chloe Borges fired a combined shutout in that final game.

NEWS & NOTES

• BIG WEST PLAYER & FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK - For their efforts against Cal State Fullerton, senior centerfielder Brittnee Rossi earned her first career Big West Field Player of the Week and Brianna Lopez garnered her second Big West Freshman of the Week award. Rossi led UH on offense hitting an even .500 (4-for-8) with team-highs of four hits, four runs scored, three walks, an .875 slugging percentage, and a .636 on-base percentage. Lopez went 2-0 with a save for the series as she posted a perfect 3.00 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched. She held the Titans to a .227 batting average, which was 0.097 below their BWC season team average of .324. 
• #1 AT TURNING TWO - After being ranked in the top three in the NCAA for most of the season, the UH defense has risen to the top and is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA after turning 25 double plays this season. Last week against the Titans, UH added three more DP's for their highest total ever since the 'double play' statistic started to be recorded in 1998. UH's previous high was 24 in 2008.
• THAT BALL SAID ALOOOHA! - As a team, Hawai'i leads the Big West averaging 0.87 home runs per game which ranks them 76th in the NCAA DI. Nawai Kaupe leads the Big West and UH with 12 home runs. Second on the team is Maya Nakamura who has five homers. Junior first baseman Dallas Millwood has also cranked out five this season--including the walkoff bomb that defeated CS Fullerton, 13-11 in eight innings last Saturday.  Ka'ena Keliinoi, Haley Johnson and Brittnee Rossi all have three each. Mya'Liah Bethea has two homers this season--including her first career grand slam this past week. Chloe Borges also has one homer this season.
• LOPEZ SHUTS DOWN TITANS -Lopez, UH's freshman, lefty pitcher opened the series with a seven-hit shutout vs. CS Fullerton. with three walks and five strikeouts. In the second game, she was the third pitcher to enter the circle. She entered the game in relief of Chloe Borges with the bases loaded. Lopez started her appearance giving up a two-RBI single that tied the game at 11-11. But she then retired the final 10 of 11 batters to earn her second win of the series. In the finale, Lopez came in relief of starter Borges for the second time of the doubleheader. Lopez picked up her third save of the season after shutting down the Titans for the final three innings to record a combined shut out with Borges. After the sweep of CSF, Lopez has lowered her ERA to a measly 1.97. she enters the week with a 13-7 record with three save, four shutouts in 149.0 innings pitched. She has 63 walks to 106 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .226 batting average. Lopez is ranked second in the Big West in ERA and is tops in the league with three saves.
• THREE OVER .300 - Only three Rainbow Wahine enter the final week of the season hitting over the .300 mark. These three--Maya Nakamura, Nawai Kaupe and Ka'ena Keliinoi--combined for 109 of UH's 241 hits; 18-of-32 team doubles; 20-of-34 team home runs; 68 of 140 team RBI; and 65 of 160 runs scored. Sophomore second baseman Maya Nakamura rose back to the top of the team with a .339 batting average, while senior shortstop. Kaupe is close behind with a .336 batting average, while Keliinoi is hitting .317.
• GOOD EYE - Second baseman Nakamura has already had a banner sophomore season, recording career-highs of 37 hits, 19 runs, five home runs and 21 RBI. She leads UH with 21 walks and a .467 on-base percentage. 
• Kaupe continues to lead the Big West Conference with 12 home runs and .31 homers per game. She also leads the league with a .681 slugging percentage and she is ranked third with .36 stolen bases per game. Her team-leading 14 stolen bases is the most for a Rainbow Wahine since Tara Harbert swiped 14 in 2003. Kaupe also leads Hawai'i with 24 runs scored, 39 hits, 12 home runs, and 27 RBI.
• SWISS ARMY KNIFE -  On defense, Keliinoi has been the definition of what a true "utility player" is. During her UH career, Keliinoi has started 81 games at seven different positions and playing where ever she can help the team the most. This year alone, she has started 21 at third base, 15 games in leftfield, two in centerfield and two 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 of 2021.Keliinoi is third on the team, hitting at a .317 clip (33-for-104) with a team-best eight doubles. She is the toughest Rainbow Wahine and is ranked at No. 7 in the Big West as the toughest batter to strikeout with just eight K's this season. She is second on the team with 22 runs scored. Earlier this season she had a team-best 12-game hitting streak. She leads UH when hitting with runners in scoring position with a .433 batting average (13-for-30) and a perfect 6-for-6 with runners on third with less than two outs. 
• BEHIND THE DISH - Against Cal State Fullerton, freshman catcher Izabella Martinez was clutch, not only offensively but defensively as well. She hit safely in all three games for a .375 average (3-for-8). She drove in the only and winning run in the sixth inning to drive in Keliinoi for a 1-0 win over Fullerton in the opener. In the second game, she scored the winning run as she was on-base when Millwood launched her walkoff homer. has been solid behind the plate starting in 38 of UH's 39 games in her rookie season. She is hitting .243 (26-for-107) with 11 runs scored and 14 RBI. She is a rarity as Martinez calls her own game and has been a great receiver for all four pitchers used this season.
• ALL 808 —With the exception of the UH battery, in 16 of the last 22 games, UH has started an all-Hawai'i all-state 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.
• PROVING HER METTLE - Senior pitcher Ashley Murphy enters the final week of the season with a 4-4 overall record. After seeing little action at the start of the season, she has finished the season appearing in 12 total games--including eight in the Big West. She came through in the clutch two weeks ago in UH's 6-5 win over Long Beach State. She entered the game in the fifth in relief with the bases loaded and no outs. Murphy snuffed out the rally getting a strikeout and two flyouts to end the inning. She then retired the three batters she faced in the sixth to earn the win. Lopez re-entered the game with a runner on in the seventh to earn the save. 
• THE RETURN OF BORGES - In her first start since the beginning of the Big West season (3/19), freshman pitcher Chloe Borges earned her first win since defeating the Gauchos in March. She earned the win in the finale vs. CS Fullerton firing the first four innings, shutting out the Titans allowing just three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. She improved to 5-4 overall with the win. 
• THE ANCHORS IN THE MIDDLE —Only two Rainbow Wahine have started all 39 games this season--second baseman Maya Nakamura and shortstop Nawai Kaupe.