HONOLULU--The University of Hawai'i softball team (19-17, 13-8 Big West) will battle league-leader Cal State Fullerton (34-16, 18-3 Big West) in the Rainbow Wahine's final homestand of the season. The two teams will square off in a single game on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Saturday doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m.. Immediately following the doubleheader, the Senior Night festivities will begin as the team honors its five seniors--Kaeli Bush, Mikaela Gandia-Mak, Nawai Kaupe, Ashley Murphy, and Brittnee Rossi. 

 

GAMES 37-39 - HAWAI'I (19-17, 13-8 BIG WEST) VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON (34-16, 18-3 BIG WEST)
GAME SCHEDULE				Friday, May 6, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, May 7, 2022 (DH) at 2:00 p.m.
Location				Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium (1,200) - Honolulu, O'ahu
Television				Spectrum Sports - Ch. 12 [SD] and 1012 [HD] - Scott Robbs (play-by-play) and Lori Santi (color analyst)
Live Video Stream				ESPN+  -  Game 1  |  Game 2  |  Game 3
Live Stats				Game 1  |  Game 2  |  Game 3
Game Notes				Hawai'i  |  Cal State Fullerton
Promotions				It's Senior Weekend for your Rainbow Wahine. Softball fans will have the chance to WIN various UH and UHFCU prizes from our popular in-game promotion, "Ballpark Bingo." Be on the lookout during the 4th inning of each game for the T-SHIRT toss! Senior Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 6th shortly after the 2nd game in the double header.
Tickets				Admission is FREE at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Game Day Rosters				UH vs. CSUF (PDF)
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook

 
HEAD COACH BOB COOLEN

CAREER RECORD: 1,118-758-1 (36)
HAWAI'I RECORD: 1,045-664-1 (32)

ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CAL STATE FULLERTON

• UH is 16-65 against the Titans. Cal State Fullerton has won the last 16 games against the Rainbow Wahine. UH's last win against the Titans came in 2015 which is also the last season that the 'Bows won a series over CSUF, 2-1.

LAST TIME OUT...

• Last week at Long Beach State, Hawai'i fell in the first game in a pitchers' duel, 1-0 as UH's Brianna Lopez fired a one-hitter in the loss. The Beach pulled away to win the second game, 7-1. In the series finale, LBSU scored four runs in the fifth and were rallying. But senior pitcher Ashley Murphy entered in relief of Lopez with two runners on and no outs. Murphy got a strikeout and two flyouts to snuff out the rally. The 'Bows bats then awoke after being held to five hits thru the first two games plus five innings to score six runs in the sixth inning. Nawai Kaupe was the catalyst, blasting a solo home run (her second of the doubleheader). UH then loaded the bases for Haley Johnson who came through with a two-RBI single and after loading the bases a second time, Dallas Millwood ripped a bases-clearing double to give the 'Bows its first lead of the series driving what proved to be the winning run. Murphy retired the Beach in order in the sixth, but in the seventh, gave up a lead off single. With the 3-4-5 hitters coming up, Lopez re-entered the game and got the next three batters out to earn her second save of the year and end the game.

NEWS & NOTES

• THAT BALL SAID ALOOOHA! - As a team, Hawai'i leads the Big West averaging 0.83 home runs per game which ranks them 81st in the NCAA DI. Nawai Kaupe leads the Big West and UH with 11 home runs. Second on the team is Maya Nakamura who has five homers. Junior first baseman Dallas Millwood has cranked out four while Ka'ena Keliinoi and Haley Johnson both have three each. Mya'Liah Bethea and Chloe Borges have one HR each.
• TURNING TWO - Hawai'i's defense has turned 22 double plays which ranked them at No. 3 in the NCAA DI and No. 2 in the Big West averaging 0.61 DP's per game. UH is behind the nation's leader and BWC opponent Cal State Bakersfield who is ranked No. 1, averaging .62 double plays per game.
• KAUPE LEADS THE WAY - Smooth fielding senior shortstop Nawai Kaupe helped ignite UH's six-run sixth inning for the come-from-behind win in the series finale at Long Beach State. She started the epic rally with her second solo home run of the doubleheader. She currently leads the Big West with 11 home runs, 0.31 home runs per game, a .673 slugging percentage and is third in the Big West with 13 stolen bases—which is the most since Tara Harbert swiped 14 in 2013. Kaupe also has a team-best 11 multiple hit games and is tied with Maya Nakamura with a team-high seven multiple-RBI games. She is also hitting .409 with runners in scoring position and .596 in advancing runners successfully.
• THE ROOKIE ACE - Entering this week, lefty pitcher Brianna Lopez is ranked second in the Big West with a 2.15 overall ERA. She is one of the cornerstones of the team who has recorded an 11-7 record thus far. She picked up her second save of the year. In the series opener at LBSU, Lopez fired a one-hit complete game in the loss in which she walked three while striking out seven. Lopez has tossing 16 complete games in 21 starts and 23 appearances. She has fired 16 complete games and three CG shutouts. In 136.2 innings, she has walked 58 while striking out 98 while holding opponents to a .226 batting average.
• EPITOME UTILITY - Sophomore utility player Ka'ena Keliinoi saw her 12-game hitting streak—which was the longest of her career and for UH this season—come to an end last week at LBSU. On defense, she has been the definition of what a true "utility player" is. During her UH career, Keliinoi has started 79 games at seven different positions and playing where ever she can help the team the most. This year alone, she has started 19 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 currently is third on the team with a .316 batting average. She is only of three players who have notched at least 30 hits this season. She has a team-high eight doubles and is second on the team with 19 runs scored to go with three home runs, 19 RBI, a .490 slugging percentage
• GOOD EYE - Sophomore second baseman Maya Nakamura is having a solid season both on offense and flashing the leather on defense. She currently leads Hawai'i with a .340 batting average, a .468 on-base percentage, and 20 walks. Nakamura has scored 18 runs with five doubles, five home runs and 20 RBI. She is tied with a team-high seven multiple-RBI games and has eight multiple-hit games.
• IN THE CLUTCH – Keliinoi has been clutch in scoring opportunities. With runners in scoring position, she is hitting  a team-best .429 (12-for-28) and with runners on third and less than two outs she is hitting a perfect 1.000 (6-for-6). Kaupe has a team-best .596 average (34-for-57) in successfully advancing runners, while Keliinoi is right behind at .590. Kaupe has averaged .409 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
• ALL 808 —With the exception of the UH battery, in 14 of the last 19 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 evened her overall record to 4-4 and improved to 4-2 in conference games last week at Long Beach State. She suffered the loss in the second game, but came back with a gutsy appearance in the series finale. With two runners on, no outs, and the Beach rallying, Murphy came in relief of Lopez and snuffed out Long Beach's scoring opportunity. Murphy retired the first three batters she faced to escape unscathed in the fifth, then retired the side in the sixth. She gave up a leadoff hit to start the seventh and was lifted for Lopez who was fired up to finish the game. Murphy earned the win, while Lopez picked up her second save of the season.
• BEHIND THE DISH - Freshman catcher Izabella Martinez has been solid behind the plate starting in 35 of UH's 36 games in her rookie season. She is hitting .232 (23-for-99) with 10 runs scored and13 RBI. She is a rarity as Martinez calls her own game and has been a great receiver for all four pitchers used this season.
•  OFFENSIVE IMPACT - Redshirt freshman Haley Johnson has made played in 24 games--including 18 starts. Johnson has been hitting as the designated player in the middle of the lineup in 15 of UH's last 16 games. Since being inserted into the lineup, the designated player has a .245 batting average (13-for-53) with a double, two triples, three home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs scored. 
• THE ANCHORS IN THE MIDDLE —Only two Rainbow Wahine have started all 36 games this season--second baseman Maya Nakamura and shortstop Nawai Kaupe.