HONOLULU--The University of Hawai'i softball team opens the 2024 season by hosting the Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic from Thursday, Feb. 8 - Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The veteran Rainbow Wahine squad will welcome BYU, Missouri-Kansas City, Ole Miss and Nevada to the four-day tourney.

 

BANK OF HAWAI'I PARADISE CLASSIC (Feb. 8-11, 2024) - Hawai'i (BW), BYU (Big XII), Kansas City (Summit), Ole Miss (SEC) and Nevada (MW)
Tournament Schedule				Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 10:30 a.m. HT - BYU vs. Kansas City 1:00 p.m. HT - BYU vs. Ole Miss 3:30 p.m. HT - Kansas City vs. Nevada 6:00 p.m. HT - Hawai'i vs. Nevada Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 10:30 a.m. HT - BYU vs. Nevada 1:00 p.m. HT - Ole Miss vs. Nevada 3:30 p.m. HT - Ole Miss vs. Kansas City 6:00 p.m. HT - Hawai'i vs. Kansas City Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 10:30 a.m. HT - Kansas City vs. Nevada 1:00 p.m. HT - Kansas City vs. BYU 3:30 p.m. HT - Hawai'i vs. BYU 6:00 p.m. HT - Hawai'i vs. Ole Miss Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 12:00 p.m. HT - Hawai'i vs. Ole Miss
Location				Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium (1,200) - Honolulu, O'ahu
Promotions				Bank of Hawai'i is the tournament sponsor of the Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic and will provide a Bank of Hawai'i fanny pack stuffed with 4 game vouchers for the winners of the popular "Ballpark Bingo." UH T-shirts will be thrown into the stands during the fourth inning of every UH game.
Live Stats				HawaiiAthletics.com
Game Day Rosters				Paradise Classic Game Day Roster
Game Notes				Hawai'i
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook
Tickets				Admission is FREE

HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (0-0, Big West)Head Coach: Bob Coolen (33rd Season)
Record at UH: 1,080-690-1
Overall Record: 1,152-783-1 (38th season)
Conference Records: 189-179 (Big West 15 seasons)

BYU COUGARS (0-0, Big XII)Head Coach: Gordon Eakins (22nd Season); Overall record: 800-372
Series Record: 16-2
Streak: BYU won last 11
Last meeting: UH and BYU opened the 2022 season at the UNLV Kickoff tourney. The Cougars defeated UH twice. First the 'Bows fell in a heartbreaker 1-2 (2/11/22). The following day, the Cougars won, 4-1 over UH (2/12/24).

KANSAS CITY ROOS (0-0, Summit League)Head Coach: Kiki Stokes O'Connor (Second Season)
Series Record: UH leads, 7-1
Streak: UH won last two
Last Meeting: Kansas City has come to Hawai'i ever four years since 2012. In the 2012 Hawai'i Invitational, UH played Kansas City twice, notching a pair of victories, winning 591 (2/21/20) and 3-2 (2/22/2020).

NEVADA WOLF PACK (0-0, Mountain West)Interim Head Coach:  Marina Demonre (First Season)
Series Record: UH leads 24-21
Streak: Nevada won one
Last Meeting: Like Kansas City, UH faced Nevada in 2020 in the Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. UH and UNR split their two games with UH winning 11-3 on 2/28/20 before falling 4-0 on 2/29/20.

OLE MISS REBELS (0-0, Southeastern Conference)Head Coach: Jamie Trachsel (Fourth Season)
Series Record: UH leads 3-1
Streak: Ole Miss won one
 Last Meeting: UH played the Rebels twice in the 2016 Paradise Classic. UH won the first game 3-0 (2/12/16) but fell by a run, 5-6 (2/13/2016) in bracket play. Ironically, Ole Miss and Kansas City were both in that tournament.

NEWS & NOTES

• On Monday, UH was picked to finish sixth in the 2024 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The preseason poll was voted on by the conference's head coaches. Hawai'i garnered 46 total points--just one point behind UC Davis who had 47. Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State were separated by just two points at the top of the poll. The Titans are the preseason No. 1 with 77 points and six first-place votes while the defending BW champions Beach had 75 points and four first-place votes.
• After a standout season in which she earned all-Big West First Team and NFCA All-Region honors, senior second baseman Maya Nakamura was the lone Rainbow Wahine to be names to the All-Big West Preseason Team. Nakamura was outstanding both on offense and defense last year, leading UH with a .390 batting average, a .531 on-base%, 35 runs scored, and 29 walks.
• UH returns lots of veteran leadership this year with __ upperclassmen--including the entire infield and 23 of the outfield. Except the pitchers, the 'Bows have junior Izabella Martinez returning at catcher and senior Dallas Millwood returns to first base after a season-ending injury suffered in the second week last year curtailed her season short. Second baseman Nakamura and senior shortstop Malia Xiao Gin return as the perennial double-play duo up the middle. And senior utility player Ka'ena Keliinoi returns to play the hot corner as well as in the outfield. 
• Hawai'i lost Cira Bartolotti who started all 53 games in centerfield last year, but junior Chloe Borges has emerged as one of the starters there. When she pitches, senior Mya'Liah Bethea may shift over to center from left. Last season, after MIllwood went down, Bethea started the rest of the season at first base. Rightfield may be the only position wher an underclassman gets the nod. Sophomores Maycen Gibbs, Cierra Yamamoto are battling it out.
• The pitching staff will be led by a pair of returning sophomores--Key-Annah Campbell-Pua and Millie Fidge. Junior transfer Addison Kostrencich may be a key impact player for the 'Bows in the circle while Borges and reliever McKenna Kostyszyn will also toe the rubber this season.
• The UH offense returns its top six hitters from last year's team who accounted for 74% of the team's hits, 66% of UH's runs scored, 73% of RBI, and 72% of the team's home run production.
• Returning behind the dish for the third straight-season is all-Big West First Teamer Izabella Martinez. The junior catcher, who calls her own game, is rated one of the best catchers in the nation. Last year she led UH 49 hits and a .587 slugging percentage. She finished the season as the sixth toughest player to strikeout as she got fanned just four times in 53 games. Martinez was second on the team with a .3843 average, eight doubles, nine home runs, 43 RBI, and a .419 on-base percentage.
• Leading the league in home runs last season was Bethea who cranked a career high 12 homers. The utility player from Las Vegas had career highs with 24 runs, 34 hits, seven doubles and 25 RBI. Bethea started 46 games at first base and seven in leftfield.