DAVIS, Calif.--The University of Hawai'i softball team (20-23, 15-12 Big West) closes out its season on the road this weekend at UC Davis (18-29, 9-15 BW). The original schedule has changed, now with the two teams squaring off in a Friday doubleheader on May 10th beginning at 10:00 a.m. HT. The series will end with a single game on Saturday, May 11 at 10:00 a.m. HT. All three games will be played at La Rue Field on the campus of UC Davis. It will be the final collegiate games for UH's nine seniors and UC Davis' 10 seniors.
 

GAMES 44-47:  HAWAI'I (20-23, 15-12 Big West) vs. UC Davis (18-29, 9-15 Big West)
Dates & Times				Friday, May 10, 2024 (DH) - 10:00 a.m. HT Saturday, May 11, 2024 - 10:00 a.m. HT
Location				La Rue Field (Davis, Calif.)
Video Stream				ESPN+ - Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats				CLICK HERE
Game Notes				Hawai'i  | UC Davis
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook

HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (20-23, 15-12 Big West)Head Coach: Bob Coolen
Record at UH: 1,100-713-1 (33rd Season)
Overall Record: 1,172-806-1 (38th season)
Series Record: UH leads 20-14. The Aggies have won the last five series, 2-1. UH's last series win over UCD came in 2017.
Last Season: In 2023, UH held off the Aggies in their opener, 3-2. But the 'Bows would fall in the final two games, 1-6 and 2-5 to end their season.
Streak: UCD won last two.

UC DAVIS AGGIES (18-29, 9-15 Big WestHead Coach: Erin Thorpe
At UCD: 226-252 (10th Season)
Career: 399-402 (14th Season)


QUICK HITSLast week...

• UH had an event-filled weekend last week. UH honored the 2010 softball team which advanced to the program's first Women's College World Series team prior to the opener vs. Cal State Fullerton. In front of several teammates from that 2010 team, former All-American pitchers Stephanie Ricketts and Kaia Parnaby threw out the ceremonial first pitches. The 2010 squad was officially inducted into UH's Circle of Honor on Sunday
• Hawai'i upset league-leader Cal State Fullerton in the series opener. UH held off the Titans, 2-1 in a season-long 10 inning game. With two outs and runners at first and second, Mya'Liah Bethea was the lead runner at second. She stole third but the throw from the catcher ricoched off the covering shortstop and bounced into left field, allowing Bethea to score. 
• On UH's Senior Day, the Titans shutout the 'Bows twice to sweep the doubleheader and win the series. CSF blacked UH, 4-0 and 8-0 (six innings). But that did not damper the team as it celebrated the careers of nine student-athletes--Chloee Agueda, Mya'Liah Bethea, Xiao Gin, Haley Johnson, Ka'ena Keliinoi, McKenna Kostyszyn, Dallas Millwood, Maya Nakamura, and Piper Neri.
• Special moment - With the game already in hand in the top of the sixth inning of UH's final home game, in a touching moment, head coach Bob Coolen was amazingly able to get all nine seniors on the field--including Maya Nakamura who suffered a season-ending knee injury four weeks ago--for one pitch. 

Keliinoi Finishing Strong

• Senior utility player Ka'ena Keliinoi has been on an offensive roll as she closes out her collegiate career. Last week, she led UH hitting a team-best .444 (f-for-9) with one double. She hit safely in all three games against the Titans to raise her batting average over the .300 mark for the first time since the second game of the season, hitting .302.
• Keliinoi is tied with Izabella Martinez hitting a team-high .343 (23-for-67) in the Big West. Overall she leads UH with 39 hits, nine sac bunts, and among the starters, she has struck out a team-low, eight times, which is a career-low.
• In her five year career, the Covid-senior has played every defensive position for UH except for first base and pitcher. This year, she has started 40 games at third base, but has also started two in rightfield and one at second base.
• Keliinoi leads UH with 12 mulitple-hit games

Johnson Continues to lead the Wahine

• Senior designated player Haley Johnson continues to lead UH with a .317 batting average. She also has a team-high seven doubles and 17 walks
• Her .317 batting average and .406 on-base percentage are career-highs

Martinez Gunning Down Runners

• Junior catcher Izabella Martinez is second in the league throwing out 15 runners trying to steal on her--including two this past weekend vs. Cal State Fullerton
• Martinez and Keliinoi are tied at the top of the team in average in conference games with a .343 batting average (23-for-67). 
• Martinez has started all 43 games behind the dish, and she is one of the few collegiate catches who calls her own game. 
• She is currently hitting .293 (36-for-123)

Kostrencich Holds Off the Titans

• In last week's opener, junior pitcher Addison Kostrencich fired a career-high 10 innings in her league-leading 14th complete-game of the season as the 'Bows won 2-1 on a walk-off throwing error.
• in the win, she helped herself by starting two different double-plays off of unsuccessful bunt pop-outs.
• She enters this week with a 12-9 overall record and an 8-4 conference record. Overall, she has a 3.51 ERA with a pair of CG shutouts. She has thrown a team-high 123.2 innings with 32 strikeouts and 32 walks.

Bethea Leading BW in Home Runs

• For the second-straight season, Mya'Liah Bethea is leading the Big West in home runs. The senior from Las Vegas, Nev. has belted 12 HR's this season tying her career-high from last season
• Currently, she is hitting a career-high .248 with career-bests of 26 runs scored, 10 walks, a .596 slugging percentage and a .320 on-base percentage

Nakamura Lost for Remainder of 2024

• Senior utility player Maya Nakamura suffered a season-ending injury in the first inning of UH's final game vs. Cal Poly two weeks ago. She concludes her stellar career as one of the best second baseman in recent history. After a slow offense start this season, she quickly ramped up her game and was on-fire in conference action, leading UH with a .450 batting average. Overall, Nakamura saw her season end while leading UH with 22 runs scored, seven home runs, a .649 slugging percentage and 13 walks. Nakamura concludes her career with a .324 batting average, 105 runs scored, 24 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs, 96 RBI with a .528 slugging percentage and a .441 on-base percentage. She was a huge source of experience on the team and her loss will surely be missed. 

Coolen Wins 1,100th

• Head Coach Bob Coolen earned his 1,100th win at Hawai'i with UH's thrilling 10-inning, 2-1 upset win over Cal State Fullerton on Friday night.
• Coolen is in his 33rd season as the head coach of UH 38th overall after serving five seasons as Bentley College's head coach
• At Hawai'i his is just one of four coaches to have won over 1,000 games. Jim Schwitters (M/W Tennis - 1,327 wins), Dave Shoji (Women's Volleyball, 1,202), and Les Murakami (Baseball, 1,079).