HONOLULU--The University of Hawai'i softball team (25-14, 11-6 Big West) hosts a pivotal three-game conference series against league-leader UC Santa Barbara (24-18, 13-5 BW). The two teams will square off in a single game on Friday, April 18 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19 beginning at 2:00 p.m. HT. All games will be played at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Hawai'i enters the week in third place right behind the Gauchos, who are tied with Cal State Fullerton, for first place with a 13-5 BW record. The Rainbow Wahine have won four-straight conference series and is on a season-long five game win streak coming into this week's showdown with the Gauchos.
 

GAMES 40-42:  Hawai'i (25-14, 11-6 Big West) vs. UC Santa Barbara (24-18, 13-5 Big West)
Dates & Times				Friday, April 18, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. HT Saturday, April 19, 2025 (DH) at 2:00/4:00 p.m. HT
Location				Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu
Promotions				UH Prizes will be awarded for the winners of the popular "Ballpark Bingo." Also, towels will be thrown into the stands during the fourth inning of every UH game.
Television				All three games will be broadcast on Spectrum Sports (Ch. 12 [SD] /1012 [HD]). Scott Robbys (play-by-play) and Lori Santi (Color Analyst)
Video Stream				ESPN+ (Blacked out in Hawai'i) - GAME 1  |  Game 2  |  Game 3
Game Day Roster				CLICK HERE
Live Stats				GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3
Game Notes				Hawai'i | UC Santa Barbara
Social Media				@HawaiiSB  | #HawaiiSB | @HawaiiSoftball  | Facebook

HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE (25-14, 11-6 Big West)Head Coach: Bob Coolen (34th Season)
Record at UH: 1,125-730-1
Overall Record: 1,197-823-1
Series Record vs. UCSB: 60-31
Last series vs. UCSB: Last season in Santa Barbara, the 'Bows lost the first game, but bounced back to win the second game by holding off the Gauchos, 2-1.  UH fell in the finale, 0-9 in five innings.
Streak: UCSB won one

UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS (24-18, 13-5 Big West)Head Coach: Jo Evans (Third Season)
Record at UCSB: 70-68
Career Record: 1,320-782-2
Last Week: The Gauchos won both ends of their Saturday doubleheader against Long Beach State before falling in the series finale on Sunday.

QUICK HITSLAST WEEK
Hawai'i swept Cal State Bakersfield on the road, winning by the mercy rule in the series opener, 9-0 in five innings. It marked UH's first road sweep since UH swept Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in 2019. In the second game, UH found itself trailing 0-4 going into the fourth inning before the 'Bows rallied to score eight runs in the final three innings for the come-from-behind win. In the series finale, UH was leading 7-0, but the Roadrunners kept fighting to close to within a run at 7-6 before the 'Bows' Jamie McGaughey launched a solo home run for an insurance run en route to an 8-6 win to record its first road series since 2019 at Cal Poly. The Rainbow Wahine enter the week riding a season-long five game winning streak. 

COMEBACK KIDS
Twelve of UH's 25 win have been "come-from-behind" victories. Last week, Hawai'i found themselves trailing 4-0 going into the fifth inning at Cal State Bakersfield in the second game. But the 'Bows rallied to score four runs in the fifth to tie the score and a combined four runs in the final two innings to pull out an 8-5 win to clinch their fourth-straight series. Three of the come-from-behind wins have come as walk off wins. In UH's series finales at Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside, the 'Bows rallied to score multiple runs in the seventh to clinch the win and the series. At CSF, the 'Bows scored five runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the t=Titans, 6-2 to capture just its third road series vs. CSF in program history. The following week against the Highlanders, UH was down 0-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. UH's 7th, 8th, and 9th batters all reached on singles with no outs. Izabella Martineztied the score by drilling a two-run single up the middle. After a strikeout, Milan Ah Yat notched her second walk off win hitting a grounder to short to drive in Larissa Goshi from third for the walk off winning run to defeat the Highlanders, 3-2.

DEFENSE CONTINUES TO LEAD BIG WEST
Since March 2, the Rainbow Wahine have led the league with the top fielding percentage. Currently, the 'Bows have a season-best .978 fielding percentage to lead the Big West and be ranked No. 13 in the NCAA DI. UH has not committed an error in the last two series vs. Cal State Bakersfield and UC Riverside. Amongst the starers, UH first baseman Jamie McGaughey leads the team with a 1.000 fielding % with 213 putouts, and two assists. 

BORGES HELPS LEAD UH OVER THE ROADRUNNERS
Last week at Cal State Bakersfield, senior centerfielder/pitcher Chloe Borges recorded a team-best .800 batting average (4-for-5) with a double, and two home runs. She scored four runs, drove in three runs and was walked five times and plunked once. In all, she reached base safely in 10 of 11 plate appearances against the 'Runners. She scored a career-high three runs alone in the second game of the series. On defense, she made five catches in centerfield and gunned out a Roadrunner trying to score from second to post a perfect. 1.000 fielding percentage fo the week. In conference action, she raised her batting average to .311. Overall Borges is hitting .240.

BRANDL SOLID IN CIRCLE
Last week, sophomore pitcher Macy Brandl figured in the decisions in all three games vs. the Roadrunners. She shut out CSUB firing five innings in the mercy-rule opening win for the complete game shutout. Brandl then came in relief to earn her second save of the season throwing the final two innings in UH's 8-5 win. Then in the series finale, Brandl held off a Roadrunner rally as UH held on for an 8-6 win to seal the sweep at Bakersfield. Overall, Brandl improved to a team-best 12-5 record and a 6-2 record in the Big West. She comes into this week with a 3.58 ERA in 111.1 innings pitched with 33 walks and 63 strikeouts. She is ranked second in the Big West and ninth in the NCAA DI with five complete game shutouts this season.

BOTTOM OF THE ORDER COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH
In this past series at Cal State Bakersfield, it was the bottom of the Hawai'i order that helped power the 'Bows to the sweep. Cierra Yamamoto, Chloe Borges and Larissa Goshi combined hit .440 (11-for-25) and accounted for eight of UH's 25 runs scored and 10 of UH's 22 RBI.

MARTINEZ = OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT
Senior catcher and UH leadoff hitter Izabella Martinez continues to set the table for the 'Bows. She leads UH with a 357 batting average, 45 hits, 10 doubles, 23 walks, and a .460 slugging percentage. She has reached base safely in 37 of 39 games this season. In conference, she has upped her game, hitting .379 with a team-high 22 hits. Martinez also has a team-best 10 multiple hit games this season and currently, she has reached base safely in the last 12-straight games. On defense, she is one of the few catchers who calls her own game, and she has thrown out 10 runners who have dared to try to steal off of her. The four-year starter behind the dish has started 139 straight games and 176 total games.

GOSHI MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Since coming in off the bench to spark UH's come-from-behind, series clinching win at Cal State Fullerton, rightfielder Larissa Goshi has continued to make an impact hitting as a double-leadoff at No. 9 in the lineup. She currently leads the entire league with a .429 batting average overall, and in conference games only, she is hitting an even .500 (11-for-22) with five runs scored and a double. She has reached safely in the last seven-straigh games.

'BOWS BOMBERS
Hawai'i is second in the league with a total of 29 home runs this year. Eight different Rainbow Wahine have blasted at least one round-tripper this season. UH is lead by sophomore Jamie McGaughey who launched her 10th homer of the season to help UH hold off the Roadrunners late. Both Liliana Thomas and Borges are tied for second on the tam with five homers each. Milan Ah Yat has blasted four home runs with Kayara Tuiloma hitting a pair. Ellyanna Cinzori, Cierra Yamamoto and Millie Fidge have all hit one apiece. 

McGAUGHEY HELPING POWER OFFENSE
Sophomore Jamie McGaughey has provided the power hitting cleanup for the 'Bows this year. The first baseman is second on the team hitting .336 overall (36-for-107) and leads UH with 22 runs scored, 10 home runs, 30 RBI and a 710 slugging percentage. She also leads UH with eight multiple-RBI games and is second on the team with nine multiple-hit games. Last week, she hit .700 vs. CSUB (7-for-10) with a double and a home run and a team-high five RBI.

THOMAS IN THE CLUTCH
Senior third baseman Liliana Thomas is sixth on the team hitting at a .269 clip, but she has come through in the clutch knocking in 25 RBI (second on the team) while scoring 18 runs (third most on team). Thomas has been the emotional spark plug providing energy and positivity all season long.