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2022 RAINBOW WAHINE SOFTBALL

Rainbow Wahine Softball Team Photo 2022

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

 

  • The Rainbow Wahine finished the season with a 23-19 overall record while finishing in third place in the Big West with a 17-10 conference record. It is just the fourth time since rejoining the Big West that UH has finished in the top 3 in the conference.

 

  • Hawai‘i captured six conference series--including three series sweeps (CSUN, Cal State Bakersfield, and Cal State Fullerton). It marked the most series wins for UH since capturing seven series in 2013, the year the 'Bows rejoined the Big West. 

 

  • The Rainbow Wahine finished the season ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in double plays per game (0.26) out of 293 DI teams. 

 

  • Hawai‘i's 0.86 home runs per game was tops in the Big West in 2022. 

 

  • Four players from the University of Hawai'i garnered six different honors led by senior Nawai Kaupe who was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Joining Kaupe on the all-Big West first team was rookie pitcher Brianna Lopez who also earned a spot on the all-freshman team. Sophomore second baseman Maya Nakamura was named to the All-BWC second team while Ka‘ena Keliinoi earned honorable mention honors.

 

  • Kaupe and Lopez are just the 25th and 26th UH players to ever earn all-Big West first team honors ever.

 

  • UH opened the season on the road at UNLV's Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. In Hawai‘i's tourney finale, head coach Bob Coolen recorded his 1,100th career win.

 

  • The Rainbow Wahine ended their non-conference schedule with a bang, upsetting California, 6-1. It marked UH's first win over a Pac-12 team since defeating Utah in 2015 and the first win over a power five team since knocking off Purdue in 2017.

 

  • Hawai‘i swept perennial Big West power, Cal State Fullerton for the first time in program history, sealing the sweep on Senior Night.
      
     

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

COOLEN RECORDS 1,100TH CAREER WIN

Bob Coolen 1,100th career win
Head coach Bob Coolen, who completed his 31st season at Hawai‘i, recorded his 1,100th career win with a 7-5 victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 13 in Las Vegas, Nev. Coolen finished the season with a 1,100-745-1 career record which includes five years as the head coach of Bentley. This is his 33rd overall season at UH (he served from 1990-91 as an assistant) and currently has a 1,028-652-1 record at Hawai'i. There are only four coaches who have won over 1,000 wins at UH—Jim Schwitters (M/W tennis), Dave Shoji (women's volleyball), Les Murakami (baseball) and Coolen. He is the second longest tenured coach at Hawai'i, behind only sailing's Andy Johnson who has served 32 years at UH.

UH SOFTBLL UPSETS CALIFORNIA, 6-1

Rossi home run
On the final day of UH's Rainbow Wahine Classic tourney, the ‘Bows upset California, 6-1 to close their non-conference season. It marked UH’s first win over California since a 6-2 win in 2014. It was also the first win over a Pac-12 team since knocking off Utah, 5-1 in 2015, and the first win over a Power Five conference member since UH defeating Purdue on March 18, 2017.

HISTORY MAKING SWEEP OVER CAL STATE FULLERTON 

Dallas Millwood walk off home run vs. CSF
Hawai‘i notched its first-ever sweep over Cal State Fullerton in the 20 seasons that the two teams have been conference opponents. It was the only time that the Titans, the eventual 2022 Big West champs, were swept in a conference series this year. UH opened the series with a 1-0 win in which Brianna Lopez fired her fourth shutout while Izabella Martinez drove in Ka‘ena Keliinoi in the bottom of the sixth for the win which snapped a 16-game losing streak to Cal State Fullerton. UH followed with a double-header sweep on Senior Day. UH held off the Titans, 13-11 in a thrilling, eight inning win that ended with a two-run, walk-off home run by Dallas Millwood. In the series finale, senior Nawai Kaupe accounted for both runs of the 2-0 win which was combined shutout by Chloe Borges who earned the win and Lopez who picked up her third save of the season.
Moment for JMU catcher
In light of recent heartbreaking events in women’s collegiate athletics, UH all wore purple ribbons in recognition of suicide awareness. After the game vs Cal State Fullerton, the ‘Bows took a moment to come together to say in solidarity that no one’s ever alone and we stand with James Madison softball during this devastating time.

'BOWS WIN OUTRIGGER HAWAI‘I INVITATIONAL!

Rachel Sabourin swing

The Rainbow Wahine won the 2022  Outrigger Hawai'i Invitational with a pair of shutouts fired by UH's freshman pitching duo of Chloe Borges and Brianna Lopez. UH pulled away from Abilene Christian, 5-0 in the first game to advance to the championship game against Montana. Borges fired a two-hit, complete game shutout ACU. Hawai'i then shut down Montana, 2-0 with Lopez firing a one-hit complete game shutout to capture the tourney.
 

AWARDS & HONORS

sb all-bwc 2022

Four Rainbow Wahine garnered six different Big West honors led by senior shortstop Nawai Kaupe who was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Joining Kaupe on the All-Big West first team was rookie pitcher Brianna Lopez who also earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Sophomore second baseman Maya Nakamura was named to the all-BWC second Team while Ka‘ena Keliinoi earned honorable mention honors. 

Nawai Kaupe BWC DPOY
Kaupe became just the second Rainbow Wahine to be named Big West Defensive Player of the Year (Kelly (Majam) Elms, 2013). Kaupe, the smooth-fielding shortstop from Wailuku, Maui, finished the season with 80 put-outs, 92 assists and a .935 fielding percentage. Kaupe was in on 17 of UH's 26 total double-plays this season. On offense, she finished atop the Big West in home runs (13), home runs per game (.31) and slugging percentage (.664). Overall, she led Hawai'i with 42 hits, 26 runs scored, and 30 RBI and had a team-high 14 stolen bases which was the most for UH since 2003. Kaupe also led Hawai'i with 13 multiple-hit games and nine multiple-RBI games while hitting a team-high .462 with runners in scoring position and .580 in successfully advancing runners on base.
Brianna Lopez - All-Big WEst
Lopez emerged as Hawai'i's ace and flourished in her rookie season. She finished ranked second in the Big West with an overall ERA of 2.07, which is the lowest since Brittany Hitchcock posted a 1.76 ERA in 2019. Lopez finished with a 14-8 record with a league-best three saves. She appeared in 28 games with 24 starts and 19 complete games with four solo shut-outs and one combined shut-out with fellow freshman pitcher, Chloe Borges. Lopez tossed 162.0 innings with 66 walks and 113 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .232 batting average. Lopez is just the third pitcher from Hawai'i to earn all-Big West first team honors since rejoining the league in 2013.
Maya Nakamura
Sophomore second baseman Maya Nakamura finished 2022 with a team-best .333 batting average (40-for-120) and led UH with 22 walks and an on-base percentage of .456. She was second on the team with 40 hits, seven doubles, six home runs, and a .542 slugging percentage. Nakamura and Kaupe were the only two Rainbow Wahine to start all 42 games this season.
Ka‘ena Keliinoi catch
Utility player Ka'ena Keliinoi found her home in the infield, starting 22 games in the last half of the season at third base. She started a total of 40 games—with 14 starts in leftfield and two each in centerfield and rightfield. During her UH career, she has started at seven different positions. Keliinoi finished with a team-high nine doubles and was second on the team with a .330 batting average. Amongst the starters was the hardest to strikeout this season, with just nine K's this year. Keliinoi was also second on the team with 23 runs scored and third with 38 hits, 21 RBI and a .487 slugging percentage. Keliinoi also recorded a team-best 12-game hitting streak from April 2-April 23.

2022 BIG WEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK AWARDS

2022 BWC SB POWS
  • Feb.28 - Brianna Lopez, Big West Freshman of the Week
  • April 18 - Brianna Lopez, Big West Pitcher of the Week
  • April 25 - Nawai Kaupe, Big West Player of the Week
  • May 9 - Brittnee Rossi, Big West Player of the Week
  • May 9 - Brianna Lopez, Big West Freshman of the Week

RAINBOW WAHINE SOFTBALL STADIUM RENOVATIONS

RWSS Renovation Blessing - blessing group
RWSS Renovation - Phase II - plaza entrance
RWSS Renovation - Phase II - entry way
RWSS Renovation Blessing - entrance
RWSS Renovation - Phase II - lockerroom
RWSS Renovation - Phase II - coaches offices
RWSS Renovation Blessing - making handprints

On February 15, 2022, the University of Hawai'i athletics department held a blessing and celebration for the recent renovations at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. UH president David Lassner, athletics director David Matlin, associate AD Vince Baldemor and softball head coach Bob Coolen gave brief remarks before Kahu Kordell Kekoa officially blessed the new facility, the coaches and the team.

The new facility, which is located under the first base line bleachers includes:

  • A new entry plaza, home team locker room with showers and restroom facilities, lounge, training room, coaches' offices, and umpire changing rooms.
  • The facility is fully air conditioned.
  • Home dugout upgrades including new benches and equipment storage.
  • An outdoor viewing room is provided along the first base side of the field, with built in counters.
  • A waiting room for the head coach's office will also have access to the viewing room.
  • An audio visual system with video monitors in the lounge, locker room, training room, and coaches offices.
  • New landscaping at the entry plaza and around the locker room building.
  • A new fire alarm system is added, covering the entire stadium.

PICTURE PERFECT

Some of the top shots of the year

Nawai Kaupe celebration
Maya Nakamura Slide
Izabella Martinez home
Brittnee Rossi Run
Nawai Kaupe turn
Brianna Lopez Pitch
Dallas Millwood dive
Middles SB
Ashley Murphy Pitch
Bethea Mya Liah SB
Chloe borges pitch
SB teamshot
Kaena Keliinoi hit
Celebration Lopez and coolen
SB homerun Lei
SB Celebration
SB Celebration
Kaeli Bush tag
HR Celebration
Intros SB
SB teamshot
SB Celebration
SB team shaka

CLASS OF 2022

Nawai Kaupe, Mikaela Gandia-Mak, Kaeli Bush, Ashley Murphy, and Brittnee Rossi.

2022 softball seniors

BECOMING UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I ALUMNAE!

2022 SB seniors graduation
Since the Rainbow Wahine ended the season on the road and going to miss the UH graduation ceremonies, the five seniors received their diplomas a week early on Senior Night!

#GOBOWS