It’s a youth movement on the diamond. The 2014 Rainbow Wahine look a lot different than they have in recent years when Hawaii became one of the country’s most consistent and exciting softball programs. But many of those familiar names
It’s a youth movement on the diamond.
The 2014 Rainbow Wahine look a lot different than they have in recent years when Hawaii became one of the country’s most consistent and exciting softball programs.
But many of those familiar names no longer reside at Manoa. Two-time WAC Conference Player of the Year and Kauai High product Jessica Iwata isn’t crushing extra-base hits or digging out grounders at shortstop. Kelly Majam isn’t around to chase fly balls in center field and pull back homers over the right-field fence. The one-two punch of Stephanie Ricketts and Kaia Parnaby aren’t there to mow down hitters from the pitcher’s mound.
New names and new legacies are set to emerge with many yet unwritten story lines. Of the 22 players on the Wahine roster, just four are seniors. Only five seniors were on last year’s team, but they included Iwata, Majam and Parnaby, perhaps the team’s three best players, which made it still resemble a veteran club. Now, there are very few ties back to the 2010 Cinderella squad that reached the College World Series.
In fact, the only current player who was also a part of that 2010 team is Kauai High School graduate Jori Jasper. As one of this team’s veteran leaders, Jasper will be a big part of the young players’ development. A defensive specialist at first base, Jasper has earned additional honors off the field during her tenure at UH. She was selected as the Big West Conference representative on the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which gives student-athletes a voice at the national level.
The team’s other three seniors are Kaile Nakao, Sharla Kliebenstein and Jazmine Zamora. Kliebenstein and Zamora are usually starters, while Jasper and Nakao typically have reserve roles.
Doubling up the veterans is the incoming class, with eight freshmen included on the roster. Among them is 2013 Waimea High School graduate Ulu Matagiese. Named last year’s KIF Player of the Year, Matagiese also helped lead the Lady Menehune to four consecutive KIF championships and the 2012 Division II state title.
To this point, Matagiese has played in 10 of the Wahine’s 16 games and started five. She’s 3 for 12 at the plate with three singles and an RBI.
While the team’s early results have been mixed, the freshman class has been led by Lindsey Willmon. Currently hitting .320 (16 for 50), the third baseman is second on the team with six home runs to go with 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored.
Sophomore Alyssa Villalpando leads the team in hitting with a .410 average (16 for 39), including four homers, three doubles and 13 RBIs. Fellow sophomore Keiki Carlos is hitting .360 (18 for 50) and leads the team with 14 runs scored.
Junior first baseman Leisha Liilii leads the Wahine with seven home runs and 17 RBIs while hitting .386 (17 for 44).
Many new names, but there’s a lot of production coming from those players with limited service time. That bodes well for head coach Bob Coolen’s chances to build another strong UH squad in the coming seasons.
UH sits at 9-7 so far and will host the 2014 Spring Fling Tournament starting Wednesday in Honolulu. California, Pacific and James Madison will also participate in the four-team round robin.
