Jessica Iwata, the University of Hawai‘i freshman shortstop, was named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week for April 5-11.
This is the first-ever honor for Iwata, a Lihu‘e native and graduate of Kaua‘i High School.
Iwata helped the Rainbows to series sweeps of Utah State and Boise State on the road last week. She led UH in average (.600), slugging percentage (1.600) and on-base percentage (.635) in five games, states a Hawai‘i release.
She was 12-for-20 at the plate with a team-high six home runs, including two grand slams, and 17 RBI in five games last week.
Iwata put the Utah State game away in the top of the sixth with her first career grand slam. In the second half of the doubleheader, she matched her career high, racking four hits — two singles, a double and a home run.
During the series finale at Boise State, Iwata went 3-for-3 and tied the school and WAC record with three home runs in a single game and drive in a school-record eight RBI, tying the WAC single-game record.
Iwata hit safely in all five games and is in the middle of a career-high 11-game hitting streak.
Overall, Iwata is hitting .398 (51-for128) with 42 runs scored, 13 home runs, 41 RBI and a team-high 16 doubles in her rookie season.
This marks the seventh time this season that a Rainbow Wahine has been selected for a WAC weekly honor. Freshman centerfielder Kelly Majam has earned the Hitter of the Week award twice and catcher Katie Grimes was selected last week. Sophomore pitcher Stephanie Ricketts has been named the WAC’s Pitcher of the Week twice this year and freshman Kaia Parnaby has earned it once.
Hawai‘i returns home to battle Louisiana Tech in a three-game series this weekend with a single game, Friday starting at 6 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4 p.m.
During Saturday’s game, the Rainbow Wahine will be wearing specially-designed pink uniforms in support of Under Armour’s “Power in Pink” Campaign to fight breast cancer.
