LIHU‘E — The Amateur Softball Association of America announced Wednesday the 18 athletes, among them Kaua‘i’s Jessica Iwata, a freshman shortstop at University of Hawai‘i, who have been selected for the 2010 USA Softball Women’s Futures National Team. The team,
LIHU‘E — The Amateur Softball Association of America announced Wednesday the 18 athletes, among them Kaua‘i’s Jessica Iwata, a freshman shortstop at University of Hawai‘i, who have been selected for the 2010 USA Softball Women’s Futures National Team.
The team, which includes both USA Softball rookies and those with program experience, consists of athletes who currently play or have played at 13 schools in six Division I conferences, according to a press release from UH.
Iwata is hitting .395 (64 for 162) this season with 53 runs scored, 16 home runs and 49 RBI. She broke UH’s single-season record for doubles with 20.
Iwata was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Wednesday, and was voted to the All-WAC First Teaml.
Earlier this season, she was selected the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s National Player of the Week (April 13) after a phenomenal week at Utah State and Boise State. In five games, Iwata hit .600 (12-for-20) with nine runs scored, 17 RBIs, two doubles and six home runs, including two grand slams.
In the series finale at Boise State (April 10), Iwata tied UH’s and the WAC’s single-game home run record with three home runs while driving in a UH and WAC single-game record, eight RBI.
Iwata is the first University of Hawai‘i softball player to be selected to this presigious team. The last Rainbow Wahine to play on a US national squad was Stephanie Keeler in 1993, when she was a member of the U-19 team.
The Futures Team will kick off the season with exhibition games against the 2010 USA Softball Women’s National Team in Canton and Ashland, Ohio, June 16-17.
They will also compete against the National Teams of Canada, Japan and the USA at the 2010 World Cup of Softball, July 22-26, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
To purchase tickets to see the Futures team in action, visit www.ohioasasoftball.org for the Ohio exhibitions and www.softballoutlet.com for the World Cup.
Members of the Futures Team will also fill spots on the USA team competing at the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship, July 7-11, in Surrey, B.C. and exhibition games in Whitehorse, Yukon, July 13-14. Futures players will also be included on the rosters for the Japan Cup, August 3-9, in Sendai City, Japan. Complete rosters for the tournaments in Canada and Japan will be announced at a later date.
UH opens WAC tournament today
The No. 21/23 University of Hawai‘i softball team (41-12, 19-1 WAC) begins the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Tournament as the top seed after a WAC regular-season championship.
The ‘Bows had a bye Wednesday and begin play today at 11:30 a.m. UH will take on San Jose State, which shocked Louisiana Tech in Wednesday’s opener, scoring three runs with two outs in the seventh inning to advance.
The hard-hitting ‘Bows have hit a school and conference record 128 home runs in 53 games thus far this season and are just six shy of tying the NCAA DI record of 134 set last season by Arizona.
Thirteen different Rainbow Wahine have hit at least one home run, with all nine offensive starters hitting at least six each. Leading the charge is freshman centerfielder, Kelly Majam, who has launched a school and conference record 25 homers in her rookie campaign. Majam also leads the team with 50 RBI and a school record 65 runs scored.
Right behind her is junior third baseman, Melissa Gonzalez , who has sent 20 balls sailing over the fence, while Iwata has 16 home runs and a school-record 20 doubles. She is tied with Majam for the team lead with a .395 batting average and is second on the squad, scoring 53 runs.
The Rainbow Wahine have also set single-season team records with 397 runs scored and 359 RBI.
In the circle, sophomore Stephanie Ricketts finished the regular season winning her last 12 starts and posting a 13-0 record in conference action, a 22-6 mark overall. She became just the third pitcher in UH history to record over 20 wins twice.
Overall, she has a 2.18 ERA in 186.0 innings pitched while holding opponents to a .221 batting average with 134 strike outs and 62 walks. In conference, she has completed all 12 games she started with three shut outs — including a perfect game at Nevada. She fired 81.1 innings with 25 walks and 52 strike outs.
Complementing Ricketts on the mound is freshman Kaia Parnaby who has an 18-6 record overall and is 6-1 in the WAC. Parnaby, an Aussie southpaw, has a 2.91 ERA with six shut-outs. In 144.1 innings, she has walked just 41 with 172 strike outs.
Head coach, Bob Coolen passed the 700-win milestone earlier this season, and now has a 708-424-1 in his 19th season at the University of Hawai‘i.
Overall in 24 seasons as a head coach, he has amassed a 780-517-1 record.
