LIHU‘E — University of Hawai‘i softball players Melissa Gonzalez and Kelly Majam were named 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans, Wednesday. The three Division I All-America teams are made up of 54 student-athletes from 35 different institutions, representing 13
LIHU‘E — University of Hawai‘i softball players Melissa Gonzalez and Kelly Majam were named 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans, Wednesday.
The three Division I All-America teams are made up of 54 student-athletes from 35 different institutions, representing 13 conferences, states a press release from the UH athletic department.
Gonzalez, a junior third baseman from Moreno Valley, Calif., was named a first team All-American. Gonzalez currently leads UH with a .408 batting average (86 for 211) and is tied for the team lead with 60 RBIs. She has also scored 55 runs, hit 13 doubles and 25 home runs. Gonzalez leads UH with 25 multi-hit games.
She is just the third Rainbow Wahine to receive the prestigious honor. Pitcher Brooke Wilkins and first baseman Stacey Porter are the only other two UH players to ever be named a first team All-American.
Majam, a freshman center fielder from Pine Valley, Calif., was selected to the second team, the sixth UH player to ever be named second team All-American. She is also just the third freshman to earn the honor as a Rainbow Wahine. Majam, the NCAA leader in home runs with 30 — a new Hawai‘i and WAC record — has had a phenomenal rookie season, breaking the UH single-season record in runs scored (81) and walks (41) and is second all-time in UH history with 86 RBIs.
These two stars, along with the other standout Rainbow Wahine will be looking to advance in the Women’s College World Series today, as they play the tournament’s opening game against the University of Missouri at 7 a.m. HT (12 p.m. CT).
The game will be shown live on ESPN and is also availabe on ESPN 1420 AM radio.
It was Jenna Rodriguez’s walk-off home run that sent UH into the World Series as one of the eight Division I teams still vying for a national title. With the ‘Bows trailing top-seeded Alabama 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Rodriguez connected on a shot to left field to score Majam and set off the UH celebration, Saturday.
Missouri, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, has not lost a game yet, going 5-0 since regional action began. It has not given up more than two runs in a game, though that streak will certainly be tested against one of the nation’s top offenses in Hawai‘i. UH continues to add to the NCAA record for most home runs in a season it is currently holding (154), none bigger than Rodriguez’s blast.
The final eight teams are Hawai‘i, Missouri, UCLA, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, Georgia and Washington. They will play a double-elimination format with the championship game scheduled for Wednesday. All games will be shown on the ESPN family of networks.
