HONOLULU—University of Hawai'i head softball coach
Bob Coolen announced the signing of five prep standouts who will play for the Rainbow Wahine in the spring of 2011. The athletes are: Sharla Kliebenstein from Oceanside, Calif.; Mala Lemay out of Escondido, Calif.; Kaile Nakao from Santa Monica, Calif.; Gerika Pantohan out of Ewa Beach, O'ahu and Jazmine Zamora from Temecula, Calif. All five signed Letters of Intent this past week during the early signing period that ends today.
Kliebenstein is a 5-foot-8, left-handed catcher who also plays first base and outfield for El Camino High School and the San Diego Legacy. This past year, she helped El Camino tally a 23-5 record while hitting .349 at the plate. For the Legacy in 2009, she hit a scorching .467 while swiping 15-of-17 stolen bases.
“Sharla has a strong arm and a very quick release from behind the plate,” says Coolen. “She also has good power on offense and has exceptional speed on the bases.”
Lemay is a teammate of Klibenstein on the 18U SD Legacy squad that finished 9th out of 144 teams at the 18U “A” nationals in Las Vegas this past summer. She is a 6-foot-1, right-handed pitcher who has posted a 26-11 record as a three-year varsity starter for Escondido High School. Last year she had a 1.54 ERA while leading the Cougars to a runner-up finish in league play. Lemay is a two-time all-league player and a six-time North County Times Athlete of the Week.
“Mala is a down-ball pitcher who has a lot of potential who will complement our pitching staff well and will be groomed to become a starter for us in the future.” said Coolen.
Nakao is a talented utitlity player who plays primarily shortstop as well as second and third base for Santa Monica High School and most recently, the SoCal Choppers. Nakao was voted the Ocean League's Most Outstanding Player as a freshman and has been a first-team all-league player for the past two seasons. Last season, she hit .433 for the Vikings and help lead Samohi to a 23-9 record.
“Kaile is a versatile player who has an exceptional knowledge of the game. She is truly a cerebral player who has a great understanding and passion for the game.
Pantohan plays second, third, and catcher for Campbell High School, the Hawai'i Gold and Guava Jam club teams. She has been an all-state selection the past three seasons for the Sabers. Pantohan bats lead off and continually sparked the Campbell offense, hitting .405 as a junior.
“'Gerika is a quiet but dynamic player who swings a good bat and solid knowledge of the game. She can play anywhere in the infield and will be an asset to our program.”
Zamora is a utility player for Great Oak High School and the Miner's Gold and most recently the SGC Velocity club teams. She hit .346 for the Wolfpack last season as a second baseman/shortstop. She is a three-time all-league selection and was the team's Most Valuable Player as a sophomore. Zamora was invited to the 2008 Adidas Top 100 Camp.
“Jazmine is an intense middle infielder/outfielder who can hit for power to all fields and has speed.” said Coolen.
"Together, this 2011 class fills our future needs with athleticism and versatility," says Coolen. "They are all solid players who have the potential to play big roles for us. With these additions to our current squad, we also may have the fastest team on the bases in recent history, which opens up another weapon for us on offense."
-UH-
