Follow the University of Hawai'i softball team during its trip to the 2013 NCAA Regionals at the University of Washington in Seattle. HawaiiAthletics.com will chronicle the team's 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament with the blog, “Having a Blast!"
DAY 7: Sunday, May 19
The 2013 UH softball season came to an end on Sunday, in the Regional Championship game against a tough Washington team. It was not the ending we had envisioned or had hoped for, but this team accomplished much this year. After being picked to finish first in the Big West pre-season poll, many doubted that may happen due to the loss of several key 2012 seniors from last year--including five starters led by All-American pitcher
Stephanie Ricketts. But the 2013 team showed its mettle and moxie throughout the season. Behind the leadership of its five seniors, UH captured their first Big West title since 1994; won back-to-back conference crowns for the first time in school history (last year the 'Bows won the Western Athletic Conference title); and advanced to its 11th NCAA tournament--all under head coach
Bob Coolen. This years BWC crown was Hawai`i's sixth overall conference title--and this senior class has won three of them.
Below are the five seniors' final thoughts on this past weekend, the season and their careers. Please join me in thanking them for playing with such heart and determination while representing the school and State with grace and dignity over the past four (and five) years! They will all be truly missed .
“Today's game against Washington was not the way I imagined leaving the program. The other seniors and I expected nothing short of the Women's College World Series this year. We set our goals very high at the beginning because we knew we were capable of achieving them. We may have fallen short but I am so proud of my team and how we battled together. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be a Rainbow Wahine and represent the state of Hawai'i. I have learned so much from my past four years, made lifelong friends and made the most unforgettable memories. It is so hard to say goodbye to my home for the past four years but I will carry Hawai'i in my heart wherever I go. I want to thank The Lord for His many blessings, my family, boyfriend, teammates and all our wonderful fans! All the love and support is greatly appreciated and I will miss you all. Aloha and Mahalo!”
Senior Shortstop - Whittier, Calif.
“Bittersweet. That is the best way to describe it. It's been a whirlwind of emotions today. Everyone was so confident and truly believed that we could take two games today, but that was not the outcome. Now it's all starting to set in.
I've been flashing back over the past couple of years thinking, how did it all go by so quickly. All the memories, the places, the coaches, the fans, I can't say thank you enough for the most amazing four years I could have ever imagined. And most importantly to my teammates. We surpassed all the expectations this year and then some. You are all amazing players and have such great futures, so continue to make us all proud.
Thank you Hawai`i for letting me call this beautiful place home for the past four years. You have given back to me more than I could have ever asked for.
Mahalo nui loa.
“Today was obviously not the way us seniors wanted to end our careers at UH, but I have no ounce of regret. I've cherished this journey with these four girls.
This past fall, I had to make a decision to play the season or get surgery. The one thing that was on my mind was I wanted to finish with the girls I started with. And that's what I did. The memories will never be forgotten, and these girls will forever be my sisters.
I will miss many things about this program and feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to represent my home town, home island and home state. These past four years were some of the best experiences of my life and for that I will forever be grateful. I have grown so much as an athlete, a student as well as an individual, in what seems to be such a short chapter in life.
We set high goals and high expectations from the beginning, and we have accomplished so much together. No one can ever take this experience away from us. We went above and beyond what anyone in the nation expected us to do and for that I am proud to say we put Hawai`i on the map. We have left our mark on this program and hope to have others follow in our footsteps and have nothing but positive memories of this senior class.
For everyone who has supported my team and me through the years I can't thank you enough. I wouldn't be where I am today or accomplished what I have if it wasn't for everyone who has unconditionally loved and supported me from day one.”
“Not our best outing of the year, so definitely it is a bittersweet ending! Washington came out hot and congrats to them and good luck in the supers!
But, this last game does not define this team. When I look back at my senior season, I will think of the high moments that encompassed this whole year! So many towering homeruns, powerful pitching, and amazing defensive plays are the things I will remember about my senior year. So I encourage you to do the same!
There were so many doubts at the beginning of the year about our team because of all the studs we lost last year. But our team defied those odds and had an amazing season full of passion, heart, and great team wins. This team did things that people didn't expect and exceeded expectations. That is what I will remember about this team.
I am so thankful to have been a Rainbow Wahine for five years! In my career I have played with teammates who will go down as some of the greatest players in UH history! What an honor! I am so blessed to have been a part of this amazing program. Being a Rainbow Wahine has grown me as a player but even more as a person and has taught me how to live life with passion just like I wanted to play on the softball field. After two knee surgeries, cancer radiation treatment, a wedding proposal, and 72 homeruns later I am leaving this program with more passion for life and for the game I love than I ever dreamed of! Whether you're on the softball field or living life, remember to always be passionate about the things you love and never be afraid to swing for the fence!!”
--#00
Kelly Majam
Senior Centerfielder - Pine Valley, Calif.
"Well, four years came and went by really quickly.”
I didn't think my career at Hawai`i would ever end, it's weird to think I'm heading home to Hawai`i for the last time.
To wrap up my career in just one short blog I would have to say its an experience I will never get to relive.
Being able to play in the post-season for three out of my four years, and winning 3 conference titles sums up how much success this class had, and how honored I feel to be apart of it.
This weekend had highs and lows, and although we all remember that last game, there are so many positives to take out of it! Our team fought hard and although we weren't able to complete the successful season we had envisioned, I will always remember the fun times and the great season we had.
Personally, I would like to thank everyone in Hawai`i, the support you have shown over my time here is amazing, nothing that can ever be replicated. The passion you show for UH sports is like no other. My coaches including Eric, Kara and James, thank you for being able to make my time here amazing, you have all been a huge part of my four years here. Family, I cannot thank you enough for everything you and done. Lastly, to my teammates, words cannot describe how much you have impacted my life, you will forever be my family.
Lastly I just want to say that Hawai`i will always be a place I call home. Softball has taught me so much about myself. Mahalo for allowing me to share my last four years with everyone in this wonderful state.”
--#16
Kaia Parnaby
Senior Pitcher - Bilgola Plateau, NSW, Australia
Contributed by
Kelly Majam
"We live to fight another day!
Today we woke up and had breakfast around the hotel and then headed to the field at 11:15 am. Our game against Washington started at 1:00 pm and both teams played solid games! Kaia pitched great again and we battled at the plate against a great UW pitcher but came up just a little bit short.
We had a game break as Portland State and Minnesota played their loser's bracket game after our first game against UW. We hung out around the field and watched the beginning of that game from the stands before we had to warm up again. Minnesota won so it was a rematch from the day before!
And again, it was another pitcher's duel! But we were able to come through with some timely hits and great pitching gave us the W!
Kayla Wartner hit a triple off the top of the centerfield wall to give us a two run lead in the third inning. Then in the fourth, Leisha Li'ili'i hit a towering homer over the rightfield wall! I loved seeing the power show up today from my fellow lefties! Kaia (another lefty!) pitched another great game. She is awesome and a solid rock on the mound! Tomorrow we play at 1:00 p.m. in the Regional Championship game against host Washington, and we have to win two in order to advance to the Super Regional.
Our team is ready for the battle!! Go 'Bows GO!!"
DAY 5: Friday, May 17
Contributed by
Jessica Iwata
"This morning we had a 9:00 am wake up call, and we had the option to walk around, get breakfast or workout.
Tara Anguiano (my roommate) and I went down to the coffee shop in the morning and had something small before heading over to the workout room. There, Tara ran the treadmill and I walked the treadmill just to get our blood flowing before today's big game. Coach Bob and his family were also having their morning workout as well as our manager Justine.
We then came back to our rooms to relax and get ready for our game. We departed for the field at 1:15 pm for our 3:30 game. Upon reaching the field we warmed up in the Dempsey indoor facility, and everything was strictly timed. We weren't allowed on the field until 13 min prior to first pitch so we had to do all of our warmup inside the Dempsey. Both Minnesota and us had just five minutes of defensive line drills before the game on the field.
The game vs. Minnesota was a 0-0 ball game up until the bottom of the fifth inning, where we were able to put up three runs. We were able to hold them for the final two innings as Kaia did yet another terrific job on the mound resulting in our 3-0 win. Post game, we had random drug testing and I was one of five that were chosen. After we finished, we grabbed some dinner and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow is a new day and we are excited to continue to progress forward."
DAY 4: Thursday, May 16
Contributed by
Tara Anguiano
"Today we practiced at the University of Washington for the first time. It was fun to experience the Huskies' facilities with their indoor batting cages and a large stadium! Our practice today was timed by the NCAA, so we moved quickly and efficiently to get all of our drills done. The team is so focused and excited to be here in Washington! Judging from the intensity of today's practice, we are ready to bring our "A"game tomorrow!
After practice today, Coach Bob encouraged us to walk around the hotel instead of staying in our rooms all day. A mall is nearby so a few teammates such as
Kelly Majam,
Jori Jasper, team manager Justine Tjaden and I did some shopping for a few hours. Our hotel is located in a busy area, full of shops and eateries, so there is plenty of things to keep ourselves busy.
Now for a good night sleep to get prepared for Minnesota. Go 'Bows!"
DAY 3: Wednesday, May 15
Contributed by
Brynne Buchanan
"This morning was a nice easy morning for the team. Since there was a delay in our flight Tuesday night, Coach Bob allowed us girls to get a little extra sleep. Everyone picked up a light breakfast, and then we headed to Seattle University where Coach Powers kindly offered up his beautiful new softball facility so we could get a hitting practice in.
After practice, we all did our own adventuring of Seattle. Several of the girls went to the well-known Pike Place Market to walk around and take in the beautiful scenery and city. Unfortunately the sun did not last long today. Our afternoon was soon interrupted with light showers, but it did not stop us from enjoying the day. There were visits to a crazy hat store, the mall, several shops and then we ate dinner. Mistakenly we all took pictures in what we thought was the first original “Starbucks”, only to find out it was down the street from us. We are all very excited to be here and are definitely taking advantage of this chance to explore.
After everyone was done playing tourist, we had a team meeting to discuss our regimented NCAA practice tomorrow. Since we have limited times both in the cages and on the field, there will be no dilly-dallying. We all went our separate ways to get a good night sleep and as Coach Bob would say, we are going to have a very “spirited” practice tomorrow in preparation for our game Friday."
Day 2: Tuesday, May 14
Contributed by
Kaia Parnaby
"Today was bound to be a long day and it hasn't failed us yet.
Compared to other mornings we rose kind of early with a team breakfast at 8:00 am and it was definitely a struggle for us late risers. Following breakfast we headed back to our room for about an hour before heading to Pacific (thank you to the University of Pacific and head coach Brian Kolze for letting us use their field) for our final practice before jetting off to UW for regionals.
Practice went smoothly and was over within two hours, after practice we headed back to the hotel for a quick shower. We finishing packing our bags and headed off to "Old Sacramento" for what turned out to be a fun filled afternoon. When we arrived in Old Sacramento we didn't know what would be in store for us. It's like an old Western town complete with raised wooden sidewalks and old storefronts with all kinds of stores. Seven of us went into an old photo shop and had our picture taken with us dressed up as southern belles. This was definitely the highlight of the afternoon, we all got pictures to keep in a multitude of poses! While some of us were getting pictures taken, the rest of our team had fun going in and out of different shops buying all kinds of different things from rings to candy.
After leaving Old Sacramento, we headed to a team dinner where we demolished a lot of food and also a lot of pizzookies! Next stop was the airport. Check in went smoothly, but then this was the longest part of our day where we all went delusional from our flight being delayed 50 minutes. We finally took off about an hour after the originally scheduled time. The flight was freezing! And after we all got a little lost, we all found our way to our hotel in Bellevue at around 1:00 am. Finally our long day came to an end and we can all get some sleep!"
Day 1: Monday, May 13
The day after finding out where the Rainbow Wahine softball team will travel to for the NCAA tournament, the players had a fairly leisurely day. Had to wake up for team breakfast at 9:00 am and shortly thereafter went for their normal Monday lift/conditioning session at the University of Pacific's weight room and soccer field which they graciously allowed us to use. The conditioning ended with an intense game of Ultimate Frisbee with the upper-classmen vs. the under-classmen. Even though the elders were one short on the field, they were able defeat the youngsters.
After returning to the hotel, some on the team hung out at the pool and some went to the local mall.Later, there was a brief team meeting to discuss our travel on Wednesday as we make our way to Sacramento and eventually Seattle late Tuesday night.
