Softball Wahine
start season in tourney

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

It's out of the fire and into the frying pan for the University of Hawaii women's softball team. The Wahine trade one of the hottest conferences in the country for one with a little less heat when they switch from the Big West to the expanded Western Athletic this season.

"We're going from Big West, which is ranked third in the country, to the WAC, which is No. 5," said Hawaii coach Bob Coolen, beginning his sixth season. "Our concern is that the WAC has never sent more than two teams to the NCAA regionals, something we have to change. We need to get in there and establish ourselves like we did in the Big West.

"We don't know much about several of the teams, like Colorado State and Utah. It's going to be a matter of who gets out of the chute first."

Hawaii hopes to get a jump-start via its 8th Preseason Classic that begins a three-day run tomorrow.

The round-robin event, featuring the five island college teams, opens with Chaminade facing Hawaii Pacific at 4 p.m. tomorrow and concludes with Hawaii going against HPU at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Back for the Wahine is second-team all-American catcher Tia Morenz. Also returning are sophomore pitchers Stephanie Wiese, who was 15-8 last season after winning seven of her last eight starts, and Kelly Gentle, 16-10 last season.

"Our pitching was suspect last year," said Coolen. "We haven't done anything other than having a year's experience to get better. Pitching is our No. 1 concern. But I feel both Steph and Kelly can be 20-game winners. They need to be 20-game winners if we're going to go anywhere."

After two glorious NCAA postseason rides on the arm of All-American Brooke Wilkins, Hawaii stayed home last year. The Wahine finished 36-25 overall, 15-16 in Big West play.

Wilkins took last season off to compete for the Australian Olympic team. She did not return this year, which would have been her junior season.

Coolen is very high on his trio of freshmen recruits: Joyce Lum of University High, Australian Melissa McGie and Dana Degan from California.

Hawaii won the Big West team batting title with a school-record .301 average last year.

"We're again going to be a good hitting team," said Coolen. "We just need to rally around our pitching and our pitchers need to pick it up a little bit."

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Preseason Classic

All games at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Tomorrow
Chaminade vs. HPU, 4 p.m.
UH-Hilo vs. BYU-Hawaii, 6 p.m.
Hawaii vs. BYU-Hawaii, 8 p.m.

Saturday
Chaminade vs. BYU-Hawaii, 10 a.m.
HPU vs. BYU-Hawaii, noon.
HPU vs. UH-Hilo, 2 p.m.
Hawaii vs. UH-Hilo, 4 p.m.

Sunday
UH-Hilo vs. Chaminade, 10 a.m.
Hawaii vs. Chaminade, noon
Hawaii vs. HPU, 3 p.m.

Chaminade in
nonconference win over Belmont

Chaminade 75, Belmont 66

At McCabe Gym, starting guards Michael Farrell and Darnell Clavon each scored 17 points to lead the Silverswords to the nonconference victory.

Chaminade (7-13) took a 36-27 halftime lead, then matched baskets in the second half with the Rebels from Nashville, Tenn.

The Silverswords shot 55 percent from the floor while Belmont managed just 42 percent.

Chaminade 75, Belmont 66

Belmont: Karnes 5-8 0-1 11, Steger 6-12 5-6 20, Kees 3-7 4-6 10, Webb 3-7 1-2 9, Couey 4-17 2-2 14, Fields 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 22-53 12-17 66.

Chaminade: Cephas 3-8 6-12 12, Rivera 5-7 0-1 14, Munsterteiger 2-3 0-0 4, Farrell 5-8 5-6 17, Clavon 5-9 6-8 17, Antonio 2-5 1-2 6, Tracy 2-4 1-2 5, Umbarger 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-44 19-31 75.

Halftime-Chaminade 36, Belmont 27.

3-point goals-Bel. 10-28 (Couey 4-13, Steger 3-7, Webb 2-4, Karnes 1-3, Fields 0-1), CU 8-13 (Rivera 4-6, Farrell 2-3, Clavon 1-1, Antonio 1-3). Fouled out-Rivera. Rebounds-Bel. 28 (Steger 8), CU 38 (Cephas 12). Assists-Bel. 14 (Fields 4), CU 16 (Rivera 5). Total fouls-Bel. 22, CU 19. A-100.