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Thursday, February 10, 2000
It’s time to
raise her pitch
Catcher Dana Degen has to be more vocal
behind the plate as the Wahine begin their
chase for a third straight NCAA tourney bidHome sweet home
By Dave Reardon
Wahine softball roster
Wahine season schedule
Star-BulletinShe's the best hitter in program history. But even more is expected from Hawaii catcher Dana Degen as her senior season begins.
The three-time all WAC performer is certain to drive more big hits this year, but coach Bob Coolen wants Degen rapping out instructions, too.
"With our pitchers now, we could be taken out of a game if we don't go talk to them continuously," Coolen said. "(Degen) never had to do that before."
The reason was All-American pitcher Kelly Gentle, who led the Wahine to a 118-63-1 record from 1997 to '99. With a young staff trying to replace Gentle, Degen becomes a bigger key to UH's chances for a third-consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
The Wahine begin that chase tonight at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, when UH plays Hofstra at 6 in the Chevron Paradise Classic. The six-team tournament, which runs through Sunday, features four-ranked teams, including No. 1 UCLA and No. 20 Hawaii.
"Kelly was so mature on the mound. Kelly didn't like lulls in the game, so Dana sort of held off on that," Coolen said. "We're trying to get (Degen) to be a little more assertive. If we don't fulfill that role of the catcher being the captain of the whole game, we're in trouble.Degen's .367 career batting average and school-record 20 homers are nice. But she agrees offense won't be enough if she can't help direct the young UH pitching.
"I don't think throughout my career I've had to be vocal behind the plate but that's going to have to change this year. We all have to start communicating on the field more, and it starts with the catcher," Degen said. "Our defense is really strong and the hitting has always been there. It's just a matter of putting it together."
Junior Desiree Duran starts the opener. The left-hander is 21-7 with a 1.85 ERA and started last season with five consecutive victories.
Duran said she is used to Degen's style of non-verbal communication.She and fellow junior Janelle Gonzales (who is recovering from a groin injury) are helping Degen bring along freshmen Kelly Ka'aihili and Sheri Oronoz.
"With Dana, you just know. She doesn't have to come out and yell and be all loud. You just know by her expressions what needs to be done," Duran said. "During practice we pretty much go with the flow, but the freshmen will ask us 'What do we need to do?' We try to help them as much as we can."
So will the Wahine bats. In addition to Degen, who hit .339 with nine homers last year, Hawaii returns third baseman Melissa McGie (.348), and first baseman Joyce Lum (.335).
But for Hawaii to succeed in the four-day Chevron Paradise Classic -- and throughout the season -- Coolen said the Wahine will have to talk a good game, too.
"We've had six scrimmages and a Fall Classic so far. Where we shot ourselves in the foot all the time was a lack of communication," Coolen said. "Our pitchers didn't do a bad job. They didn't give up a whole lot of runs. We let down mentally in the field because our pitchers are not as non-hittable as Kelly was. We need to rely on a lot more communication to get the job done. Right now, we have been slack on that part of the game."
EXTRA BASES:
This is the first meeting between Hawaii and Hofstra. ... The other teams in the tournament are Texas Tech, No. 15 Long Beach State, and No. 19 Texas. ... Six games are scheduled for both Friday and Saturday, with UH playing at 5 and 7 p.m. both days. ... UCLA, which plays Hawaii at 7 on Friday, has Iolani graduate Casey Hiraiwa on its roster. ... Sunday's 5 p.m. championship game will be televised by KFVE-TV.
It's been a long time coming, but the new and improved version of the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium is finally ready. Home sweet home
The Wahine christened it with an alumnae game Jan. 29 and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association held its state softball tournament there last week.
The Wahine open their regular season against Hofstra at home at 6 p.m. in the Chevron Paradise Softball Classic, which runs tomorrow through Sunday.
Here's a look at their new home and more:
BLEACHERS:
They have been modified to accommodate handicapped fans. Ramps and a chairlift have been installed.DUGOUTS:
The most noticeable change is that the dugouts for the home and visiting teams are now sunken, a la Rainbow Stadium. It was something the Wahine coaches originally had requested but were told it would be too expensive. They got what they wanted in the end.COST:
$1.2 million was the original price tag for the 1,200-seat complex. But adjustments done last summer totaled $612,000.FIELD:
The most glaring problem with the original design, from the spectators' point of view, was that they could not see home plate. To fix it, the playing surface was raised 4 feet at home plate and tapered to zero at the outfield fence. Home plate was moved 2 feet farther away from the backstop. The concourse is 7- to 8-feet above the playing field.YOU COULD SIT HERE:
By enclosing the field, admission can now be charged. That is part of the requirement to host postseason play, such as a regional tournament. Season tickets for adults are $30, senior citizens $20 and students $10. Tickets can be bought for individual games: $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
Compiled By Pat Bigold, Star-Bulletin
Rainbow Wahine softball roster
No. Player Pos. B/T Ht. Year Hometown 00 Joyce Lum 1B L/L 5-5 Sr. Kaneohe 1 Kalai Castro OF S/R 5-5 So. Kaneohe 3 Desiree Duran LHP R/L 5-6 Jr. San Bernadino, Calif. 5 Ashley Tokumine OF R/R 5-3 Fr. Honolulu 6 Janelle Gonzales RHP R/R 5-6 Jr. Temecula, Calif. 7 Trisha Ramos 3B/SS R/R 5-7 So. Lihue, Kauai 9 Jennifer Tandarich C/DP/1B R/R 5-6 So. San Diego, Calif. 10 Kristin Anderson OF R/R 5-10 Jr. Mililani 11 Kate Judd SS R/R 5-10 Fr. Canberra,. Australia 12 Michelle Mumaw C/3B R/R 5-7 Fr. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. 13 Stacie Hirano 1B/OF L/L 5-4 So. Hilo, Hawaii 14 Stacy Makahilahila 2B/SS R/R 5-3 So. Kailua 15 Kasey Tabar SS R/R 5-7 So. Kaneohe 16 Natalie Gonzales OF/IF L/R 5-5 So. Stockton, Calif. 17 Sheri Oronoz RHP/OF R/R 5-7 Fr. Walnut, Calif. 19 Demetria Costa C/OF R/R 5-7 Fr. Clovis, Calif. 20 Alison Rapanot 3B R/R 5-5 Sr. Waimea, Kauai 21 Tyree Woodruff OF L/R 5-8 Jr. Irvine, Calif. 22 Kelly Kaaihili RHP R/R 5-5 Fr. Honolulu 23 Dana Degen C/DP R/R 5-9 Sr. La Mesa, Calif. 44 Melissa McGie 3B/2B R/R 5-7 Sr. North Haven, Australia
All games at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium unless otherwise noted. For ticket information, call 956-4481: Wahine season schedule
Today-Sunday: Chevron Paradise Classic, featuring UCLA, Texas Tech, Long Beach St., Texas and Hofstra.
* denotes Western Athletic Conference doubleheader
(2) denotes doubleheader
