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Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Aussie Posse While her Hawaii softball teammates shivered in Florida the past two weeks, Stacey Porter enjoyed her first shave ice.
continues UH
tradition
Many of Hawaii's greatest
softball players have come
from Down UnderBy Dave Reardon
Star-BulletinThe Wahine (6-2) open their home schedule at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium tomorrow at 5 p.m. against Auburn in the Chevron Paradise Classic.
They'll do it with a new cleanup hitter: Porter, who has yet to bat for the Wahine.
But the Australian freshman's power is already legendary. In her first scrimmage at-bat at the stadium, the 6-foot third baseman cranked a homer over the right-center-field fence and onto the tennis courts.
"She's a big-time, legitimate power threat," Hawaii coach Bob Coolen said.
Just as important, Porter fits in with the Wahine as a person. Although she has been at UH for little more than a month and has yet to play a game, she is quickly becoming one of the team's more popular players.
"Everybody loves her personality. She's one of the coolest," team manager Shannon Antonio said.
Porter didn't make the season-opening trip because she arrived on campus late due to Australian national team commitments, and she couldn't afford to miss more school.
Antonio helped take the sting out of Porter's not being with the team by showing her the island.
She'd already gotten to know her way around campus, with the help of freshman pitcher Felicity Witt and sophomore shortstop Kate Judd. Porter knew both in Australia.
"It helps a lot that Kate and Flea (Witt) were here," Porter said.
"We room together, so they're able to show me everything I'm supposed to do."
The three played together in the Junior World Championships in 1999 in Taiwan.
Witt has shown early signs of being as dominant a pitcher as countrywomen Brooke Wilkins and Kelly Gentle before her.
On Monday, the right-hander was named the WAC Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive time.
"I just hope to keep it going," Witt said.
Witt is 4-0, and has not allowed a run in 24 innings. She has struck out 28, walked eight and allowed only eight hits.
"She'll attribute it to the ball bouncing the right way, but she's really, really focused on the mound," Coolen said.
Judd, the veteran member of the Aussie Posse, is off to a good start at the plate, batting .320 with one of UH's two homers. She batted .293 last season, playing in 48 games.
Coolen said he always welcomes players from Down Under -- not only because of talent, but their attitude, too.
"Back in Australia they don't have scholarships to go play ball," Coolen said.
"They appreciate it a hundred fold. They're not in the recruiting warfare that goes on over here. In Australia, if we talk to them it's a novelty."
A fourth Australian player, pitcher Mel Roberts, had committed to UH. But she has decided to attend medical school (which begins immediately after high school in Australia) instead, Coolen said.
Other teams playing in the tournament are UC-Santa Barbara, Centenary and Cal-State Fullerton.
There are five games tomorrow through Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. each day.
Games on Sunday start at 10 a.m., with the final at either 2 or 4 p.m.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii