Wahine prep for final
test on the softball fieldHawaii opens regional
play tomorrow vs. LSU
Finals are over, taken either on the plane ride to Texas or at the Austin hotel.
Now the real tests begin for the Hawaii softball team.
The Wahine, seeded fifth in the NCAA Region 3 at McCombs Field, have a tough draw. Hawaii (37-18) opens the eight-team tournament tomorrow in the first game of the day at 9 a.m. (4 a.m. HST), facing LSU (49-16).
Win or lose, it will be equally tough. A loss means a loser-out game at 8 p.m. tomorrow, while a win likely means a matchup Friday at 11:30 a.m. with host Texas. The third-ranked Longhorns (43-7) have lost only three home games in two years at McCombs Field, and are 24-2 at home this year, with both losses coming to No. 14 Michigan.
The red-eye flight out of Honolulu on Monday and the five-hour time difference in Texas made for a weary Wahine team yesterday. Hawaii arrived in Austin around 3 p.m., rested at the hotel then had a light workout before dinner.
"We're pretty tired," UH assistant coach Dee Wisneski said in a telephone interview yesterday. "But the weather is good, kind of like Hawaii. It's better than the humidity of Louisiana.
"It's exciting for us. Some of the girls haven't competed at the regional level. We haven't looked at the other teams. The focus is on us playing our game, stay normal and not be out of our comfort zone."
As they have for 29 victories, the Wahine will start sophomore pitcher Melissa Coogan (29-9, 1.04 ERA).
"I'd like to get at least one more (win), get 30," said Coogan, who is seeking to become UH's first 30-game winner. "We're ready to go."
Hawaii will see either junior Kristin Schmidt (33-13, 1.07 ERA) or sophomore Tessa Lynam (16-3, 2.14 ERA).
Statistically, the Wahine look to have the edge. Hawaii is hitting .384 to LSU's .270.
Junior first baseman Stacey Porter, the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, leads the Wahine with a .468 batting average, 17 homers and 38 RBIs. The Tigers are led by senior first baseman Christy Connor (.287, 10 home runs, 36 RBIs).
Hawaii coach Bob Coolen got his first peek at McCombs Field yesterday. The verdict?
Beautiful but cozy. The $4.5 million stadium, which opened in 1998, seats 1,251.
"I do think the team feels very much in control (at home)," Texas coach Connie Clark told the Austin American-Statesman this week. "They feel very confident. They know we've got some quality competition, but I still feel they would be disappointed if they did not defend the home turf."
Hawaii is the only team in the field with a win over the Longhorns this season. The Wahine won 5-3 on March 14 at the Kia Klassic hosted by Cal State Fullerton, but the Wahine didn't face All-American Cat Osterman (26-4), who leads the nation with a 0.33 ERA.
Texas has defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi -- its first-round opponent tomorrow -- twice, and also beat Arizona.
"It's nice from a scouting perspective because we've seen some other teams, and we know what those teams have and the areas we hope to exploit," Clark said. "But there's something to be said for this being a new season for everybody."
Coolen's pregame plans don't include detailed scouting reports.
"I won't get stats and shove it in their faces," said Coolen. "I haven't done that all year. I've known what we're capable of doing against certain teams. I need to know what certain teams are capable of doing against us.
"The coaches will give the team a few indications of what the opponent is capable of, tell them, 'This is this type of team they have.' We don't worry so much about them having 100 stolen bases or a pitcher with 30 wins.
"We just have to make sure we're ready and stay on top of our game."
Wisneski agrees. She was co-captain of the first two Hawaii teams to make it to the NCAA tournament in 1994 and '95.
"What we have to do is make sure we're on the same page, whatever time of day it is," she said. "We just need to go out and do what we have to do.
"I think we can win this. We've come a long way from the beginning of the season. The players have set some goals. They believe in the team, not just one or two players. The chemistry is there. So is the pressure. We'll see how they handle it."
Region 3 schedule
All times Hawaii time
Tomorrow's games
G1: Hawaii (37-18) vs. LSU (49-16), 4 a.m.
G2: Texas (43-7) vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (31-22), 6:30 a.m.
G3: Arizona State (30-23) vs. SW Texas State (43-16-1), 11 a.m.
G4: Northwestern (35-17) vs. Tennessee Tech (41-14), 12:30 p.m.
G5: Losers of Games 1 and 2, 3 p.m.
