Hawaii attacks WAC softball

A rough weekend in Fresno last month extinguished Hawaii's hopes of receiving an at-large invitation to the NCAA softball regionals.

The Rainbow Wahine return to Bulldog Diamond for this week's Western Athletic Conference tournament looking to force their way into the postseason, instead.

"I'm sure every team going in there is having the same discussion saying, 'It's a new season, everyone's 0-0, let's go for it,' " UH coach Bob Coolen said.

The double-elimination tournament -- the WAC's first since 1999 -- begins tomorrow with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

But before Coolen can start preparing for UH's first-round game, the Wahine will have to tend to some unfinished business today in Fresno.

UH (27-20, 9-7 WAC) and Nevada will complete a protested game at 1 p.m. Hawaii time to determine their seedings in the tournament. The winner will clinch the third seed and face sixth-seeded Louisiana Tech tomorrow in the tournament's opening game. The loser is fourth and plays No. 5 New Mexico State.

The game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning with Nevada leading 2-1. Hawaii originally won the game 4-2, played April 29 in Reno, but the result was nullified when a protest by Nevada was upheld by the NCAA.

Completing the game will make for a hectic day for the Wahine, who were scheduled to leave Honolulu last night and arrive in Fresno this morning. They'll have time for a quick nap and a meal before heading to the ballpark in the afternoon.

"I've been trying to find another team (at UH) that has taken a red-eye and played the same day," Coolen said. "Every time we take a red-eye somewhere we are wiped out for a whole day. I've been asking around to see how people have handled it, and no one here I've found has done what we're attempting to do."

Immediately after the game, the team will hustle to a banquet hosted by the WAC, then hold a team meeting back at the hotel to map out their plans for the tournament.

Hawaii enters the tournament as the WAC's top hitting team, batting .300 in conference games. The pitching staff has thrown four perfect games this season -- the last by reigning WAC pitcher of the week Justine Smethurst last Friday against Utah State -- and trails only Fresno State with an earned-run average of 1.57 against league competition.

The Wahine started 7-1 in WAC play and were in first place before dropping three games to the Bulldogs, April 21-22, and losing two more at Nevada, effectively taking them out of contention for an at-large berth to the NCAAs.

No. 23 Fresno State captured the regular-season title and top seed, and San Jose State is second. Both will have byes in the first round.

Fresno State will likely receive a regional berth regardless of this week's outcome. The other five teams will have to win the tournament to extend their seasons.

"We just want to go in and play and let it all unfold and see who's the hot team at the end," Coolen said.