By MATT GERHART
By MATT GERHART
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Considering its offseason turnover and the opposition, it’s understandable that the UH-Hilo softball team started the season 2-3 in its first tournament of the season.
But coach Peejay Brun also understands this: “Every game matters.”
Brun learned that lesson last season in her first year on the job when the Vulcans were ranked late in the year but were edged out for a regional berth and sat home for the postseason with a 31-16-1 record.
“Everybody wants to talk about the conference games we lost at the end of the year, but I remember some of the losses early in the year that cost us,” Brun said.
Brun said the Vulcans beat the teams they should have beat (Regis and Concordia) at the season-opening Desert Stinger Classics in Henderson, Nevada. They can make amends for one of the losses Wednesday when the play Cal State San Bernardino. Then the Vulcans move on to the Red Storm Classic, hosted by Pacific West Conference rival Dixie State on Friday-Sunday in St. George, Utah.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about our team is that after losing such a good senior class, it’s going to take us some time to click,” Brun said. “We really haven’t come together yet.”
Returnee Danielle Wilson (2-1, 5.60, seven walks, four strikeouts) and freshman Billi Derleth (0-2, 3.50, 10 walks, six strikeouts) have received the bulk of the work in the circle as the Vulcans try to replace staff ace Vanessa Salinas. Both right-handers thrive by pitching to contact when they are at their best, putting a further onus on the Vulcans shoring up their defense.
Offensively, Cristina Menjivar, Brittany Huff and Danille Pulido each finished with six hits in Nevada, and Victoria Garcia has a home run with five RBIs.
Tennis out to hold serve
Tina McDermott already has accomplished two pressing challenges.
Since becoming the tennis programs’ fifth coach since 2012 – two never coached a match – McDermott scrambled to fill a roster that could compete at the Division II level, and she says she’s begun to establish stability for a program that has seen its share of turbulent times.
“The players are excited that they have a coach who is going to be here for the long haul,” McDermott said.
The men’s and women’s teams open their season Thursday on Oahu and have one home date on the schedule (March 9 against BYU-Hawaii.)
The return of Nos. 1 singles/doubles players Kainoa Rosa and Trixie Croad should help ease growing pains on both sides.
Bolstering the men’s roster are junior Daniel Tada, a Hilo graduate who played No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles last season, and sophomore Stefan Coney (No. 3 singles/doubles).
Seniors Megan Fujitake (Keaau graduate) and Chelsea Sato (Waiakea graduate) are back on the women’s roster after taking a year off.