In NASCAR, even the loyalists will sometimes say it seems like the biggest race of the year is the first one, at Daytona, in February. ADVERTISING In NASCAR, even the loyalists will sometimes say it seems like the biggest race
In NASCAR, even the loyalists will sometimes say it seems like the biggest race of the year is the first one, at Daytona, in February.
The start of the 2017 season might feel a little bit that way for the University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team.
The Vulcans will try to open the season in a full sprint Friday against Northwest Nazarene (9:30 a.m. HST), when they play the first of 12 games on the mainland in two demanding tournaments wrapped around a non conference doubleheader. The opener is the first game of the Desert Stinger tournament in Las Vegas, followed by two games Saturday (Sonoma State and Western New Mexico), and two more Sunday (Cal State University Dominguez Hills and CSU San Bernardino).
“It’s like I told the girls,” said UHH coach Callen Perreira, “obviously, this is college, there are no preseason games, every game is important from the very first game and right on through.
“At the end of the season, if you win the conference, you will go the playoffs, if you come in second, you probably go and if you come in third, there’s a chance. But you build the credentials to get (regional tournament committee) votes at the end of the season starting right now.
“It’s more important than ever for us because of our schedule this year,” he said. “After these 12 games we have 21 days off and then we face the top four teams in our conference, all in a row.”
The schedule delivered to UHH by the Pacific West Conference this season grants the Vulcans barely 30 percent of their games at home — 14 of 46 — and that 21-day layoff is almost unheard of.
Perreira, the winningest coach in the program’s history, returns to the school after departing following the 2009 season with a 576-345-3 record and two conference championships. He won’t be starting over with a team bereft of talent. In a normal season with a reasonable schedule, you would assume he will hit the 600-victory plateau, but it will be a true accomplishment if he gets to that level this season.
The returnees are strong, led by senior Cristina Menjivar, a first-team all-PacWest selection last year, who will start at first base, and Bailey Gaspar, a junior in a new role as a regular in the field at third or first base. She led the PWC with a .506 batting average and .807 slugging percentage last year.
Perreira filled out his starting lineup for the season opener like this:
• Catcher, Danielle Pulido, a senior who started all 49 games last year and had 11 multiple-hit games.
• First base, Menjivar.
• Second base, Danielle Antonin, a freshman from St. Francis School in Honolulu, where she was named first team all-state last year.
• Third base, Gaspar, who seldom played in the field last year but is expected to play both first and third this season.
• Shortstop, Mari Kawano, who started all 49 games last year and hit .275.
• Left field, Kristen Ishii, another freshman, from Mililani where she was a two-time first-team all-state and All-HHSAA-Tournament selection.
• Center field, Maria Steadmon, a sophomore from Huntington Bach, Calif., who made four starts but played in 28 games last year, batting .275.
• Right field — Brinell Kaleikini, a third freshman starter who you might see at any position on the field. From Moanalua High School on Oahu, she was selected first team all-state twice at third base and once as a catcher.
The opening game start will likely go to sophomore Billi Derleth who led the staff in innings pitched last year with an awkward delivery that has been refined, increasing her velocity while reducing shoulder strain.
Perreira isn’t too big on the weight of starting positions because of his philosophy that demands players learn multiple positions.
“We only take 16 when we travel,” he said, “and I will take four pitchers, so that leaves 12 others. All these girls need to learn to play in the field in a couple different spots.”
By the time the weekend is over, he will have the performances of 16 players to evaluate and possibly tweak, without slowing down, for the challenges ahead.
The Vulcans play a doubleheader Tuesday at Western New Mexico and then close out their grueling season start with five games in three days at the Dixie State Classic.
After 21 days off, the team will play its first home games in a doubleheader with Concordia on March 4. The conference put all the Vulcans home dates in seven days, five of them in March and two in April.
