The UH-Hilo softball team will depend on Brinell Kaleikini to pile up hits and runs to compensate for the loss of Bailey Gaspar, the slugger who could change the score with one swing of the bat.
Despite the prowess of Gaspar, who hit .404 and had 15 homers and 54 RBIs, the Vulcans finished 31-15 and just missed a spot in the eight-team West Regionals.
Kaleikini was named the PacWest preseason player of the year in a vote by the league’s coaches, and the Vulcans were picked to finish fourth in the 10-team league.
“It’s a great honor for Brinell. It’s well-deserved. Obviously, the coaches recognized she plays numerous positions and does very well wherever we put her,” UHH coach Callen Perreira said. “We’re OK with that (being picked fourth). We have to win home games and do well on the road to finish higher than that.”
The Vulcans will rely on their speed to take an extra base and set up runners in scoring position and track down balls in the outfield to prevent runs. Their pitching also took a graduation hit with the loss of Cyanne Fernandez, who went 16-5 with a 2.75 ERA.
“We’ve got a lot more speed and people who can play various positions,” Perreira said. “We’re more versatile this year and have more pitching as well. If you look at the PacWest now, we’re playing four-game series. On the road, it’s 12 games in eight days. Everybody is going through that. It is what it is.”
Despite sounding like a forlorn Bill Belichick, one reason Perreira is the winningest coach in UHH history, with 17 straight winning seasons from 1991-2007, is his ability to recruit. He snagged junior Valerie Alvarado, who went 10-1 with a 1.80 ERA at Indian River State College in Florida.
Lose one ace, find another. That’s how it works in college softball, where aces hold as much value as quarterbacks. Concordia’s Callie Nunes, the PacWest preseason pitcher of the year, went 25-4 with eight saves, accounting for 33 of her team’s 46 wins.
“Valerie was very successful at Indian River. It’s a very strong D1 (juco) league with a lot of good pitching,” Perreira said.
The Vulcans also return senior Isabelle Mejia (5-6, 4.58 ERA), junior Leah Gonzales (8-3, 3.16 ERA), and senior Billi Derleth, who’s back after an injury limited her to five games.
“Isabelle will concentrate on pitching only. She improved a lot in fall ball and the spring,” Perreira said. “I told Leah, she’s growing up in front of our eyes. She’s getting more mature on the mound. Billie got hurt and we’re appealing to get her years back. She’s regained her strength and form. She’ll be able to help us a lot.”
The Vuls don’t have anyone on staff who can be defined as a strikeout artist. Last season, UHH struck out just 147 in 312 2/3 innings and gave up 336 hits.
Opponents will knock base hits, and it’s vital for the Vulcans to make sure singles don’t turn into doubles. It helps to have a speedy center fielder, and Perreira landed a good one.
Rayla Jacobs-Kea, a sophomore from Kamehameha-Kapalama, played at Midland College (Texas) and hit .451 with four home runs and 33 RBIs and stole 29 bases in 30 attempts. She also adds to the pitching depth and had a 2.13 ERA.
“She’s an outstanding outfielder, and if you look at her stats, there’s a lot of speed,” Perreira said. “She has a lot of speed, hits from the left side and covers a lot of ground.”
Senior and two-year starter Maria Steadmon (.262, 12 RBIs) returns to right field, and junior college transfer Kimberly Olivas, who played at Cerritos (Calif.) College was a hitting machine and will start in left.
Olivas was a two-time first-team, all-conference pick. She batted .373 with 18 steals last season.
“Maria has been there the last two years. She has a good arm, she’s a competitor and understands what we’re looking for,” Perreira said. “Kimberly has a lot of speed, a really strong arm and covers a lot of ground. She’s a good contact hitter as well.”
Speed and contact hitters are fine and dandy. But power production from someone like Gaspar can’t be replaced so easily.
“That’s the million dollar question everyone is asking me,” Perreira said. “We’ll have to compensate with a lot more speed. We still have kids who hit with power. We still have Brinell (.361, six homers, 39 RBIs). Kiarra Lincoln (.308, three homers) fooled a lot of people. She has a lot of power for her size. She’ll definitely have a good year. She puts in the work and gets the results.”
Lincoln will shift to shortstop with Kaleikini at second base. Danielle Antolin, a senior, will get a shot to start at third base.
First base will be filled by Vesi Liilii, a junior transfer from Eastern Arizona College, who hit .403 with 15 homers and 65 RBIs, stats pretty much identical to Gaspar.
Division II pitching is much different than the juco level. But if Liilii can make a quick adjustment, the Vulcans will welcome all the homer help they can get.
The last time the Vuls reached the postseason was in 2013. The league was much different back then. Dixie State and Cal Baptist were still there.
But the PacWest is still tough. Concordia is the defending champion and returns its ace in sophomore Nunes, one of the top pitchers in Division II.
“We have to play them at their place. Next season, they come here. It’s give and take,” Perreira said. “I’m on the selection committee. Last year, there were four teams from the PacWest in the regional. Last year, there were three from the GNAC and one from the CCAA. I’ve seen as much as five from the CCAA.
“They all beat each other up, so that’s better for us. And that’s usually the case.”