Wahine softball reaches crossroad

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

After two months of relative — somewhat surprising — prosperity, University of Hawai'i Wahine softball meets a defining moment this week against ranked opponents.

Freshman Felicity Witt leads WAC with 17 wins.

Freshman April Crowell leads UH with 4 home runs. Advertiser library photos

If they can survive this trip with confidence intact, and put a muzzle on a 12-game losing streak against the Bulldogs, Hawai'i's future is bright. This season and far into the future.

UH coach Bob Coolen has just four seniors and starts five underclassmen. The most imposing would be two freshmen with nicknames straight out of the Wild Kingdom — Flea and Apes — and an ability to abuse opposing hitters and pitchers.

Felicity Witt has been "Flea" since she was 5 "and always the tiniest on my team." Now she's 5-feet-9, with a resume that includes time served on the Australian Junior National Team and a rocket of a right arm responsible for a WAC-high 17 victories and 126 strikeouts.

Roosevelt graduate April "Apes" Crowell gave a hint of her potential last September, when she was the only Wahine to get a hit against the U.S. Olympic team. She now leads the conference in total bases and is one of four UH batters in the WAC's top 10.

"No matter what's happening, Apes is cool and calm, like she's cruising along," Witt says. "Then she smashes another ball off the fence."

Their transition to college softball has been seamless. In that rain-shortened game against the U.S. National Team, Witt struck out half the gold medalists she faced. At the time, she was still making the adjustment of pitching to a plate 43 feet away, instead of the 40 she grew up with.

In the Wahine's current 10-for-12 roll, she has six victories.

"She is awesome," Crowell says. "On a scale of 1 to 10, she's an 11. She's striking out batters that need to be struck out."

Coolen traces his team's early rise to 30 victories — for the eighth time in 10 seasons — to a series of positive characteristics, starting with his six freshmen, who came in not only with talent, but an ability to lead.

That trait weaves its way through the roster, ending with loquacious senior Kristin Anderson, known as "Boss Lady" by her teammates.

"It was a pleasant surprise to not only see leadership at the freshmen end, but also the seniors ... Kristin Anderson has just done a wonderful job," Coolen said. "She has taken her leadership qualities to a new level. She has always been loud, but now she is straight-forward focused on what this team can accomplish."

It has accomplished a lot at a tender age. Coolen says success has gone to the Wahine's head in the form of a firm belief "in the product on the field."

"There's no real pressure on them this year," Coolen says. "April and Flea had nothing to live up to. ... We have three of four pitchers back and Flea is the kind of pitcher who can go and go and go. I think we have all the ingredients. We don't have those stars hitting .350, .400; everyone is just hitting. It's a very nice lineup."

Pacific shut Hawai'i out twice last month, beating Witt both games. Punahou graduate Estee Okumura is hitting .365 and Cindy Ball is 22-4, with a 1.19 earned run average and 150 strikeouts for Pacific.

The Wahine have not won in 17 tries at Fresno State's Bulldog Diamond, but they aren't alone. Fresno State is 72-5 in the WAC the last four-plus seasons, has won four of the past five titles and been ranked every week since 1983.

"What I want to get out of this trip is the belief that we're better than No. 2 in the WAC, which is where we've been since we've been in the WAC," Coolen says. "If we shoot through and play UOP and Fresno well, I think they'll believe."

SHORT HOPS: WAC commissioner Karl Benson said Sacramento State had applied for membership in the conference. Nevada and Rice are contemplating starting programs. ... Currently, the WAC is made up of Fresno State, Hawai'i, San Jose State, Tulsa and associate members Loyola Marymount and Portland State. ... UH coach Bob Coolen said a four-team international tournament is scheduled for Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium June 20-24. Australia's team will include former UH All-Americans Kelly Gentle and Brooke Wilkins, along with current Wahine Felicity Witt and Stacey Porter. Witt and Porter were recently selected to Australia's Canadian Cup team. ... 'Iolani graduate Mitzi Ing, The Advertiser's 2000 State Player of the Year, is starting in right field for Fresno State and hitting ninth. Pacific has three players from Hawai'i — Estee Okumura, Nicole Inouye and Aloha Yamaguchi, whose twin sister Kea plays for UH. ... The first regional ranking is listed alphabetically and the West includes Hawai'i, Fresno State, San Jose State, Loyola Marymount, Sacramento State and Pacific. ... Hawai'i leads the WAC in hitting (.282), slugging (.373), runs (162), hits (325), RBIs (135), homers (14) and total bases (430). ... Wahine Natalie Gonzales (.333), Tyree Woodruff (.314), April Crowell (.312) and Trisha Ramos (.301) are in the top 10 in WAC hitting. Stacie Hirano (.289) and Stacey Porter (.280) are in the top 20.