Eldredge helps California into softball World Series
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
California freshman Kaleo Eldredge is the only softball player from Hawai'i playing in the College World Series starting tomorrow at Oklahoma City.
Eldredge got one of Cal's three hits and advanced the eventual winning run to second base in a 1-0 victory over Cal State-Fullerton in Sunday's NCAA regional final at Fresno, Calif.
Mari Kotake was named freshman of the year in NCAA Division III golf.
Eldredge was last season's Hawai'i high school Position Player of the Year for state champion Baldwin of Maui.
She scored in Cal's 2-1, 10-inning victory over host Fresno State in the regional opener and scored the game-winning run in a 4-2 victory over Fullerton on Saturday.
On Friday, Eldredge was named to the second team All-West Region Division I team selected by the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association.
California (52-19), playing in the softball College World Series for the fourth year in a row, meets Oklahoma tomorrow (7:30 a.m., ESPN). Every game in the tournament will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
The other teams in the CWS are regional champions Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Michigan, Nebraska and UCLA.
MORE SOFTBALL
• Pacific (Calif.)
The Tigers (43-17) were eliminated in the third round of the regional, losing to Fresno State 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth. Nicole Inouye (Sacred Hearts '99, of Kaimuki) hit a bases-loaded triple to center in a 6-0 victory over Evansville (Ind.) in the second round.
MCourtney Cho was selected on the second team of the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association's NCAA Division III West Region all-star team and was named Redlands' Rookie of the Year.
Pacific's three Hawai'i starters, Inouye, Estee Okumura (Punahou '99, of Kapahulu) and Aloha Yamaguchi (University '99, of Kahalu'u) went 6-for-7 in that game and figured in five of the six runs.
• Army (N.Y.)
Army won a Division I regional game for the first time, beating Utah, 2-0, and senior left fielder Melissa Parrish (Moanalua '98, of Kane'ohe) was honored as Army's Defensive Player of the Year.
• Redlands (Calif.)
Freshman second baseman Courtney Cho (Kamehameha '01, of 'Aiea) was selected on the second team of the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association's NCAA Division III West Region all-star team and was named Redlands' Rookie of the Year.
GOLF
• Lewis & Clark (Oregon)
Mari Kotake (Punahou '01, of Kaimuki) was named Softspikes women's national Freshman of the Year for NCAA Division III by the National Golf Coaches Association.
Kotake's regular-season average of 82.83 strokes per round was the best by a freshman and 12th best overall among NCAA Division III women.
