Posted on: Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Solid tourney may lead to ranking
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
If the University of Hawai'i softball team wants to make a statement about getting nationally ranked, this week's Kia Klassic tournament at Cal State Fullerton is the place to do it.
Backed by momentum of winning their own Malihini Tournament over the weekend, the Rainbows (14-7) will have a chance to prove themselves at the four-pool, 16-team tournament. Of the four pools, Hawai'i is in the only one that boasts three nationally ranked teams. The other three pools have only two teams in the top 25. The average ranking in UH's pool is sixth, compared to the others, which are either eighth (Pool B) or ninth (Pools A and D).
Hawai'i's Pool C has No. 5 Washington (23-2-1), No. 4 Texas (22-2) and host No. 9 Cal State Fullerton (16-7). Hawai'i plays Fullerton and Washington tomorrow in back-to-back games and face Texas Friday afternoon. The teams are then placed in championship brackets based on their pool records with the first round set for Friday night. Quarterfinals will be held Saturday with the semifinals and championship Sunday. The Rainbows lost to Washington, 3-2, on Feb. 9 at UH's Paradise Classic.
"We need to play well in the bracket," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "We can't be 0-3. If we want to be a top 25 team, we have to take 2-of-3 from the bracket and play well in the cross-over bracket. And we have a tough cross-over bracket, too."
Other teams in the Kia Klassic that UH might face after pool play are: Pool A—UNLV (13-13), Cal State Northridge (12-10), No. 6 Oklahoma (18-3), No. 12 Arizona State (21-7); Pool B—No. 3 Nebraska (14-2), Notre Dame (7-7), Fresno State (5-12), No. 13 DePaul (10-3); Pool D—No. 2 Arizona (26-2), Louisiana-Lafayette (14-2), Long Beach State (9-12), No. 16 Florida State (18-7). Hawai'i's cross-over bracket is Pool D.
Since a 3-5 start — the fifth loss a 10-2 drubbing by No. 1 UCLA — the Rainbows have won 11 of their last 13, including five in a row to win the Malihini Tournament. Hawai'i is 3-2 against nationally ranked teams, which included then-No. 25 Baylor in the Malihini Tournament (UH won 4-1).
"It was important to boost our esteem," right fielder Tracie Uchima said. "We were having a hard time in Vegas (at the UNLV Rebel Classic) and some key wins (in the Malihini) really boosted us a little bit."
The Rainbows have been riding the arms of a pair of sophomore right-handers. Melissa Coogan (11-2, 1.08 earned run average) has won nine consecutive decisions since taking the loss against UCLA and Shannon Tabion (3-5, 2.40) pitched in the win over Baylor. Coogan will start against Fullerton and Texas, while Tabion will face Washington, Coolen said.
Offensively, the Rainbows are powered by first baseman Stacey Porter and designated player April Crowell, who have 10 of the team's 13 home runs. Crowell leads the team with six homers and 16 RBIs, while Porter leads in hitting at .466 and has four homers with 11 RBIs. Second baseman Noelle Izumi is batting .358.
