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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Eldredge helps Cal reach NCAA softball tourney

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

University High grad Bri Tsukamoto (left) and Colgate teammate Kim Olmstead show off the Patriot League trophy after beating Army, 2-0.

Tsukamoto family

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The Hawai'i Homegrown Report appears every Wednesday.

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To reach us:

E-mail: dennis@lava.net or sports@honoluluadvertiser.com

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In addition to the eight local women on the University of Hawai'i roster, five homegrown players on four Mainland teams will play in NCAA Division I softball regional games tomorrow.

They are:

Sophomore Kaleo Eldredge (Baldwin '01), starting center fielder for defending NCAA champion California.

She received honorable mention on the All-Pac 10 team announced yesterday.

Eldredge has overcome a season full of bruises and breaks to help Cal get back into the national tournament.

"At Washington, the pitcher hit me and she fractured my pointer finger and my middle finger is all bruised up," Eldredge said. "What's worse, they called strike three on me on the pitch. I don't know how they did that.

"I had to sit out a couple games because it hurt way too much to play. It still hurts when I bat and make contact with the ball. Even when I grip my bat, I feel it.

"I also found out I had sprained my thumb on the same hand, which already had tendinitis. My ankle is healing better, but my back's been killing me.

"I'm a walking disaster. My whole body is falling apart, but I'll be playing this weekend. I don't know how I'm gonna play, but I'll figure out a way."

Fractures, sprains, tendinitis and all, Eldredge raised her batting average 60 points, from .244 to .304 (41 for 135) since April 4. She batted .370 against Pac-10 pitching.

California (41-18) opens defense of its first national championship tomorrow at Ann Arbor, Mich. The No. 2 seed Golden Bears will face seventh-seeded Oakland of Michigan (33-23) to begin regional play.

Should Cal win, it faces the Michigan-Western Michigan winner Friday in the double-elimination tournament.

Seniors Estee Okumura (Punahou '99 of Kapahulu) and Aloha Yamaguchi (University '99 of Kahalu'u) start in center field and at second base, respectively, for Pacific of California.

Pacific (34-22) has advanced to an NCAA Regional for the fifth time in six seasons and will play No. 21 Iowa (40-13, Big Ten champion) tomorrow in Lincoln, Neb.

Okumura yesterday received All-Big West Conference honorable-mention recognition. She was first-team all-conference as a sophomore and second team last year.

Okumura is Pacific's career leader in RBIs with 133 (sixth in Big West Conference history). She is also in Pacific's career top 10 in batting average (.287), hits (198), doubles (37), triples (12), home runs (22) and stolen bases (52).

She is tied for the conference lead this season with nine home runs and is second with 39 RBIs.

Okumura has started every one of Pacific's 235 games during her four-year career.

She is batting .250 this season (43 for 172) and Yamaguchi is batting .220 (27 for 123).

A third Pacific starter from Hawai'i, outfielder Nicole Inouye (Sacred Hearts '99 of 'Aiea) is taking a medical redshirt because of a dislocated shoulder.

Since freshman Bri Tsukamoto (University '02 of Kalama Valley) became the starting right fielder on April 19, Colgate (N.Y.) won 14 of its last 16 games.

Colgate (31-13) beat Army, 2-0, Sunday for the Patriot League championship and automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament. Tsukamoto hustled for the first run, reaching on a strikeout passed ball, advancing on a sacrifice bunt and infield hit, and scoring on a single.

She is batting .158 (6 for 38) and fielding 1.000 on 45 chances.

The Raiders are the No. 8 seed at Fresno and play six-time national champion UCLA tomorrow.

Junior outfielder Mitzi Ing (Iolani '00 of 'Aiea) has started 160 of Fresno State's 173 games the past three seasons and will start tomorrow against Long Beach State in the regional tournament at Fresno.

After batting .135 during two seasons in right field, Ing moved to center field this season and is batting .264 (34 for 129), raising her career average to .210.

No one at Fresno State — Ing, her coaches or the sports information office — would answer questions about how she improved her hitting.

She has been a two-time National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete.

This is the first year of an expanded 64-team field for the NCAA Tournament. Last year's bracket had 48 teams.

The eight regional winners meet in Oklahoma City May 22-26 for the College World Series.

ALL STAR TEAMS

Mountain West Conference

Brigham Young freshman Ianeta Lei (Iolani '02 of Mililani) was chosen first-team utility fielder by conference coaches. Lei played several positions before settling at first base.

She batted .346 (53 for 153) with eight doubles, seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 53 games with a .536 slugging percentage.

BYU went 36-17, a school record for victories, but did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Tournament champion Colorado State and regular-season champ San Diego State got the Mountain West bids.

Carolinas-Virginia Conference

Junior pitcher-first baseman Tina Gonsalves (Sacred Hearts '00 of Kailua) of St. Andrews Presbyterian (N.C.) was selected first-team utility fielder.

Gonsalves led the Knights in batting (.395), hits (62), doubles (20), home runs (7), RBIs (31), slugging percentage (.656) and on-base percentage (.438).

As a pitcher, she had a 1.77 earned-run average with 99 strikeouts in 178 innings. She had 14 wins and three saves.

NCAA III Western Region

Freshman Tina Hamayasu (Punahou '02 of Manoa) of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) is the first-team second baseman on the Louisville Slugger/National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association All-West Region team.

Hamayasu was also a first-team All-Southern California conference selection. She led the Athenas in batting (36-for-97 for .371), doubles (11), slugging percentage (.526) and on-base percentage (.460).

Freshman Darcie Takemoto (Kalani '02) of Redlands (Calif.) was named utility player on the second team. She batted .329 and fielded .970.