HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team will have a new look when the 2018 season gets underway later this week.
The Silverswords welcome eight freshmen on Opening Day Thursday when they face Hawai'i Hilo in a non-conference doubleheader at McKinley High School Field. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. with the Vulcans serving as the home team.
With the loss of nearly the entire infield and pitching staff, most of the freshmen will be thrown into the proverbial fire right away, although the newcomers already got a taste of the collegiate level after playing three exhibition games in the University of Hawai'i-Manoa Kama'aina Tournament last November.
"I'm excited," said
Kent Yamaguchi who enters is 13
th year as head coach, his 16
th overall. "This team is working hard and with all our freshmen, they are eager. They don't know who is Cal Baptist, Dixie State or whomever. They just come out and been giving us great effort and giving us their all. I'm really excited.
"Because of our young team, we'll all have to have to work hard because we're not there yet and our conference is so tough."
Infielders:
Of the five infield spots, junior shortstop
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) and catcher
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) are the returnees. Despite a dip in her power numbers from her freshman season, Matsuoka upped her batting average from .265 to .307 and cut down on her strikeouts from 18 to six. With 15 career homers in her first two seasons, she is third in the all-time home run list and just six away from tying Brandi Sasaki's school record of 25.
Ulufale, who did not bat much in high school, showed she can handle the stick in the collegiate level, increasing all of her offensive numbers as a sophomore last year including average (.188 to .233), RBI (11 to 18) and homers (two to four).
Ulufale, a two-year starter as the team's backstop, will help mentor the inexperienced pitchers in the circle. Freshman
Malia Ka`akimaka (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) has major upside after being a reserve in high school behind all-state catcher Jocelyn Alo who is now at Oklahoma, last year's NCAA Division I national champions.
With the losses of four-year starters Jenn Betian, Division II's second all-time hit-by-pitch leader, Nicole Erichsen and Coco Stewart, the 'Swords will look to
Jackie Najera (Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom),
Makena Kealoha (Corona, Calif./Norco) and
Kayla Russell (Honolulu/Kaiser) to fill in the infield gaps. During the Kama'aina Tournament, Kealoha played all the rep at third base while Najera played two games at second. Russell, a natural centerfielder, is still a project as she adjusts to first base but had 20 putouts to just one error in her three games in the Kama'aina Tournament.
Redshirt junior
Kaitlin Kim (Kahului, Hawai'i/St. Anthony) had a start behind the plate last year and even played some third base and right field but will likely be a key pinch-hitter again. Although she has one more year of athletic eligibility remaining, 2018 will be Kim's final season in the royal blue and white.
Outfielders:
Chaminade returns all five outfielders from a year ago. Junior
Ashlyn Yagin (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) had a solid year as the everyday centerfielder after making the move from left field as a freshman while sophomore
Alisen Endsley (Orange, Calif./Orange Lutheran) started 35 games in right field, finishing second on the team with 31 hits. Junior
Kayla Henmi (Torrance, Calif./South) and sophomore
Maureen Hutchinson (Curtisville, Pa./Deer Lake) split time in left. Henmi was the everyday starter as a freshman and is a stolen base threat but Hutchinson proved capable at the plate, hitting .241 and had an 11-game hitting streak, the third-longest in school history.
Sophomore
Kaitlyn Castillo (Makawao, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Maui) and freshman
Michelle Sasaki (Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Kalaheo) provide depth while freshman
Karyna Baldomino (Diamond Bar, Calif./Rowland) will sit out the year.
Pitchers:
The success of the Silverswords will likely be how quickly the newcomers can adjust to the college game. Chaminade lost both starting pitchers from a year ago and only junior reliever
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, Hawai'i/Aiea) returns but she's been battling injuries and her availability for the start of the season is in question. That leaves inexperienced but talented freshmen
Devan Dickson (Avondale, Ariz./Westview) and
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) as the team's hurlers.
Both showed promise in November. Despite getting hit hard for 10 runs in the Kama'aina finale against UH-Manoa, Dickson allowed none in six innings against Fullerton College and against the Rainbow Wahine in the first meeting. Meanwhile, Stockslager had 11 strikeouts, the second-most in the tournament. In 7 2/3 innings against the powerful UH bats, her ERA was 4.56 with seven Ks, the most ever by a Silversword pitcher against their Division I counterparts.
Both can also handle the bat. Dickson had four combined hits during their split doubleheader against Fullerton and UH while Stockslager made a start at designated player.
"The two freshmen are mentally tough and like to compete," Yamaguchi said. "They have so much potential. They're not there yet but the way they work and if they continue to work hard, I like how the future holds for us."
Schedule:
Following its season-opener Thursday, Chaminade will have four doubleheaders in six days including its home debut against Simon Fraser at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park on Saturday then Central Washington on Sunday at 12 p.m. They also have two doubleheaders against British Columbia of the NAIA the following Wednesday and Friday.
The 'Swords open Pacific West Conference play against conference newcomer Biola for a four-game set starting Feb. 26 at CORP. They will also host PacWest powers Dixie State and California Baptist in back-to-back twin bills in what will be the final series against both schools. Both DSU and CBU will depart the PacWest at the end of the season.
The Silverswords' 15-day road trip will be to Northern California with the annual Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif., tucked in between. Their last four doubleheaders of the season will be against traditional in-state foes, UH Hilo and Hawai'i Pacific University.
"I am excited but I have to make sure I have to put everything in perspective," Yamaguchi said. "We have nine new players out there and they're freshmen. We'll have to grow. We have a lot of work ahead of us. We're not world-beaters at the moment but we have potential in how they work.
"They have great work-ethic in them. They're doing things in the fitness center with the weights for strength. They're eating up everything we're telling them now and we're hoping it comes together."
