IRVINE, Calif. – With numerous offensive records set combined with their first 20-win season in a decade, a record six members of the Chaminade University softball team were named Tuesday to the 2023 All-Pacific West Conference Teams, as voted by the conference coaches.
The selections were anchored by
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute), who was voted as the PacWest first team catcher. The junior ended the regular season as the conference's RBI and triples leader with 41 and 11, respectively, both school records, the latter tying the modern-day conference record. She is just one of two players in Division II to hit the double-digit mark in triples this season. Her .389 batting average is third in the PacWest while she also ranks among the conference's top-four in slugging percentage (.584), on-base percentage (.455) and OPS (1.039).
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) earned her second All-PacWest selection as the second team third baseman after hitting .284 with 21 runs and 14 driven in. She also had a trusty glove and powerful arm at the hot corner which helped her turn 10 double plays during the season. She also led the Silverswords with a 2.55 earned run average with a 3-3 mark in the pitcher's circle. Cabunoc was an all-PacWest honoree at utility in 2022.
Chasity McKean (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Nevada/Kapolei HS) also earned second team All-PacWest honors in the outfield after hitting .331 and finished the season tied on the team in RBI with 25. Her 13 multi-hit games were third on the team. She also did not commit an error in 74 chances with four assists while playing the rigors of centerfield.
Joining Cabunoc and McKean on the second team is
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) at utility. The junior put together her best season offensively, hitting .243 with 27 hits, 19 runs and a team-leading seven sacrifice hits while her versatility was showcased by playing wherever she was asked. A catcher by trade, the junior not only saw 13 games behind the plate but got starts in five other areas on the diamond (21 in right field, three in left, four at third base and one at second). Despite moving all over the field, she still recorded a .959 fielding percentage and 27 assists, five from the outfield.
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) earned her first All-PacWest selection as a third team shortstop after putting together a campaign that saw her finish sixth in the PacWest with a .352 average. She also led the conference in runs with 46 which shattered the previous school record of 32 held by Bree Adams set in 1992. The sophomore was second in the PacWest in on-base percentage (.487) and walks (36) while also ranking in the conference's top nine in slugging percentage (.517), OPS (1.004), hits (51), triples (5) and steals (13).
Rounding out Chaminade's All-PacWest selections is
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) who was voted as the PacWest third team designated player. The sophomore began the season primarily as a pinch-hitter and didn't become the 'Swords' starter at the DP spot until the 16th game of the season. But she became entrenched there, finishing as the PacWest's No. 7 hitter with a .347 average with nine doubles and a team-leading three home runs while driving in 25. Tuifao also finished the season sixth in the PacWest in both slugging percentage (.545) and OPS (.985) while her 19 walks were 10th-highest in the conference.
Chaminade's six all-conference selections surpassed the 2013 team that had four.
The Silverswords finished the season at 22-24 with a 14-17 conference mark and were within contention for a PacWest Tournament berth heading into the final weekend of regular season play. The tournament begins on Wednesday at Biola University in La Mirada, California.
Biola freshman Colby McClinton, a Kamehameha-Kapalama graduate, was not only the PacWest Player of the Year, but the Freshman of the Year. Concordia University Irvine had three members honored with Kaitlin Entrup as the Pitcher of the Year, Daniela Alvarez the Newcomer of the Year and Crystal Rosenthal the Coach of the Year. Hawai'i Hilo second baseman Trinity Favela took home Defensive Player of the Year honors, marking the third straight year a Hawai'i player won that award.
