HONOLULU – The past two seasons, the Chaminade University softball team has fallen short of their goal of reaching the postseason.
The Pacific West Conference Championship tournament, established in 2023 to determine the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA regionals, takes the top four teams. Each of the last two seasons, the Silverswords have finished sixth in the standings. In 2023, Chaminade finished 2 ½ games out of fourth and in '24, they were two games back. In both instances, they were in position for the final spot in the final weeks before late season collapses derailed their hopes.
The Silverswords are hoping that 2025 – the third year of the conference tournament – will be the charm.
The quest begins Friday at the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, California, when they open their season against 23rd-ranked Cal State San Marcos, the first of four games at the tournament.
In addition to the 10 returnees from last season's 15-21 squad, head coach
Kent Yamaguchi, who is entering his second decade as head coach (22nd overall which includes two seasons at an assistant), added 13 newcomers, increasing the roster to 23, the most in his tenure.
The returning veterans and newcomers seemed to worked well together during last November's University of Hawai'i Preseason Fall Classic exhibition tournament where the 'Swords won two games including a 2-1 upset over Division I host Hawai'i.
The 'Swords have two key pieces back to pace their hitting – senior shortstop
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) and senior designated player/catcher
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei).
Fujioka earned the program's first PacWest Player of the Year award after slashing .415/.644/.481, all of which led the conference, the first to accomplish the feat since Hawai'i Hilo's Rebecca Lee in 2014.
A first team All-PacWest selection at DP last year, Tuifao's slash line was .358/.594/.434, joining Fujioka as the only players in the conference to finish in the top five in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. She also drove in a team-high 21 runs. Both Fujioka and Tuifao earned all-region honors.
In the circle,
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) and
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) are the team's top two returnees. Lopez led Chaminade with eight wins and was their ERA leader at 1.64 while Benson will look to continue improving after her 2024 sophomore season when she drastically lowered her ERA, walks and hit batters.
Infielders:
One of Yamaguchi's biggest questions is the openings at first, second and third bases,which formed one – if not the top – defensive infielders in the conference. Gone are
Kobe Brown and
Jaeda Kumaewa-Cabunoc, who were constants as the corner infielders since 2020 while
Kailah Gates-Coyaso proved to be a defensive stalwart at second last year.
Freshmen
Taneia Simanu (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) and
Malia Cordova (Wildomar, Calif./Elsinore) are vying for the first base spot while second base is up for grabs between
Mimi Smith (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) and veteran
Elora Tonaki (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Technology Academy), who are two of the candidates at the keystone.
Junior college transfer
Miranda Diaz (Whittier, Calif./Cerritos College/California HS) started all three games for the 'Swords at the hot corner during the Fall Classic.
With the departure of longtime starting catcher
Keaolani Takemura-Brehme, who was a regular behind the plate, Tuifao got the nod in all three games at the Fall Classic while freshmen
Gabriella Schneider (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Alta Loma) and Jacobsen could also see extended time wearing the catcher's gear.
Freshmen
SoSo Hayes (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar),
Lex Lopez (Visalia, Calif./Redwood) and
Maggie Turnbach (Brick, N.J./St. Rose) are also vying for time as infielders. Tuifao can also play at third base.
Outfielders:
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine),
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser),
Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress) and
Desiree Bravo (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Centennial HS) are returnees to the group who patrols the cavernous Silversword Field. Buck is also capable of playing at third base.
Freshmen
Alena Frost (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Castle) and
Liliyah Quel-Kaina (Honolulu/Roosevelt) and junior college
Mikala Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress College/Cypress HS), the younger sister of Bailey, will help with depth.
Pitchers:
Benson, whose 13 starts a year ago, is the most among the 'Swords hurlers and Lopez lowered her ERA by nearly seven percentage points from her 2023 freshmen season as both a reliever and spot starter.
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) could be a key piece in the circle after an impressive showing at the Fall Classic The freshman allowed just two hits and no runs in six innings.
Sophomore
Vanessa Pena (Paramount, Calif./Paramount) had a strong finish out of the bullpen late last season while
Anissa Vital (San Pedro, Calif./Mary Star of the Sea) returns to the team after taking 2024 off.
The schedule:
The Silverswords will be tested early. In addition to Cal State San Marcos, they will have another nationally ranked foe in No. 18 Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. San Francisco State, Cal State Monterey Bay and Chico State are also foes in Irvine.
Following the tournament, Chaminade will face its third ranked opponent in No. 15 Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson on Monday, Feb. 3.
The 'Swords' home opener at Silversword Field is Thursday, Feb. 6 against Nebraska-Kearney at 1 p.m. followed by Hillsdale College later that afternoon. They will face Cal Poly Humboldt on Feb. 7 then on Feb. 9 (Super Bowl Sunday), CUH meets NAIA power Southern Oregon. Their final non-conference twin bill is Feb. 14 against Western Washington, which fell one game shy of capturing the Division II national championship.
With the addition of three new Pacific West Conference members in Jessup University, Menlo College and Vanguard University, the conference schedule is under a different format as three-game series instead of four. The first two are doubleheaders with a single game the following day.
Chaminade, which was picked to finish eighth in the conference preseason poll, opens PacWest action against in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University on Feb. 19 at HPU's new home facility at Sand Island. They host the University of Hawai'i Hilo on Feb. 22-23.
Last season, the 'Swords managed wins at CUI, Biola and Azusa Pacific, which marked the team's first wins in the southern California region since 1992. This time around, the traditional SoCal powers visit the islands. It includes Vanguard, an annual NAIA power before making the jump to Division II this year.
Chaminde's lone conference road trip will take them to the northern California region at Jessup, Dominican, Menlo and Academy of Art in mid-March then host HPU upon their return home on March 29.
The Silverswords' final home series will be against Vanguard the second weekend of April with Senior Day on April 12. They end the regular season on the weekend of April 18-19 at UH Hilo. The PacWest Championships in Irvine will again host the top four eligible teams starting April 30 for the right to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA regionals. As NAIA transitioning members, Jessup, Menlo and Vanguard are not eligible.
