The eight softball head coaches tagged Hawai‘i today as the favorite to repeat as Big West Softball champions in 2014.
The coaches predicted a tight race in the aftermath of the 2013 campaign, in which the Rainbow Wahine finished 45-13 overall and 20-4 in Big West play, and ran away with the conference title by three games. Hawai‘i secured four first-place votes and 59 points for the top nod. Long Beach State followed close behind in second place with 55 points and three first-place mentions. Cal State Fullerton garnered the remaining first-place vote and collected 46 points for third place.
Despite the key departures of All-Americans Kelly Majam, Kaia Parnaby and Jessica Iwata, Hawai‘i brings back a solid core of veterans who contributed heavily to the program’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance. Three All-Big West First Team selections grace the starting lineup in senior Jazmine Zamora, junior Kayla Wartner and sophomore Keiki Carlos. Zamora ranked No. 5 in Big West batting average (.337) while Carlos hit .320 with a conference fifth-best 57 hits. Wartner (.314) gave UH another impact producer in the lineup as her 11 home runs tied for fifth on the Big West leaderboard. Mix in another pair of all-conference honorees in junior Leisha Li’ili’i (.301, 13 HR, 41 RBI) and senior Sharla Kliebenstein (.243, 12 HR, 37 RBI), and head coach Bob Coolen’s offense appears to be solidified. UH returns 48 of the Big West single-season record 81 home runs that the team totalled last season. – See more at: http://www.bigwest.org/story.asp?story_id=17478#sthash.SxaWyhD8.dpuf
2014 BIG WEST SOFTBALL
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Hawai‘i (4) 59
2. Long Beach State (3) 55
3. Cal State Fullerton (1) 46
4. UC Santa Barbara 40
5. UC Davis 30
6. Cal Poly 25
7. Cal State Northridge 24
8. UC Riverside 9
