3 Rainbow Wahine named to All-Big West first team

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UH ATHLETICS

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Three University of Hawaii softball players were named to the All-Big West first team and Rainbow Wahine shortstop Angelique Ramos earned conference freshman of the year honors on Wednesday.

UH senior first baseman Heather Morales, junior pitcher Brittany Hitchcock and sophomore third baseman Nicole Lopez were voted to the all-conference first team for the first time in their Rainbow Wahine careers. UH’s three first-team selections were the most for the program since placing six in 2013. Seven ’Bows in all earned recognition from the Big West coaches.

Morales, a second-team pick in 2015, hit .319 overall, .305 in Big West games, with eight home runs and drove in a team-high 36 runs to tie for fifth in the conference.

Hitchcock made the second team the previous two seasons and went 19-12 and ranked fifth in the conference with a 1.85 earned-run average. The right-hander threw eight shutouts and finished second in the Big West with 169 strikeouts against 28 walks in 204 2⁄3 innings. She posted a 7-6 record and 1.74 ERA in league play.

Lopez, last season’s Big West freshman field player of the year, led the ’Bows with a .331 batting average, 11 doubles and a .416 slugging percentage. She drove in 32 runs and finished second in the conference with 12 home runs.

Ramos hit .310 overall and a team-high .353 in conference play to become the second straight UH player to claim the Big West freshman field player of the year award. She finished with six home runs and drove in 17 and was also named to the All-Big West second team.

Junior center fielder Danielle Garcielita (.323, seven stolen bases) and freshman catcher/designated player Callee Heen (.275, nine home runs, 30 RBIs) were honorable mention selections.

Ramos, Heen and outfielder Chardonnay Pantastico (.333, two home runs in Big West games) made the All-Freshman team.

The Big West’s other major awards went to Cal State Northridge’s Taylor Glover (player of the year) and Katie Hooper (defensive player of the year), Cal Poly’s Sierra Hyland (pitcher of the year), Long Beach State’s Cielo Meza (freshman pitcher of the year) and Cal State Fullerton’s Kelly Ford (coach of the year).

Big West champion Cal State Fullerton opens the NCAA tournament Friday against San Jose State in the Los Angeles regional. UH closed the season at 29-23 overall and 8-13 in Big West play.