Before embarking on her final season of college softball, Stephanie Ricketts went back to the basics while connecting with her roots.

Ricketts, the ace of the University of Hawaii pitching staff the past three years, spent part of her winter break running a softball clinic in American Samoa with her sisters and came away invigorated by the enthusiasm they encountered.

"It was probably one of the best experiences of my life," Ricketts said.

Upon arriving in Samoa for the clinics, held in conjuction with the annual Samoa Bowl football game, Ricketts, her older sister Samantha (a former Oklahoma All-American) and younger sibling Keilani (a current Sooners standout and member of the U.S. national team) were greeted by youngsters perhaps short on equipment but eager to learn.

"We had to drag them off the field every day. Me and my sisters were so tired and they just had so much energy," said Ricketts, who is a quarter Samoan from her mother’s side of the family. "It was really cool to teach them the basic fundamentals and see how much they really enjoyed it."

Likewise, Ricketts’ passion for the game and willingness to work have been among her distinguishing traits while crafting a career as one of the Rainbow Wahine program’s most prolific pitchers.

She begins the final chapter of that tenure tonight when UH opens the season against Seattle in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The Wahine will also face Missouri-Kansas City and DePaul on Friday with bracket play set for Saturday to conclude the tournament.

The Wahine are aiming to improve on a 37-18 season. They return Ricketts and junior left-hander Kaia Parnaby to a pitching staff that ended last season ninth among 282 Division I teams in earned-run average.

Ricketts enters her senior season as UH’s all-time leader in strikeouts and ranks second in career wins with 74, eight behind the mark set by Kelly Gentle from 1996 to ’99.

But for all the success the two-time Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year has experienced, it’s some of the less glorious moments that provided the fuel for her offseason pitching and conditioning regimens.

She was on the wrong end of six one-run losses last season and has a seemingly photographic memory of specific pitches or sequences that led to the decisive hits.

"When I’m out there in the summer, I’ll be pitching to my dad and I’ll throw the exact same pitch and it’ll move the exact same way that it got hit and I’m like, ‘That can’t happen,’ " she said.

Rather than allow those memories to drag on her confidence, Ricketts channels them into her preparation for the next time those situations arise.

"She’s a workaholic," UH head coach Bob Coolen said. "She’s continually trying to better herself physically."

Coolen said Ricketts shares his fine attention to detail and acknowledged he and his pitcher "clash sometimes because our personalities are so strong."

"It’s not a bad thing at all," Coolen said, "it’s a healthy thing that we are so passionate about the game."

Growing up in Northern California, Ricketts’ identity was tied closely to her family’s athletic exploits. While Ricketts said her sisters remain her closest friends and they continue to provide support for each other, she’s relished the opportunity to establish her own niche in Hawaii.

"I needed to see what I could do on my own," she said.

As Ricketts has grown comfortable in her role, she’s also become accustomed to the surprised expressions when folks learn of her Samoan background. She said growing closer to that heritage contributed to her decision to sign with UH coming out of high school.

Since being thrust into a featured role on the pitching staff as a freshman in 2009, the experiences, positive and negative, have shaped Ricketts’ outlook on the game and beyond.

"Every year I’ve grown a little bit more and there are good life lessons that I’ve learned every year," she said.

Ricketts will graduate in May with a degree in psychology. She has started applying to nursing schools.

"I know I ended up coming here for a reason. I know I didn’t just pick this school. It was God’s plan for me to come here."

A LOOK AT THE LINEUP

» Catcher: Kayla Wartner (Fr.) — The left-hander starts behind the plate for a second straight year.
» First base: Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu (Sr.) or Leisha Liilii (Fr.) — Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu has the senior experience. Liilii brings “an incredible bat.”
» Second base: Dara Pagaduan (Sr.) or Jazmine Zamora (So.) — Pagaduan provides quickness up the middle, but could also start at third. Zamora is coming off a solid fall.
» Shortstop: Jessica Iwata (Jr.) — The reigning WAC Player of the Year is questionable due to a tender hamstring. If Iwata can’t play, Kaile Nakao (So.) will start.
» Third base: Sarah Robinson (Sr.) or Pagaduan — Decision could depend on the opponent’s style of offense. Robinson could also fill designated player spot.
» Left field: Alex Aguirre (Sr.) — Aguirre led UH with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts last year; preseason All-WAC.
» Center field: Kelly Majam (Jr.) — Majam ended last season by hitting .319 in WAC play; preseason All-WAC
» Right field: Sharla Kliebenstein (So.) — Her quickness and arm strength adapts well to the outfield. Second on the team with 13 homers as a freshman.
» Pitcher: Stephanie Ricketts (Sr.) and Kaia Parnaby (Jr.) — Righty-lefty combo led UH to a 1.63 team ERA last year.