Stephanie Ricketts is nearing the end of her University of Hawaii softball career. Leisha Li’ili’i still has three years left ahead of her.

Their contributions to the team’s present success earned them All-Western Athletic Conference recognition along with seven teammates and head coach Bob Coolen.

Ricketts was named the WAC Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday, claiming the award for the third consecutive season. Li’ili’i earned Freshman of the Year honors and Coolen was named WAC Coach of the Year.

Joining Ricketts on the All-WAC first team were senior first baseman Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, junior shortstop Jessica Iwata, senior third baseman Sarah Robinson and junior center fielder Kelly Majam.

Li’ili’i made the second team as a designated player along with senior left fielder Alex Aguirre and junior pitcher Kaia Parnaby.

The Rainbow Wahine (43-5, 17-3) also accepted the WAC regular-season championship trophy at Wednesday’s banquet preceding the WAC tournament in Las Cruces, N.M.

"All of the individual awards was just the culmination of everyone buying into the goals we set at the beginning of the year," Ricketts said.

Ricketts went 12-1 in WAC play with a 1.07 earned-run average and 79 strikeouts in 842/3 innings. She threw four shutouts, including a no-hitter, in 15 appearances and won the WAC pitcher of the week award five times.

Li’ili’i hit .305 with four home runs and drove in 12 runs in her first WAC season.

"I really didn’t expect it," the Castle graduate said. "It really does mean a lot to me and it’ll motivate me to do better and keep working hard."

Coolen won the Coach of the Year award for the fourth time, each coinciding with UH’s regular-season championships in 2003, 2007, 2010 and again this year.

"The players put a lot of work into this year," Coolen said. "And it was just a good feeling to get it all together."

Brigham Young right fielder Delaney Willard was named WAC Player of the Year after hitting .429 with 33 runs batted in.

The No. 11/13 Rainbow Wahine took batting practice after the banquet and open the WAC tournament today against fourth-seeded San Jose State. The Spartans advanced into the winners bracket with a 9-6 win over Nevada on Breanna Lopez’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Hawaii-San Jose State game is set for 7:30 a.m. Hawaii time, though thunderstorms are in today’s forecast in Las Cruces. The winner moves into Friday’s semifinal round. The loser will play again at 12:30 p.m. in an elimination game.

"I think everyone’s excited to just get into the tournament and try to win one more piece of hardware," Ricketts said. "I think we all know these awards are nice, but they’re not going to be as sweet if we don’t follow it up with the WAC tournament trophy."

Along with Iwata (Kauai), Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu (Mililani), Robinson (Moanalua) and Li’ili’i (Castle), three other Hawaii high school graduates made the All-WAC team. Brigham Young first baseman Katie Manuma (Campbell), New Mexico State second baseman Shaleese Javillo (Kamehameha) and New Mexico State third baseman Briana Tovio-Asato (Kapolei) were named to the second team.

ALL-WAC SOFTBALL TEAMS

First team
JC Clayton, Jr., SS, BYU; Jessica Dugas, Sr., CF, BYU; Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, Sr., 1B, Hawaii; Melanie Goff, Jr., SS/P, Louisiana Tech; Jessica Iwata, Jr., SS, Hawaii; Kelly Majam, Jr., CF, Hawaii; Michelle Moses, Sr., RHP, Fresno State; Sara Parsons, So., OF, Nevada; Amanda Pridmore, Jr., RHP, San Jose State; Stephanie Ricketts, Sr., RHP, Hawaii; Sarah Robinson, Sr., 3B, Hawaii; Christine Thomsen, Jr., 1B, Utah State; Delaney Willard, Sr., RF, BYU.

Second team
Alex Aguirre, Sr., LF, Hawaii; Tori Almond, So., RHP, BYU; Chelsea Barilli, Jr., OF, Nevada; Michelle Cox, Fr., OF, San Jose State; Karley Hopkins, So., SS, Nevada; Shaleese Javillo, Sr., 2B, New Mexico State; Karlyn Jones, So., RHP, Nevada; Leisha Li’ili’i, Fr., DP, Hawaii; Katie Manuma, So., 1B, BYU; Vonnie Martin, So., 3B, Fresno State; Courtney Moore, Sr., DP, Fresno State; Kaia Parnaby, Jr., LHP, Hawaii. Briana Tovio-Asato, Fr., 3B, New Mexico State.

Player of the Year: Delaney Willard, BYU
Pitcher of the Year: Stephanie Ricketts, Hawaii
Freshman of the Year: Leisha Li’ili’i, Hawaii
Coach of the Year: Bob Coolen, Hawaii