UH softball team 25th in USA Softball poll

The University of Hawaii softball team will open the season next week ranked in both national polls.

The Rainbow Wahine appeared at No. 25 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll released on Tuesday. UH also is ranked 23rd in the USA Today/NFCA poll, which was posted last week.

UH opens the regular season with the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic, Feb. 7-9 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Hawaii faces Mississippi and UAB on opening night.

UH soccer team earns academic honor

The Hawaii soccer team earned a spot on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America team academic award list.

Teams on the list must have a composite grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The Rainbow Wahine posted a 3.08 GPA and made the list for the first time since 2003.

"We are one of the most-traveled teams in the NCAA, logging more than 25,000 air miles during the season," Rainbow Wahine coach Michele Nagamine said in a news release. "Achieving this level of academic performance while missing more than 20 days of school is just incredible."