There were the snowball fights in Utah, the annual trips to Las Vegas and the unforgettable journey to Alabama and Oklahoma City.
But there’s nothing quite like home.
For all of its quirks, Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium became an endearing niche of the University of Hawaii’s lower campus for five seniors who relocated to Manoa.
Their four-year run on that field ends this weekend as the Rainbow Wahine close the home schedule. Just as the impending farewells will leave a void in the seniors’ routines, game days at the ballpark probably won’t be the same after the departure of one of the program’s most dynamic classes.
“I can’t believe it’s going to be the last time I run on this field and practice and play on this field,” center fielder Kelly Majam said. “It’s definitely hard to think about, but I’m excited for this weekend.”
Majam arrived at UH a year ahead of her current classmates, but a knee injury delayed the start of her career and she joined Tara Anguiano, Brynne Buchanan, Jessica Iwata and Kaia Parnaby in the 2010 freshman class.
Since then the group has established a lasting imprint on the program while contributing to two conference championships, with the first-place Rainbow Wahine (38-10, 15-3 Big West) in pursuit of another title entering this weekend’s series against UC Santa Barbara (28-21, 9-9).
“You’re basically changing the guard,” UH coach Bob Coolen said.
Their collective impact is reflected in UH’s .761 winning percentage (169-53) over the past four seasons, including .823 (65-14) in conference games.
Individually, Majam and Iwata — the school’s top two home run hitters — will leave with six UH career records between them, and Parnaby has also climbed the career charts while putting together one of the program’s most prolific pitching seasons.
While they’ll be linked by their on-field productivity, the bond beyond the field will also endure for the group assembled from Kauai, California and Australia.
“Jessica and I have been roommates for three years together,” Anguiano said. “Me, Kaia and Brynne have the same classes, so we’re always together. Kelly and I are part of (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) together. So I feel like there’s a strong connection to each individual and everyone has that with each other.”
Said Buchanan: “There’s never been any drama between all of us … we all seem to click. We’re all so different and unique, but we all appreciate that about each other.”
They’ve also developed an appreciation for their home park, whether grinding through practices or performing on game days while posting a 100-25 record at RWSS with three games remaining this weekend.
“I just like playing,” said Iwata, the lone local product among the seniors. “I like coming out to practice, I like being around the girls all the time. As long as I’m having fun all the time, all the stats and awards are just a bonus.”
While statistics have been a secondary motivator, the numbers help illustrate their legacy.
Majam moved into a tie for ninth in NCAA history after raising her career home run total to 71 last week. Iwata has driven in more runs than any player in school history, and Parnaby broke UH’s single-season wins record with a month to spare, entering the week with 34. She’s also 23 strikeouts away from the school record of 324 set in 1994 by her mentor, Brooke Wilkins.
After being hit in the face last week, Parnaby is preparing to return to the circle — broken nose and all — hoping to create a few more memories with her final appearances at RWSS.
“You come out here and you train day in and day out and you play nearly every weekend here and you get such a feel that this is home,” Parnaby said. “It’s going to be weird to leave and it’s going to be sad, but you’re not going to lose what you got here. You’re still going to have the friends, you’re still going to have the family. … You still have the team. You never lose that.”
WAHINE SOFTBALL SENIORS AND THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
00 Kelly Majam
Center Field
Pine Valley, Calif.
Graduation: May, Education
Hectic spring: Time management has been one of Majam’s most important skills. Along with her softball duties, she’s a student teacher at Liholiho Elementary and is planning her wedding. She’ll marry Josh Eams in late June.
On deck: Majam will return to Hawaii to teach in the fall and hopes to resume playing in 2014, possibly trying out for National Pro Fastpitch. In the meantime, she plans to stay involved in the game by offering hitting lessons. “But it will definitely be weird not taking the bat and the glove myself.”
1 Jessica Iwata
Shortstop
Lihue
Graduation: Fall, Business Management
Hidden gem: Although she excelled at Kauai High, Iwata didn’t get many college offers. UH coach Bob Coolen recalled she was a player “no one wanted to take a chance on because they thought she was a baseball player … and didn’t have the softball skills to make the transition. She proved a lot of those people wrong.”
On deck: Iwata will have shoulder surgery after the season, and hopes to play professionally after rehab and finishing school. “It’s something I’m capable of, and as long as my heart and my mind are still into softball at the end of rehab, I’ll continue to play no matter where I go.”
5 Brynne Buchanan
Left Field
Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Graduation: Summer, Kinesiology
In the mix: After three seasons as a role player, Buchanan established herself as a regular this season with her defensive play and .324 on-base percentage. She also helps set the tone for game days by putting together the pregame song list. “I try to mix it up, try to put in some country, some local.”
On deck: Buchanan finishes up her degree work this summer and plans to enroll in a master’s program and pursue her teaching certification in California. She’s looking toward a career as a PE/health teacher and softball coach.
7 Tara Anguiano
Shortstop
Whittier, Calif.
Graduation: Summer, Kinesiology
Manoa bound: Anguiano’s college choices came down to UH and St. John’s. The decision ended up being pretty simple: “I don’t like the cold.” Her father, Frank, played baseball for USC and was part of the Trojans team that played in the inaugural series at Rainbow (now Les Murakami) Stadium in 1984.
On deck: Anguiano, who spent most of her career backing up Iwata (“which I don’t mind at all, she’s amazing”), will enroll in chiropractic school in Southern California.
16 Kaia Parnaby
Pitcher
Bilgola, NSW, Australia
Graduation: Summer, Kinesiology
Carrying the load: Parnaby enters the week leading the nation in victories (34) and third in strikeouts (301) while throwing more than 80 percent of UH’s innings this season.
On deck: Parnaby returns to the Australian national team this summer to prepare for next year’s world championship. She’ll keep close watch on developments this fall as softball makes a bid to return to the Olympic Games in 2020. “I’ve put it out to my family that I’m not going to stop playing until I do play in an Olympics.”
UH RECORDS HELD BY THE 2013 SENIOR CLASS
(entering this week’s play)
SINGLE GAME
Runs scored: 4, Kelly Majam vs. San Diego (Feb. 20, 2010); Jessica Iwata vs. San Jose State (May 13, 2010)
Home runs: 3, Jessica Iwata vs. Boise State (April 10, 2010), Stanford (Feb. 19, 2011)
RBIs: 8, Jessica Iwata vs. Boise State (April 10, 2010)
Total Bases: 13, Jessica Iwata vs. Stanford (Feb. 19, 2011)
Strikeouts: 17, Kaia Parnaby vs. Syracuse (March 16, 2013)
SINGLE SEASON
]Runs scored: 81, Kelly Majam (2010)
Doubles: 21, Jessica Iwata (2010)
Home runs: 30, Kelly Majam (2010)
Walks: 44, Kelly Majam (2010)
Victories: 34, Kaia Parnaby (2013)
CAREER
Runs scored: 229, Kelly Majam
Home runs: 71, Kelly Majam
RBIs: 193, Jessica Iwata
Walks: 154, Kelly Majam
Doubles: 45 Kelly Majam, 44 Jessica Iwata
