UH softball team to start outside Top 25

The University of Hawaii softball team will open the season just outside of the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll.

The Rainbow Wahine received 86 points in the preseason poll released Tuesday, 12 points behind 25th-ranked South Florida. UH went 45-13 last season and won the Big West Conference championship at 20-4 to earn the program’s 11th NCAA tournament berth.

UH opens the season Feb. 6 against Hampton in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic. The tournament also features Delaware and No. 16 UCLA.

Tennessee tops the preseason poll, followed by reigning national champion Oklahoma and Washington. UH is scheduled to face No. 4 Florida, No. 8 Oregon and No. 24 California this season.

Lahaina qualifiers head to main draw

Qualifying ended Tuesday and the main draw of the $50,000 Royal Lahaina Challenger tennis tournament begins this morning on Maui.

Alex Bogomolov Jr., ranked 89th in the world, withdrew with an injury, leaving the USTA Pro Circuit event without a top seed.

The second seed is American Tim Smyczek, ranked 90th. He opens against Japan’s Hiroki Moriya. Third-seeded Bradley Klahn plays Hawaii Pacific senior Petr Michnev, who earned Hawaii’s wild card.

Tuesday’s final qualifying matches all went three sets. Daniel Kosakowski defeated Jarmere Jenkins 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in an all-American matchup. Jared Donaldson, another American, outlasted Mexico’s Cesar Ramirez 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Taipei’s Chieh-Fu Wang got into the main draw by beating Spain’s Jaume Martinez 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Donaldson plays wild-card Marcos Giron in the first round. Kosakowski gets Takanyi Garanganga from Zimbabwe, and Wang plays American Steve Johnson. Jenkins and Kento Takeuchi got in as lucky losers because of withdrawals.

The championship is scheduled for Sunday.

UH baseball season tickets on sale

Season tickets for Hawaii baseball are on sale online, at the Stan Sheriff Center box office or by calling 944-2697.

Lower-level seats are $320, mid-level $290, upper-level adult $135, upper-level 65-older $120, and upper-level student (ages 4 through high school) $50.

The Rainbow Warriors open their 36-game home schedule against Oregon from Feb. 14-17.