St. Francis fires AD and coach Batoon

St. Francis athletic director Sol Batoon was fired Monday and will not finish out the winter season.

Batoon, who was in charge of athletics at the school for the past six years and coached the basketball team for the last four, will be replaced by Bradley Hebing as athletic director and Brian Ka‘a‘a, one of Batoon’s assistants, as boys basketball coach. The Saints, the two-time defending ILH Division II champions, play University today at 4:30 p.m. at Klum Gym.

The ILH voted to suspend the St. Francis football team on Monday for lack of numbers last year, making it a safety issue, Batoon said. That news came as a surprise to head of school Sister Joan of Arc Souza, according to Batoon. Batoon says when she asked him if he knew of the vote ahead of time, he lied and said ‘No.’ That breach was enough for a change."

"I don’t know why I lied," Batoon said. "I had a lot of stuff on my mind. I built that (basketball) program and wanted to finish the season."

Hawaii softball picked to repeat

The University of Hawaii softball team opens the season on Thursday as the favorite to repeat as Big West Conference champion.

The Rainbow Wahine topped the Big West preseason coaches poll by a slim margin over Long Beach State. The poll of the league’s eight coaches was released Monday, with UH receiving four first-place votes and 59 total points. Long Beach followed with three first-place votes and 55 points. Cal State Fullerton received the remaining first-place vote and placed third with 46 points.

The Wahine open the schedule on Thursday against Hampton in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic. UH will also face Delaware and No. 16 UCLA in the three-day tournament.

The Wahine went 45-13 overall and 20-4 in league play to win the Big West title last year and reach the NCAA regionals for the third time in four years. UH returns three first-team all-conference selections in second baseman Jazmine Zamora, catcher Kayla Wartner and outfielder/pitcher Keiki Carlos. First baseman Leisha Li‘ili‘i was a second-team pick, and outfielder/catcher Sharla Kliebenstein earned honorable mention recognition.