Brianna Lopez certainly earned that annual pass to the Magic Kingdom.
After shouldering a heavy work load in her freshman season with the University of Hawaii softball team last spring, Lopez treated herself to a summer of rest and rides when she returned home to Southern California.
“I spent a lot of time at Disneyland,” Lopez said.
Lopez gravitates to the rebranded Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: Breakout on her visits to the neighboring Disney California Adventure Park and her breakout freshman season was quite the thrill ride of its own.
Upon earning a spot in the Rainbow Wahine rotation, the left-hander quickly ascended into the role of the pitching staff’s ace and workhorse, and closed the season as a first-team All-Big West Conference selection.
“Everything that happened last year is like out of a movie,” Lopez said.
She’ll look to craft a fitting sequel when the Rainbow Wahine open the season in this weekend’s Paradise Classic.
The three-team, three-day tournament opens Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium and UH will play doubleheaders Utah Tech of the Western Athletic Conference and Saint Mary’s of the West Coast Conference on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Lopez’s production last year led to a place among the 11 players voted to the Big West’s inaugural Preseason Coaches’ Team last Friday.
She enters the season among 15 returning letterwinners who were joined by 13 newcomers on one of the largest rosters of head coach Bob Coolen’s 32-year tenure leading the program.
The increased roster includes a deeper pitching staff that figures to lighten Lopez’s innings after she made 24 starts and appeared in 28 of UH’s 42 games last season, finishing with a 14-8 record and a 2.07 earned-run average.
“Her composure was amazing on the mound,” Coolen said. “She was a not a typical-looking freshman on the mound that was freaking out when she got he ball.”
Lopez tossed four shutouts among her 19 complete games and her 162 innings ranked fourth in the Big West while accounting for close to 58% of the team’s total. She also tied for the conference lead with three saves.
So she afforded herself some time off when she returned home for the summer, although the extended break took some getting used to.
“I didn’t start pitching until July, going into August,” Lopez said. “I told Coach Bob (and) he was, ‘you deserve the rest.’
“I felt kind of scared not pitching for so long, because (during the season) every day it was just bullpen after bullpen. But taking that time off, it really helped me as a player.”
Lopez returned to campus refreshed and bolstered by the confidence of last season’s experience. She made two appearances in UH’s fall tournament in November, giving up one run on four hits with 11 strikeouts and a walk in 101⁄3 innings.
Adding to her comfort level in the circle is the return of fellow sophomore catcher Izabella Martinez behind the plate. Martinez started 40 games last season and developed a rapport with Lopez in calling pitches.
“She’s my roommate now,” Lopez said. “So it makes everything 10 times better.”
Lopez has more company in her bullpen sessions this season with sophomore Chloe Borges also returning to the pitching staff and the additions a freshman class that includes Australian right-hander Millie Fidge, 6-foot-2 Key-annah Campbell-Pua and Malia Williams out of Eugene, Ore.
“We’re going to be able to use different combinations,” Coolen said. “We’re going to be able to bring in relief pitchers that are different, rise ball, down ball, heavy ball, curve ball, all that stuff.”
Paradise Classic
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
>> When: Friday-Sunday
>> Schedule:
Friday—Saint Mary’s vs. Utah Tech, 3 p.m.; Utah Tech vs. Hawaii, 5:30 p.m.; Saint Mary’s vs. Hawaii, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday—Saint Mary’s vs. Utah Tech, 1 p.m.; Utah Tech vs. Hawaii, 3:30 p.m.; Saint Mary’s vs. Hawaii, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday—Utah Tech vs. Hawaii, 10 a.m.; Saint Mary’s vs. Hawaii, noon.
