Opening night couldn’t come quickly enough for Leisha Li’ili’i.
Once she steps out of Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium’s third-base dugout to start her senior season, "I want time to slow down just a little bit," Li’ili’i said.
Having started all 161 games since joining the Hawaii softball program in 2012, Li’ili’i enters her final spring with the Rainbow Wahine planning to savor the next 56 — or more — beginning with Thursday’s opener against St. Mary’s in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic.
Over the past three seasons, the Castle graduate established herself as an imposing presence in the middle of the UH order and led the Rainbow Wahine in most of the major offensive categories last year on her way to earning first-team All-Big West and second-team NFCA All-West Region honors.
A career .337 hitter with 38 home runs, Li’ili’i returns to the cleanup spot with experience and power potential above and below her in an order that led the Big West with 58 home runs last year.
"We have strong hitters throughout the lineup," Li’ili’i said. "(UH coach Bob Coolen) sets us up so we complement each other and we’ll see how it turns out this weekend."
Coolen will send that lineup into a Paradise Classic that includes two nationally ranked teams in No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 25 DePaul. After opening against St. Mary’s, the Wahine face both in a doubleheader on Friday starting at 5 p.m. with two more bracket games scheduled for Saturday.
Coming off a 22-28 season, just the third sub-.500 finish in Coolen’s 23-year tenure, the Wahine open the season aiming to rise above a fifth-place showing in the Big West preseason coaches poll.
"More than anything it’s just going to fire us up because we know we’re better than fifth place," said senior catcher Kayla Wartner.
"It doesn’t really bother us. It just shows us we have a lot to prove and we’re not afraid to show them we are going to play Hawaii softball and we’re good at what we do."
All four classes are represented in the top five spots in the order, with freshman Rachel Lack slated to lead off. Lack opened a scrimmage on Monday with a leadoff homer and continues the program’s connection with Australia as a member of the national team.
"She’s a freshman, but she’s a 20-year old freshman with all kinds of international experience," Coolen said.
Keiki Carlos, one of UH’s most consistent bats the past two years, returns in the third spot. Sophomore Heather Morales emerged as an offensive threat in Big West play last season and will begin the season hitting behind Li’ili’i.
There’s experience in the lower half of the order as well with returning starters in sophomores Lindsey Willmon and Sarina Jaramillo. Junior Kristina Akiona gets the start at third base and transfer Tayana Mata takes over at second following a decorated junior-college career.
Along with lighting up the new scoreboard and video screen in right field at RWSS, the UH offense will look to back up a new-look pitching staff led by redshirt freshman Brittany Hitchcock and sophomore transfer Kanani Aina Cabrales.
Hitchcock was projected to head the staff last year before a back injury derailed her season. She’ll get the start on Thursday and against Oklahoma on Friday. Aina Cabrales is set to make her UH debut against DePaul with Morales also available to pitch this weekend.
Coolen said facing the UH starters in practices and scrimmages has prepared the staff for the challenges to come as the Wahine work to lower last year’s collective earned-run average of 4.78.
"That helps us because they’re out there thinking how to pitch a game, not just going out there and throwing it to a spot," Coolen said.
PROBABLE LINEUP
1. Rachel Lack, Fr., CF/C/3B
Home run threat at the top of the order, member of the Australian national team.
2. Kayla Wartner, Sr., C/OF
Left-handed power hitter with 24 career home runs, 83 RBIs.
3. Keiki Carlos Jr., RF
Career .309 hitter, led UH with 11 doubles last season.
4. Leisha Li’ili’i, Sr., 1B
Hit .401 with 15 HRs, 39 RBIs in an All-BWC season.
5. Heather Morales, So., DH
Hit .281 in Big West play last season.
6. Lindsey Willmon, So., LF/C
Hit leadoff in 32 games, second on the team with 25 RBIs.
7. Sarina Jaramillo, So., SS
Named to Big West second team, all-freshman team.
8. Kristina Akiona, Jr., 3B
Last year’s opening-night shortstop, converting to 3B full-time.
9. Tayana Mata, Jr,. 2B
Hit .458 with .944 slugging pct. at Sierra (Calif). College.
PITCHERS
Brittany Hitchcock, Fr.
Redshirted last year due to back injury, gets the opening night start.
Kanani Aina Cabrales, So.
Power pitcher went 7-10 at Georgia Tech as a freshman, also hit .333.
Heather Morales, So.
Threw four shutouts last year, went 12-11, 5.11 ERA.
