Vulcan Softball Squad Takes 5-2 Record into Dixie State Classic
 
Dixie State Softball Easton Classic
St. George, Utah (Canyons Softball Complex, Karl Brooks Field)
Thursday, Feb. 8, UH Hilo (5-2) vs. Western Washington (0-5), 10 a.m. MT (7 a.m. Hawaii)
*Thursday, Feb. 8, UH Hilo vs. No. 8 Colorado Mesa (5-0), 12:30 p.m. MT (9:30 a.m. Hawaii)
Friday, Feb. 9, UH Hilo vs. Western New Mexico (0-5), 3 p.m. MT  (noon Hawaii)
Friday, Feb. 9, UH Hilo vs. Fort Lewis (0-5), 5:30 p.m. MT (2:30 Hawaii)
Live Stats at hiloathletics.com or dixiestateathletics.com.
*Live Stats not available for this game.
 
Hilo Headlines: The Vulcans went 4-1 at the Desert Stinger and split a neutral site doubleheader with Montana State-Billings to kick off their season. They came just one run away from winning the 28-team tournament in Las Vegas. Next, four games at the Dixie State Easton Classic.
 
One Run, One Rundown Away from a Title: The Vulcans had the highest run differential at the Desert Stinger, which would be the ultimate tie-breaker between 5-0 teams at the tournament. At 29, UH Hilo would have won the tie-breaker between the other 5-0 teams—Chico State, Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego. Except, for the part about being 4-1. UHH dropped their final game to St. Martin's, 2-1, when the Saints scored the winning run during an old fashioned "pickle" in the seventh inning.
 
Booming Bats and Sizzling Pitching: The Vulcans hit .324 in the tournament, scoring 45 runs, the second highest total in the field. They hit six home runs. Their 2.88 ERA was the fourth lowest in the tournament.
 
Desert Stinger Scores
*UH Hilo 15, San Francisco State 1
*UH Hilo 6, Eastern New Mexico 5
*UH Hilo 11, Concordia (Ore.) 6 (8 inn.)
*UH Hilo 12, Sonoma State 2
*St. Martin's 2, UH Hilo 1
 
Certificate for Bailey: Senior third baseman Bailey Gaspar was named to the Desert Stinger All-Tournament team. She hit .471, scored eight times in five games, had two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI. She was also perfect in the field in 11 chances.
 
Vulcans, Yellowjackets Split: Two teams that were 4-1 in the Desert Stinger split a neutral site twinbill on Tuesday in Las Vegas. UHH won the first contest 3-2, but dropped the nightcap, 6-3. Cyanne Fernandez pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh to secure the win in game one.
 
Cy "Young" Fernandez: Senior righthander Cyanne Fernandez picked up right where she left off last year, when she led the Vulcans with a 8-3 record and a 1.67 ERA in 2017. In the tournament, she went 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA. In picking up the win on Tuesday against the Yellowjackets, she improved to 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA, allowing just 19 hits in 25.1 innings, and she has struck out 16. Billi Derleth came out of the bullpen to pick up a save (the first of the year for the Vulcans) during the 6-5 win over Eastern New Mexico. Derleth has a 1.97 ERA in three appearances.
 
Power Surge: The Vulcans have nine home runs in seven games, by four different players. Bailey Gaspar and Isabelle Mejia have three each and Kacie Freudenberger has a pair. Freshman Skyler Thomas has one, and it will be memorable for her—a grand slam in her first collegiate at-bat.
 
Tough Outs: In addition to Gaspar's numbers mentioned above, transfer Isabelle Mejia has made an impressive debut. The Eastern Arizona alum is hitting a team-best .435 with nine runs scored, three home runs and 11 RBI. Gaspar, including the MSUB games, is hitting .375 with three doubles, three homers and seven RBI. Freudenberger is swatting the ball at a .350 clip with two home runs and ten RBI.
 
Rookie Class: It's been a good start for some members of the Vulcan freshman class of 2018. Kiarra Lincoln has started all seven games (five at 2B, two at SS) and is hitting .333 with nine runs scored. Darian Obara has also started all games in the outfield is hitting .278 and has three sacrifice bunts.
 
Easton Field: The Vulcans will face some tough customers at the Dixie State Easton Classic, especially on the first day (Thursday). They will open with defending GNAC champion Western Washington, who is off to a slow start this year but is picked to finish second in the conference pre-season poll. Next up is No. 8 nationally ranked Colorado Mesa, who is 5-0 and beat No. 2 Angelo State (Tex.) last weekend and No. 22 St. Mary's (Tex.). They also sport the National Player of the Week in Brooke Hodgson. On Friday, the Vulcans will face Western New Mexico and Fort Lewis (Colo.).
 
Pre-Season Plaques: Seniors Bailey Gaspar and Mari Kawano picked up some honors before the season even started. Both were named to the Pre-Season All-PacWest team, and Gaspar was also tabbed to the FastPitch News All-West Region squad.
 
What's Next: After returning from 11 games in eight days in Nevada and Utah, the Vulcans will fly back to the Big Island, get caught up on class work, and then head to Oahu for a pair of doubleheaders on Feb. 15 and 16. They will take on Chaminade on Thursday in a non-conference twinbill, and then will face GNAC favorite Central Washington on Friday in a doubleheader. Their home and PacWest debut will come on Feb. 24 (Saturday) against Hawai`i Pacific.
 
Last Year: The Vulcans went 26-22 with a 17-15 mark in the Pacific West Conference. They suffered through a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season, but later won ten straight contests. They finished seventh of 12 teams in the PacWest.
 
Storied Program: In 30 years of Vulcan softball, UH Hilo has had 28 winning seasons. The program began in 1988 and played in the NAIA until 1995. Records are sketchy, but the program has made at least seven playoff appearances, four of them in the NCAA.
 
Coach Callen: Head coach Callen Perreira returned to the Vulcan bench last year, his first since 2009 but his 21^st overall. His UH Hilo record is now 606-369-3 (into his 22nd season). Including four seasons at College of Southern Nevada, his collegiate mark is 743-473-3. Prior to entering the collegiate coaching ranks, he was the head coach at Hilo High School from 1978-87, winning eight consecutive league titles and a state title.