Vulcans host flurry of games this weekend
 
Thursday, March 8, UH Hilo (11-4/2-0 PWC) vs. Azusa Pacific (4-12/0-5 PWC), Noon, DH
Saturday, March 10, UH Hilo vs. Concordia (9-4/2-2 PWC), Noon, DH
Monday, March 12, UH Hilo vs. California Baptist (13-3/6-0 PWC), Noon, DH
Home games played at UH Hilo campus field
Live Stats available at hiloathletics.com
 
Hilo Headlines: Key Pacific West Conference games await the Vulcans this week when they host Azusa Pacific, Concordia and California Baptist—three of the top four teams in the conference pre-season poll. UH Hilo got off to a solid conference start last Saturday, winning a pair of games from red-hot Biola,, 2-0 and 4-3.
 
Cooling off the Eagles: The Vulcans poured cold water on PacWest newcomer Biola's hot start last Saturday. The Eagles had won 13 consecutive games, including six straight in conference play before the Vulcans' sweep. UH Hilo used terrific pitching from Cyanne Fernandez and Leah Gonzales, along with clutch and timely hitting to top the Eagles and get off to a solid PacWest start.
 
Home Away From Home: The Vulcans had over two weeks between their last games and the Biola contests to contend with. Plus, the games were moved from Hilo (wet fields) to Kona, so not exactly a home field advantage. "We had a lot of adjustments to make, and it showed early," head coach Callen Perreira said. "But we put it together and played mostly good softball against a very hot team." Fernandez picked the win in both games, but not without some excellent relief from Leah Gonzales, who pitched a seven-out save in the second game.
 
Booming Bats and Sizzling Pitching: The Vulcans are hitting .331 as a team with 18 home runs in 15 games. They are averaging 6.9 runs a game, and have scored in double figures in five games…UHH has a team ERA of 3.22.
 
Big Bats Part II: Junior transfer Isabelle Mejia leads that offense surge with a .431 average, five home runs and 21 RBI. Sophomore catcher Brinell Kaleikini is also over .400 at .429, with five doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI. Bailey Gaspar joins the power trio with a .365 average, four doubles, five home runs and 13 RBI. Maria Steadmon is hitting over .300 with a .345 average, and senior shortstop Mari Kawano is hitting at a .343 clip.  As a team, the Vulcans rank 13th in all of NCAA Division II with 1.20 home runs per game.
 
Pitching Power: Senior righthander Cyanne Fernandez has picked up right where she left off last year, when she led the Vulcans with a 8-3 record and a 1.67 ERA. Thus far, she is 9-0 with a 1.98 ERA. Only two pitchers in the country have a better record there her in Division II—one at 10-0 and another at 11-0. Reliever Billi Derleth has a 1.97 ERA in four appearances, and Leah Gonzales has two saves on the season.
 
PacWest Leaderboard: The Vulcans are third in the conference in batting average (.331), third in home runs (18) and fourth in fielding percentage (.962). Bailey Gaspar and Isabelle Mejia are tied for third in runs scored (20), and are tied for second in home runs (5). Mejia is second in RBI (21). Cyanne Fernandez is tied for the league lead in pitching wins (9), and has the best winning percentage.
 
Cougar Clippings: Picked to finish third in the PacWest pre-season poll, the Cougars have struggled out of the conference gate. They were still looking for their first PWC win, heading into a suspended game on Wednesday against Chaminade. On Tuesday, they fell in a 10-9 extra inning marathon to the Silverswords, and were trailing in the second 3-1 before a curfew limit moved the remainder of the game to Wednesday. The Cougars are hitting .238 as a team, but Kat Ung has countered that on the mound with a 1.59 ERA, and she has given up only 29 hits in 44 innings.
 
Eagle Etchings: Concordia is 9-4 overall and is ranked No. 19 in the latest NFCA NCAA Division II national poll. They have one of the best pitchers in the conference in freshman Callie Nunes, who is 4-1 with a 0.58 ERA. She threw a no-hitter in her first collegiate start against Western Oregon. She fanned 14 against Metro State and has struck out 64 batters in 36 innings pitched. Teammate Grayson Harvey was the PacWest Pre-Season Pitcher of the Year, giving Concordia a killer 1-2 pitching punch. The Eagles also have one of the top hitters in the PacWest in Ryann Ferguson, who is batting .478 with five home runs and 15 RBI. Concordia is hitting .345 as a team with 19 home runs.
 
Lancer Lines: California Baptist has caught fire, having won eight games in a row heading into weekend games at home versus Holy Names and St. Thomas (Fla.). During that streak, all but one of those eight wins has been by five runs or more. Hannah Thieroff leads a potent offense with a .421 average, six doubles and four home runs. The Lancers are hitting .329 as a team. CBU boasts a lights out pitching staff with a team ERA of 1.66. Ciara Stapp was a pre-season All-PacWest pick in the pitching circle, and she is 6-2 with a 1.81 ERA. Kellye Springstead is 6-1 with a 1.41 ERA. The Lancers were the pre-season pick to win the conference.
 
Rookie Class: It's been a good start for the Vulcan freshman class of 2018. Kiarra Lincoln has started all 15 games at either second base or shortstop, is hitting .298 with 14 runs scored, and has not made an error in 67 chances. Darian Obara has also started all games in the outfield is hitting .250 and has six sacrifice bunts. Skylar Thomas has started 13 games and is hitting .273 with 14 RBI and two home runs, and Markie Okamota is hitting .364 in nine games with six runs driven in.
 
Around the Horn: While the Vulcans have yet to crack the national poll, or even receive votes, they are familiar with some teams that have. Colorado Mesa, who topped the Vulcans 8-5 in Las Vegas, is now 18-0 and ranked No. 1 in the latest NFCA Division II poll. PWC member Dixie State is third with an 18-0 record. Sonoma State, whom the Vulcans defeated 12-2, is tied for No. 15, while Concordia at 9-4 is No. 19, and California Baptist is receiving votes.
 
Pre-Season Plaques: Seniors Bailey Gaspar and Mari Kawano picked 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. Gaspar was also selected to the Desert Stinger All-Tournament team.
 
What's Next: After the trio of games against Azusa Pacific, Concordia and California Baptist, the Vulcans welcome another PacWest power in undefeated Dixie State. The Vulcans and Trailblazers will play doubleheaders on Friday (March 16) and Saturday (March 17).
 
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 in seventh place in the 12-team 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 612-371-3 (through Easton Classic games). Including four seasons at College of Southern Nevada, his collegiate mark is 749-475-3. 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.