"We are looking to get back on track this week in Hawai'i," said head coach Dan Powers. "Our team is working hard and is continuing to improve each week in practice. We've got some tough games ahead of us, but are looking forward to the challenge of playing the reigning National Champions, in Washington, and a very good hitting Hawai'i team."
"My players are looking forward to the warmer weather this weekend and hopefully our bats will heat up as well," concluded Powers.
The Bank of America Invitational Schedule:
Friday, March 5 - Hawai'i at 6 p.m. HT
Saturday, March 6 - East Carolina at 12 p.m. HT
Saturday, March 6 - No. 1 Washington at 2 p.m. HT
Sunday, March 7 - Bracket Play (2 games) TBA
Last Time Out:
The Redhawks earned their first victory of the season over New Mexico on Feb. 21. The 9-3 win, snapped their seven game losing streak and saw contributions up and down the lineup. Katie Antich led the offense with three hits, three runs and an RBI, and both Lauren Berin and Theresa Clark had home runs in the game.
SU went 1-3 in the weekend series with the Lobos, as they struggled to get a consistent offensive game going.
Amador Leads Offense Heading to Hawai'i:
Junior Jessica Amador maintains her position as the team's offensive leader heading into this weekend's invitational. She is hitting .333, behind eight hits, five runs, five RBIs, two doubles and a home run. In nine games played, she is posting a .542 slugging percentage and a .414 on base percentage.
Newcomers Making an Impact on the Lineup:
With the season just getting underway, head coach Dan Powers has seen already significant contributions from a trio of freshmen. Theresa Clark, Caitlin Melnychenko and Jessica Ulrich have all hit long balls this season. Clark is batting .278 to lead the Redhawk newcomers, behind five hits, three runs, three RBIs, a double and her home run.
Scouting Hawai'i:
The University of Hawai'i host their tournament behind a 9-6 overall record. They are led by Kelly Majam, who's hit 23 hits, 18 runs, 12 RBIs, six home runs, four doubles and a triple. Her batting average after 15 straight starts is .489. The Rainbow Wahine have six players hitting above .300. On the mound, Kaia Parnaby sports a 5-3 overall record. In 47.1 innings pitched, she's posted seven complete games, two shutouts and a save. She's thrown 58 strikeouts and has allowed 46 hits.
In their last outing, UH fell 8-3 to No. 2 Arizona to close out the Cathedral City Classic. At the three day tournament, Hawai'i went 1-3, seeing their lone victory over UC Davis. They defeated the Aggies 8-5 on Feb. 26.
Scouting No. 1 Washington:
The No. 1 University of Washington Huskies head to Hawai'i following a perfect showing at the Cathedral City Classic, where they went 5-0. UW currently is sporting a 12-1 record and has won their last seven games. Their lone loss came Feb. 19, when they fell 7-4 to Utah State at the Campbell Cartier Classic.
Washington's offense is led by a pair of over .500 bats in Jenn Salling and Niki Williams. Salling has a .559 batting average, with 19 hits, 21 runs, 14 RBIs, three home runs and two doubles. For Williams, she's tallied 19 hits, 16 RBIs, 11 runs, five home runs and three doubles. She's sporting a .500 batting average and is one of four Huskies hitting over .300.
On the mound, the top ranked squad in the country is headlined by Danielle Lawrie. The senior pitcher is a perfect 9-0 and has a 1.12 ERA. In 10 appearances and 56.0 innings pitched, she's posted eight complete games, five shutouts and a save. She's thrown 102 strikeouts and allowed 21 hits.
Scouting East Carolina:
East Carolina travels to the other side of the country following their 4-0 showing at their own Pirate Classic. They currently are 6-7, after opening the season 2-7. At their tournament, they defeated: Delaware, Morehead State, Penn State and Townson. In their last outing, versus Penn State, they defeated the Nittany Lions 2-0.
For the Pirates, Toni Paisley leads the squad in the circle. She currently holds a 1.20 ERA and a 5-4 record. In 12 appearances, she has six complete games, two shutouts and a save. She has thrown 81 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched, and has allowed 12 hits. At the plate, Charina Sumner leads the offense with a .366 batting average in 13 games started. She has tallied 15 hits, eight runs, six RBIs, three doubles and two triples. ECU has five players hitting above .300 heading into the weekend tournament.