The Rainbow Wahine softball team (12-2) made their first appearance ever today in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll at No. 24. Hawai`i has been ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association/USA Today coaches poll before. But it's the first time since the end of the 2003 season when UH won their first WAC Championship and advanced to their sixth NCAA tournament that they've entered the Top 25. The NFCA/USA Today coaches poll will be released tomorrow.
The `Bows, who were just outside the Top 25 in both polls last week, are on a seven game win streak, after going 7-1 on their first road trip. In the first week of the season, UH defeated then No.15 Nebraska twice and former No.24 Auburn, as well as DePaul and Portland State. After falling to Cal State Fullerton 3-2 in the opening game of the Louisville-Slugger Desert Classic, UH went on to defeat Colorado State, Mississippi State, Cal State Northridge, Utah, and Southern Utah. UH ended its trip with a double header sweep of Loyola Marymount.
The Rainbow Wahine will start the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament this Thursday through Sunday. The competition will again be stiff this week with No.17 Oregon (15-1), No.23 Georgia (11-6), Kent State (5-2), and St. Mary's (5-4) all coming to town. (Rankings are from ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.) Hawai`i will play a double header on Thursday. First they will square off at 4:00 pm against Oregon, who just set a school record by winning 15 straight games. Then UH will take on defending MAC Champions Kent State at 6:00 pm. On Friday, the `Bows will play another double header with St. Mary's of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference at 4:00 pm and SEC member Georgia at 6:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday will be bracket play games with the seeding detemined by the first two day's of play.
The ESPN.com/USA Softball poll has been in existence since 2003.