KEKAHUNA MAKES HER MARK AT CAL

(May 14): While her former teammates at Baldwin are seeking to defend the state championship she played such a major role in winning last year, Sanoe Kekahuna has helped lead another pack of Bears to a berth in the NCAA softball tournament.

Kekahuna has started 53 of 54 games for Pac-10 power Cal as a freshman, with a team-best batting average of .324 to go with 59 hits, 8 homers, 46 RBI and 32 runs.

Kekahuna turned down several scholarship offers and opted to walk-on at Cal – partly because her cousin, Kaleo Eldgredge, also made the Bears-to-Bears transition, playing in four NCAA finals and coming away with one championship ring.

Cal is making its 23rd straight NCAA tournament appearance, taking 40-24 record into Friday's opener against San Diego State in the Fresno Regional. Sacramento State and Fresno State round out that bracket.

Just about everyone, including head coach Bob Coolen, figured the Rainbow Wahine's season was over following an early exit from the WAC tournament last week.

And when LaTech pulled off a major upset to capture the tourney and the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament, UH really appeared done with.

But in a stunning turn of events, the WAC received an unprecedented three at-large bids, allowing Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii to join LaTech in the 64-team field.

Hawaii has been assigned to play in Tempe, Ariz., and will open its bid on Friday against Mississippi State. UH is 38-18 and the Lady Bulldogs of the powerful SEC are 40-10. Stony Brook and host Arizona State round out the bracket.

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