The Cal Poly softball team will play its last Big West Conference road series of the season when it visits Hawai’i for a doubleheader on Friday, April 24, and a single game on Saturday, April 25. This marks Cal Poly’s final trip to Hawai’i as conference opponents before the Rainbow Wahine move to the Mountain West Conference this summer.
The outcome of these games carries weight for postseason hopes. Cal Poly currently holds ninth place in the Big West standings with a record of 10-30 overall and 4-17 in conference play. The team trails UC San Diego and CSUN by three games for the last spot in the upcoming Big West Championship scheduled for May 6-9.
Hawai’i enters the series with momentum, having won six of its last seven games and boasting a strong home record at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Since joining the Big West ahead of the 2013 season, Hawai’i leads Cal Poly in their all-time series, holding a 24-16 advantage dating back to their first meeting in February 1995.
Freshman first baseman Myleigh Cooper has emerged as one of Cal Poly’s standout players this season. She is batting .393 overall and ranks among conference leaders in several categories including doubles and total bases. Fellow freshman Leilani Allen is also making an impact at shortstop with a .343 average while ranking as one of NCAA Division I softball’s toughest hitters to strike out.
Other notable performances include outfielder A’Niyla Byrd improving her batting average significantly during her junior year, Karina Choi setting a new school record for stolen bases as a freshman, and sophomore pitcher Bree Brennan earning six wins so far this season—good for eleventh among conference pitchers.
Head coach Jenny Condon stands on the verge of another milestone: “The first and only female head coach in Big West history to coach 1,000 games at a member program in any sport,” according to Cal Poly. Condon needs just four more victories to become only the sixth coach in conference history with 500 career wins.
Looking ahead, Cal Poly will close out its regular season by hosting UC Davis from May 1-2.
