Majam a candidate for Senior CLASS award

University of Hawaii center fielder Kelly Majam was among 30 NCAA softball players announced as candidates for the Senior CLASS Award on Wednesday.

The award recognizes a senior with "notable achievements in four areas of excellence — community, classroom, character and competition." The award’s name stands for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School."

The candidate list will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. The winner will be determined by a vote of media, coaches and fans and will be announced at the Women’s College World Series.

Majam, the reigning Big West Conference player of the week, holds UH’s career records in runs scored, home runs and walks. She’s a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association scholar-athlete with a cumulative GPA of 3.86 and will graduate in May with a degree in education.

Silverswords ranked No. 7 in regional poll

Chaminade was ranked seventh in the first NCAA Division II men’s basketball regional poll of the season released Wednesday.

Western Washington is No. 1 in the poll, which at the end of the season helps determine the five at-large teams chosen to the West Regional. Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2, followed by Seattle Pacific, Dixie State, Grand Canyon, Cal State San Bernardino, Chaminade, Alaska Anchorage, San Francisco State and Cal State Chico.

The Silverswords are 15-8 overall this season and 12-2 in Pacific West Conference play.

UH Hilo seventh in Burns golf tourney

The California men’s golf team ended up atop the leaderboard after the first round of the John Burns Intercollegiate on Wednesday at the Turtle Bay Resort’s Arnold Palmer Course.

The Golden Bears shot a 4-under 284 during a rainy and windy day to take a three-shot lead over New Mexico. Colorado State, Arizona and Brigham Young were tied for third at 4 over. Hawaii Hilo was seventh at 8 over, Hawaii was tied for eighth at 14 over, while its B team was tied for 12th at 21 over, and BYU-Hawaii was 16th at 31 over.

The Warriors’ Scott Yamashita shot a 1-under 71 to put him in a four-way tie for sixth place and four strokes behind leader Joel Stalter of Cal. Also shooting a 71 was Maui’s Justin Keiley, a junior at BYU. In a group another shot back was the Vulcans’ Dalen Yamauchi.

The tournament continues today and concludes Friday.

Vulcans drop 2 to Fresno Pacific

The Hawaii Hilo baseball team lost a pair of closely contested Pacific West Conference games Wednesday, dropping 4-3 and 3-2 decisions to Fresno Pacific in Fresno, Calif.

In the first game, the Vulcans’ Dane Kinoshita (0-2) pitched a complete game, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six. Sunbirds starter Wilson Ashford (2-0) held UH Hilo to two runs, one earned, over seven innings. He struck out seven. Chris De La Torre picked up the save for Fresno Pacific (8-3, 3-1).

The Vulcans (3-9, 2-6) had the tying run in scoring position in the final inning of the second game, but couldn’t convert in the shortened seven-inning game.

With one out, Greg Cleary advanced to second base on a wild pitch before Samuel Kim grounded out to shortstop. Austin Cusack then singled to right field, but Cleary was thrown out at home on the play to end the game.