The lyrics are as much a declaration as they are an introduction.

"It’s just this feeling I get. It’s like I’m not done yet …"

The reggae refrain has accompanied Jessica Iwata’s plate appearances at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium this spring and takes on added resonance as the University of Hawaii shortstop enters her final homestand.

"We’ve had a good ride so far, but we’re not done yet," Iwata said. "I think this team has a little bit more to prove to Hawaii and I think these next two weeks will be really fun to watch."

The Rainbow Wahine (37-8, 14-1 Big West) close the home schedule by facing two of the three teams chasing them in the conference standings. UH, ranked 14th and 20th in this week’s polls, opens the homestand with a three-game showdown against second-place Long Beach State (30-19, 12-6) starting Friday and faces UC Santa Barbara next week.

One of the most accomplished hitters in the program’s history, Iwata’s role in UH’s pursuit of the Big West title wasn’t necessarily a given early in the season. A torn labrum in her throwing shoulder suffered last season raised the possibility of delaying her senior year. She elected instead to play through the injury and put off surgery until the summer.

"It’s difficult, I’m not going to lie," Iwata said. "It’s hard to play through pain, but it feels a lot better if you’re winning."

The option to apply for a medical redshirt remained open into the early weeks of the season. When the deadline arrived, she decided to play on, "basically because of everything going on now. I wanted to finish with the girls I started with."

"It’s going to be sore, some days more than others," she said. "After a while I think I just got used to it. It’s just something that’s there that I can play with."

Iwata has managed to grind through 45 games and her offensive numbers —which dipped early on compared to her first three seasons — have surged north entering the pivotal final weeks of the Big West schedule.

Iwata’s batting average stood at .242 following an 0-for-4 night against UC Davis on March 29. She’s hit safely in nine of the 12 games since to rise to .313 overall and .386 in Big West play.

She’s hitting .500 (18-for-36) with 11 RBIs over that stretch and won Big West Player of the Week honors twice in the past three weeks.

"It’s hard when you’re in a slump. It’s hard to stay positive when you know you can do a lot better," Iwata said. "It was more my attitude than anything I had to do physically."

UH head coach Bob Coolen said he noticed a sense of reservation in Iwata’s approach during the first half of the season. He kept her in the cleanup spot and "as we get closer and closer to the end, I see more and more of the old Jess," Coolen said.

Iwata drove in four of UH’s five runs in the final two games of last week’s sweep at Cal Poly, including a game-tying home run into a brisk wind blowing in from left field in the middle game of the series.

Iwata’s history of big hits at RWSS dates back to her junior year at Kauai High School, when she helped the Red Raiders reach the Division II state championship game. After Kauai fell short that year, Iwata’s RBI double was the difference in a 1-0 victory in the 2009 title game. She then embarked on one of UH’s most prolific offensive careers and is suddenly down to her final six home games.

She enters the homestand atop the program’s career charts with 190 RBIs and is part of a three-player tie for first with 44 doubles. She’s also second in home runs (52) and walks (98) and third in runs scored (172) while hitting .361 over four seasons.

But her outlook is shaped by the possibilities ahead rather than the accomplishments behind, a theme she’s played to since picking the easy rhythm of Soja’s "Not Done Yet" to announce her at-bats.

"It’s more mellow and low-key, kind of like how I am," Iwata said. "I’m not into all that big hype music. I think it’s more my personality and it kind of fit me well.

"And it’s true, we’re not done until I can’t hear that song any more. … Then I’ll play it in the van on the road."

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