UHH’s Greene Receives All-PacWest Preseason Selection

University of Hawai’i at Hilo infielder Emily Greene has been named to the 2015 Preseason All-PacWest Softball Team.

The announcement came Thursday as part of the conference’s preseason release of its projected order of finish and all-league selections.

Greene, a senior from Woodland Hills, Calif., received All-PacWest First Team honors following the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Last year, she batted .393 in 38 games with five home runs and 32 runs batted in.

The Vulcans, under first year head coach Peejay Brun, were picked by conference coaches to finish sixth this season. Dixie State, last year’s co-champion, was projected to win the league this year.

Brun inherits a team that went 24-20 last season and 15-14 in the PacWest. Gone is graduating PacWest Co-Player of the Year Rebecca Lee, but Greene highlights a returning cast of six seniors, including starting pitchers Vanessa Salinas and Ashley Nelson. Outfielder Colleen Aubrey, a Third Team All-PacWest selection, also returns to the program.

UH-Hilo will spend most of the first month of the season on the road, opening with a doubleheader at Sonoma State University on Feb. 10.

2015 PacWest Softball Preseason Poll

(first place votes in parenthesis)

1. Dixie State (10) – 120

2. California Baptist (1) – 110

3. Azusa Pacific – 98

4. Hawai’i Pacific – 84

5. Dominican – 68

6. Hawai’i-Hilo – 64

7. Chaminade – 56

8. Notre Dame de Namur – 50

9. Academy of Art – 39

10. BYU-Hawai’i – 23

11. Holy Names – 14

2015 Preseason All-PacWest Softball Team

Savannah Miller (C) – California Baptist

Emily Greene (1B) – Hawai’i-Hilo

Nicole Chavez (2B) – Dixie State

Nicki Sprague (3B) – Azusa Pacific

Krista Mann (SS) – California Baptist

Keila Elderts (OF) – Hawai’i Pacific

Courtney Hine (OF) – Dixie State

Courtney Sherwin (OF) – Dixie State

Breanna Young (Util.) – Notre Dame de Namur

Michelle Duncan (P) – Dixie State

Belinda Renne (P) – California Baptist

PacWest Preseason Player of the Year – Nicki Sprague (Azusa Pacific)

PacWest Pitcher of the Year – Belinda Renne (California Baptist)