Thanatharn, Irimata get top Big West honors
First-year coach Panita Thanatharn and sophomore pitcher Taryn Irimata were among the top honorees Tuesday when the All-Big West Conference softball teams were announced, with six other Rainbow Wahine receiving recognition as well in UH’s final season in the conference. Thanatharn shared Coach of the Year honors with Cal State Fullerton’s Gina Oaks Garcia. The Titans (37-13, 24-3 Big West) won the Big West regular-season title and UH (29-18, 21-6) finished second, with both receiving byes in the conference tournament, which opens play today.
Irimata, a Campbell High graduate who transferred from Nevada, was voted Big West Pitcher of the Year by the league’s 10 head coaches Junior shortstop Milan Ah Yat, senior first basebman/pitcher Millie Fidge and junior corner infielder Jamie McGaughey joined Irimata on the BWC first team. Senior pitcher Hannah Pitts and sophomore left fielder Kayara Tuiloma landed on the second team. Briana Maio-Silva was selected to the All-Freshman Team.
The seven honorees is the most for the Rainbow Wahine since 2017. Irimata led the league with a 2. 21 earned-run average, including 1.
60 ERA in conference games. She went the distance 13 times, including five games in which she held the Rainbow Wahine’s opponent scoreless. She closed strong, with wins in her last six starts — four of them shutouts — to end the season 12-7 overall and 10-2 in the Big West.
McGaughey batted . 403 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 42 RBIs to move up from second-team honors last year. She started all 47 games, splitting her time between first base and third base.
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