Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of University of Hawaii Hilo

IRVINE, Calif.–The UH Hilo softball team received two PacWest Players of the Year and three All-PacWest Selections for the 2021-22 season.

Jayda Favela led the squad as the PacWest’s Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-PacWest selection. Favela, a true Freshman, started every game at shortstop for the Vulcans. Favela ended the season with a .983 fielding percentage, just making three errors out of 178 chances. She was also a part of 12 doubles plays (fifth-most in the conference) and had 117 assists (second-most in the conference) at shortstop.

Favela was the Vulcans’ lead off batter with a .304 batting average. She totalled 38 hits, two were doubles and scored 26 times for UHH. Out of 125 at-bats Favela only struck out three times and worked 13 walks. She also had the second-most stolen bases in the PacWest with 20. 

Senior Skylar Thomas also received a special award as PacWest Defender of the Year. Thomas had the third-highest fielding percentage (.997) and third-most putouts (298) in the PacWest. She only had one error the entire season out of 313 chances. She was also a part of nine double plays as the Vulcans starting first baseman.

Brandee Chinen received her first All-PacWest recognition as a Second Team selection. Chinen has the fifth-best batting average in the PacWest, leading her team with a .370 batting average, .859 OPS, .467 slugging percentage, and a .392 on-base percentage. 

Chinen had 34 hits, four doubles, one triple, and smacked her first collegiate home run. She scored 23 times for the Vulcans and drove in 15 RBI. 

Angel Prewitt wraps up the All-PacWest selections for the Red and Black. Prewitt was named Third Team All-PacWest, starting every game for the Vulcans at center field. She batted .327 with 33 hits and five doubles. She also had a season high of three hits against ART U, two of those hits were doubles.