Coming off a league championship and Pitcher of the Year honor, senior Lani Kaleikini is facing high pressure to have another successful season, and has even higher expectations for herself and the softball team.
“I’ve had a lot of experience with all the pressure being the one in the circle–all the pressure of everyone counting on me to do well,” she said.
According to head coach Gary Casassa, Kaleikini performs her best in the clutch.
“Being able to get out of tight situations as a pitcher when the game’s on the line is her best skill,” he said.
Last season, Kaleikini dominated as a pitcher, posting a 1.62 earned run average along with her league-leading 16 wins and 154 strikeouts against MCAL competition.
“She made a huge jump from sophomore year to junior year,” Casassa said. “She went from a good pitcher to a great pitcher.”
Kaleikini is not limited to the pitcher’s circle, however. Last season she also contributed at the plate with a .395 batting average and a team high of 31 RBIs.
“Overall, she’s got everything,” Casassa said. “She’s not just a pitcher. She’s one of the best hitters on the team, best runners, best fielders, best throwers, she’s got it all.”
As the team’s only senior and four-year varsity player, Kaleikini was named captain, inheriting a greater leadership role compared to her past seasons.
“I want to try to spread my talents around to everyone else as well as encourage everyone to get better,” she said.
Casassa credits Kaleikini’s leadership to her positive attitude and work ethic.
“She’s always smiling, upbeat, and encouraging, which is exactly what you want out of a captain,” Casassa said. “She’s never getting down on the kids; it’s ‘hey, you’ll get ‘em next time.’”
After winning the top pitching award as a junior, there seems little room for improvement, but Kaleikini has her eyes set on becoming one of MCAL’s overall best players.
“My goal is to be one of the top players in the league, whether it’s First Team All-League, Player of the Year, or Pitcher of the Year again,” she said.
Casassa also believes that Kaleikini has what it takes to win the top award.
“It’s always tough when everyone’s gunning for you,” he said. “Being that it’s her senior year, she could do as well if not Player of the Year this year, especially if her offensive stats are better than the next best player.”
Kaleikini believes that playing for the Bears Softball Association, her travel team located in the East Bay, has helped raise her playing level.
“That’s helped me a lot more because it’s more competitive,” she said. “I’m playing with more people that want the same goal as me: to play in college.”
Kaleikini has received offers to play in college from Willamette University, Lewis and Clark College, and Alcorn State University. However, she is aspiring to play for the Division I programs at the University of Nevada, Reno, or the University of New Mexico.
With all of this on her mind for her future, her focus is still on her senior season at Redwood, and she expects the team to defend their title as MCAL champions.
