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Big West unveils return to play, scheduling protocols for spring sports

By Robert Collias 5 min read

The news had been expected for a little while now, but it was still music to the ears of University of Hawaii athletes Colton Cowell and Naighel Calderon, who each attended high school in Maui County.

The Big West Conference announced Friday the establishment of 2021 return to play and scheduling protocols in the sports of baseball, softball, men's volleyball and women's water polo.

"The Big West is excited to take the next step toward spring competition," Big West commissioner Dan Butterly said in a news release. "Our focus remains on the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and we will continue to evaluate the pandemic's effect on our ability to provide a safe environment for competition. These schedule formats reflect the changes our Big West administrators, coaches and staff felt were necessary in the face of unprecedented challenges. I applaud their efforts to find solutions that move the Big West forward."

In baseball, the regular season will consist of four-game weekend series against each conference opponent. Teams may schedule non-conference games prior to the Big West schedule but may play only one opponent per week once league play begins. Conference play will begin on March 19 and run through May 29.

Calderon is a redshirt freshman outfielder from Lanai on the UH baseball team. The Base 'Bows have been practicing since Jan. 5 and have a tentative trip to Tempe, Ariz., to kick off the season against Arizona State next month, according to Calderon.

"It sounds amazing," Calderon said. "We've been away from the baseball field for about eight or nine months. We're all itching to get back and being back with the boys, it's been just great. It's a different feeling. It doesn't feel like we're starting all over. It feels like we're finally back.

"To see the boys grind again, there's no way I can explain it, no words to describe this feeling. We all want to compete and now we get the chance to compete, so it's our time now."

Hawaii baseball also has freshman Konnor Palmeira from Kamehameha Maui on the roster this season, listed as a catcher/utility player.

"Me and Konnor instantly clicked the day he got here, the first day I met him," Calderon said. "It was just like, 'Wow.' It brought instant memories back. We've had our fair share of moments from travel ball, prior to the University of Hawaii, but me and Konnor are best friends. We help each other out. He's a really good teammate. That's the kind of guy I love being on the roster with. As far as his work ethic, it's amazing."

Big West softball teams will have three-game series during conference play. Schools are permitted to add a fourth game to the series which would be designated as a non-conference game. As in baseball, teams are only permitted to play one team per week during the conference season. Conference play will begin on March 19 and run through May 15.

Hawaii softball features junior shortstop Nawai Kaupe, a Maui High graduate who hit .347 with seven home runs in 24 games in 2020 before the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Maui High standout Cira Bartolotti is a freshman pitcher/outfielder for UH.

The 10-match Big West men's volleyball schedule will feature two-game series under the one-opponent-per-week provision during conference play. Schools are permitted to schedule a third match in the series to count as a non-conference contest. Teams may play matches earlier in the conference schedule if both schools agree.

Conference play is March 11 through April 17. The season culminates in the Big West championship, which will take place at UH's SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, April 22-24.

The No. 2-ranked Rainbow Warriors are led by Cowell, a King Kekaulike graduate who returned for a sixth season at Manoa after being a second-team All-America selection and first-team all-Big West last season. He has switched jersey numbers from 17 to 24.

"It's amazing," Cowell said, adding that the team got word at the end of practice in the middle of last week. "We were practicing. We knew that obviously given the result of that decision it would effect a lot of people. It would be very hard to process had that announcement gone in the other direction.

"It would have been very hard to know that we'd committed to so many months of training in masks and overcoming unprecedented circumstances, so I feel that when that announcement was made it was just a real satisfying feeling of just relief."

Women's water polo teams will play each Big West opponent once during the conference season. Teams will have the option of adding a second, non-conference match against their conference opponent.

Baldwin graduate Rebecca Buenrostro-Gallimore is a redshirt freshman and Lahainaluna graduate Lalelei Mata'afa is a redshirt junior on the Rainbow Wahine water polo team, which was ranked No. 4 in the nation when the season was halted last spring.

Conference play begins on March 12 and ends April 25. The Big West championship will be held April 30 to May 2.

The Big West annually conducts championships in the sports of men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, men's and women's track and field and women's beach volleyball. Championships are planned for this spring.

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

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