The Mid-Pacific softball team finished their season with a final record of 0 wins and 14 losses. Despite how lackluster the team may appear, they are not nearly as weak as they seem.

Players Jade Retuta ‘23, Zoe Rasmussen ‘23, Cameryn Koike ‘25, Jacie Otsuka ‘25, Alyssa Fujishima ‘25, Kailey Furuta ‘24, Alexa Siu ‘24, Rylee Unebasami ‘25, Daynna Mekaru ‘23, Aly Umemoto ‘25, Kristie Kagawa ‘25, Tori Tokuda ‘25, Chloe Tepraseuth ‘25, Ellie Garrett ‘25, Kalynn Kaahanui-Kapu ‘24 Kenzie Nakamura, ‘26 and Anuhea Wong-Barboza ‘26 are the 2022-2023 varsity team’s hard-working members.

“We’re good, it’s not that we’re bad, or [that] our coach is bad, we played our hardest,” freshman Kenzie Nakamura, backup outfielder and pitcher said.

In their tournament against Iolani, they nearly made it neck-and-neck. Unfortunately, they lost with a score of four to six.

“It was [frustrating]. There was one play where one of the girls missed the bag but the umpire wasn’t watching. It would’ve been four to five if he’d caught it, and we would’ve strategized differently if it was only one run,” sophomore Tori Tokuda, left field and first baseman, said.

In their pre-season, the team had six losses and six wins against division one opponents, proving themselves far more capable than their in-season score might suggest.

Within every team, a healthy environment is an important base, and the head coach, Aiko Gojo, acknowledges this. Therefore, she does her best to create a safe space for the players.

“[I want to be] encouraging, so they always play their hardest. [I] try to build their confidence, and [use] open communication,” Gojo said.

As a coach, she does her best to be supportive and encouraging towards the team.

“They’re a really good group of players and families. I feel fortunate to get to work with them,” Gojo said.

The varsity team, composed of a variety of ages ranging from freshmen to seniors, works well together under the guidance of Gojo.

“I feel like we all get along pretty well. Everyone kind of has similar interests, [so] it’s just a very supportive environment,” Nakamura said.

Tokuda is also grateful for all the encouragement and kindness her team has exhibited.

“It was hard to lose, but it’s nice to have a team that supports you. We help each other get through the hard days,” Tokuda said.

The team had done their best to improve and win. They worked hard during both practice and games to do well, but still face discrimination from their peers.

“I hear a lot of people give [my teammates] a hard time about our score,” Tokuda said. “As a team, we were able to grow more from our losses. It helped us to become better players.”

The Mid-Pacific softball team is a perfect example of the fact that success can be defined in a variety of ways, and that’s not always apparent on a scoreboard. Instead, it can be by the improvements the players see within themselves.

“I think everything’s not about scoring, there’s also a lot of development that goes on at practice, and throughout the season, we developed a lot. It might not have shown in wins, but I think as a team, we grew stronger together,” Tokuda said.