UH-Hilo notebook: Outfielder Rebecca Lee repeats as PacWest Player of the Year

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The honors keep coming for Rebecca Lee.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo senior snagged her second consecutive Pacific West Conference Player of the Year honor, leading four Vulcans on the the all-league team.

Lee flirted with the triple crown after her torrid start to the season and won the PacWest batting title with a .504 average. The outfielder led the league in doubles (18), slugging percentage (.868), on-base percentage (.585) and steals (20). She was fourth in home runs (nine), fifth in RBIs (48) and sixth in runs scored (51).

The Mililani High (Oahu) graduate shared the award with Azusa Pacific’s Nicki Sprague, who earned Freshman of the Year. Sprague is the second player in league history to win both awards after hitting .500.

The Vulcans’ other all-league selections were junior first baseman Emily Greene, who made the first-team, and third-team selections Kristina Victa and Colleen Aubrey.

Greene hit .385 and clubbed seven home runs with 37 RBIs. Victa (.387, 40 runs scored, 15 steals), a senior center fielder, was the Newcomer of the Year in 2013. Aubrey, a junior outfielder, came on strong for UH-Hilo this season, hitting .392.

Dixie State, which repeated as league champion and earned its sixth consecutive berth to the NCAA tournament, had 11 players honored, including three on the first team. The Red Storm’s Aryn Feickert (20-6, 1.92 ERA) was named the PacWest Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year, becoming the first to accomplish that feat.

Last week, Lee was named as one of the Vulcans’ Athletes of the Year. She was joined by golfers Corey Kozuma and Kristen Sawada.

Men’s basketball signs recruit

Coach GE Coleman added scoring punch to his roster with the signing of point guard Vandyon Lockett.

A transfer from Centralia College (Wash.), the 5-foot-10 Lockett averaged 17.7 points and 4.6 assists in earning all-conference honors last season.

“We are very excited to add Van to our program,” UH-Hilo coach GE Coleman said in a university statement. “Van’s style of play and competitiveness fits well with our program and the identity we want. He is unselfish, plays hard and is ultra-competitive.

“Van is a quality point guard with the ability to get us into our offense, create for others while being a play maker and can score. His ability to defend the basketball is something we need and our defensive pressure needs to start with our perimeter players on the ball.”