University of Hawai'i softball players Tyleen Tausaga, Kate Robinson, Clare Warwick and Justine Smethurst were named to the 2007 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region first team.

They automatically become All-America nominees.

This is the first such honor for each player, and the most regional selections for a Rainbow Wahine softball team.

It was particularly rewarding for Tausaga, a senior first baseman/designated player who rebounded from ligament and cartilage injuries in her left knee to hit .407. "I guess it's safe to say I did come back from the injuries," she said.

Robinson, a senior, was a double threat as a pitcher/first baseman, hitting .349 with a league-high 18 home runs while amassing a 15-1 record with a 1.76 earned-run average.

"It's nice to be recognized, and it's good for our program to get publicity," Robinson said. "This has been a special year for us. It kind of unfolded. The more and more we played, the better we got."

Warwick, a sophomore third baseman who played on Australia's national university team last summer, hit .385.

"I wasn't expecting it," she said of the award. "I went into the season the same way as last year. Things fell into place. Experience makes a difference."

Smethurst, also a sophomore from Australia, was the Rainbows' ace for most of the season. She is 17-8 with a 1.72 ERA. She has 163 strikeouts in 167 innings.

"I've never won anything like this before," Smethurst said. "That was a huge surprise. I didn't know anything about it until I was told I would receive it."

The Rainbows face UC Santa Barbara tomorrow in the opening round of the NCAA Regionals in Los Angeles. The double-elimination tournament runs through Sunday.