"One" is the unlikeliest number for Hawai'i softball pitcher Stephanie Ricketts.

She never was a No. 1 pitcher; never pitched in a title game. The blueprint called for the freshman right-hander to be used as a spot-starter this season.

But that was before All-American Justine Smethurst opted to remain in Australia, Courtney Baughman had lingering arm problems, Melissa Gonzalez hurt her foot, and Ricketts aced her initiations.

Ricketts, who starts today's road game against her hometown San Jose State, is now the leader of the Rainbow Wahine pitching staff. In WAC games, she is 8-2 with a 1.36 ERA.

When first summoned, Ricketts recalled, "I was stressed out. Now I'd rather it be like this."

Her older sister is an All-American at Oklahoma; her younger sister has the same potential. UH coach Bob Coolen watched Ricketts for four years and saw in her what others did not see in him.

"I fall back on my own time, when I wasn't the best player amongst all my friends," Coolen said. "I was the lefty who couldn't break a pane of glass. It was consistency that helped me. I saw that in Stephanie."

Coolen marveled at Ricketts' size (6 feet) and strength. In fall training, Ricketts' pitches were up to 67 mph; Smethurst topped out at 68 mph at UH. But unlike Smethurst, whose hop-step motion is no longer allowed, Ricketts uses a step-and-pivot approach that makes use of her strength.

In softball, a pitcher's success is based more on a pitch's movement than velocity. Ricketts' strong forearms and wrist snap create what is termed a "heavy" pitch. Pitches that descend with top-spin force are difficult for hitters to drive.

"She doesn't need to challenge hitters, she needs to set them up, then put them away," Coolen said.

Ricketts has adjusted to her role, as well as her independence. While she is close to her sisters — they exchange text messages or calls several times a day — she wanted to be on her own.

"In the beginning, it was kind of intimidating," Ricketts said. "But it's a lot more fun now to know you can take care of yourself."

Ricketts' family is planning to host a dinner for the team during this four-game trip to the Bay Area. Most important, she said, "it'll be fun for them to watch a game live. They always watch on Game Tracker."

Visit Tsai's blog at http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.