Kamalani Dung: A way out, a way back and the family that holds her together

FRESNO, Calif. – She didn't expect to be here. She was just a girl in a run-down neighborhood in Waianae, Hawai'i, looking for a way out. Little did she know that the way out would be softball, the nickname "YouTube pitcher," and would pave a path for her return to a family and community she once imagined leaving.

Xeana Kamalani Dung was born in a small town on the western coast of the island of Oahu. The road that goes in and out of town takes people along the stereotypical Hawaiian coast, lined with dolphins in the ocean, resorts and million-dollar homes. But not everything is what it seems.

"There are homeless people everywhere and drug abuse is a big problem," Dung said. "A lot of people don't make it out of that town. It's a big deal to me that I made it to the mainland and I am doing a bunch of things with my life."

Dung grew up on a farm with lots of animals, such as horses, cows, turkeys and peacocks. Both of her parents were raised in Waianae and attended the local high school and knew they wanted a better life for their kids, so they enrolled Dung in a high school that was a two-hour bus ride away.

"They kept us on track and they made us know that there's bigger things in life," Dung said of her parents. "They sent us to one of the best high schools on the island [Kamehameha-Kapalama]. Everyone wants to get into it."

She woke up every morning at 4 a.m. and wouldn't return home until late in the evening, every day. It was also important to her parents that the kids participated in sports, along with keeping their grades up, so Dung joined the t-ball team and played with the boys.

"I was the absolute worst on the team," Dung said. "All the boys were really good and I would just be in the outfield chasing butterflies. I hated baseball."

So her parents had her give softball a shot, and in one of her first games, the coaches needed someone to pitch and Dung was ready to try it out, even though she had never done it before. She was a natural and Dung found her calling.

"My dad took me to the side of the house and worked with me every day," Dung said. "He had me go outside and pitch until I couldn't pitch anymore. He definitely showed tough love, while my mom kept me mentally focused."

That became the routine for Dung. She then began playing competitively at around age 10 and played with 14-year-olds when she started venturing to more tournaments, eventually getting noticed by a coach from the SoCal Pumas. She was offered a spot on the team over the summer and thus began her club-playing experience in California.

Dung had only practiced hitting spots with her dad and had not had formal coaching as a pitcher, which earned her the nickname "YouTube Pitcher," until she was able to learn proper mechanics and techniques.

She then went to play for the SoCal Batbusters and she started garnering attention from colleges.

"I kept collecting all of these contact cards while in high school, but I didn't know that you were supposed to call the coaches or email them," Dung said. "I only contacted the ones that saw me in person."

And Fresno State was one of the lucky schools that would get an official visit from Dung.

"It was a good experience and it seemed like home," Dung said. "It's a perfect fit for me. I like the tradition, a chance to do something big and the Valley pride, which I thought was really cool and related back to home. The community involvement is great, there are so many fans and the facilities are beautiful."

So she made her choice. Fresno State was going to be her new home.

Stepping up when called upon – in life and softball
Dung has made it a habit in her life to step up when called upon.

When she was a freshman, she moved up to the No. 2 spot in the rotation as the season went on. She went 8-1 with a 4.41 ERA and had 59 strikeouts in 79.1 innings pitched.

As a sophomore, she's been made the ace and has already set career-highs in wins, shutouts and strikeouts.

She was also the 21st Bulldog to throw a no-hitter, the 73rd in program history and the first since two-time Mountain West Pitcher of the Year Jill Compton did so in 2015.

But that hasn't been the only thing on her mind.

Since being on the mainland, her parents divorced and her mom had a stroke. Dung flies back to help her mom every now and then, who's recovering, but isn't well enough to be able to see Dung pitch in person.

"My mom tells me all the time, 'When things get hard, you're the one that signed up for this. You're not just here to play games. It's business. This is your job,'" Dung said. "She was so proud of me for throwing the no-hitter, but she wants me to keep getting better, to keep working hard."

The last few years have really put Dung to the test emotionally and physically, and she admits that she couldn't get through it without her team and without Fresno State Softball. Her mom is her inspiration, and it's been very hard on her.

"I'm worried about a bunch of things at the same time," Dung said. "But this team is like my family. They may not know it, but they mean a lot to me. Back home it's pretty unstable, but here, I have them."

This is nothing new to her though. She just keeps going.

A path back home to improve her community
After finding a way out of Waianae that she yearned for so long ago, Dung now has her future in her sights, and sees only one path.

"I want to go back and help the people back home," Dung said. "It's a pretty low lifestyle, but there's good people there. It would be amazing if I could go back and if I could help them and teach them things that I've learned and show them that there's a way out. I just want to teach them that they can conquer whatever they want to, as long as they work hard. Just because you're born somewhere, just because you started there, doesn't mean you have to finish there."

The business major is currently contemplating a change to pre-med, and is focused on becoming a better student, a better person and a better athlete. All to go back and improve the lives of those in her community back home.

And as Dung attempts to cement herself in the Bulldog legacy, she knows she isn't done paving a path. And though she may not see the end of the road, Dung says that anything can be there.

"There are no boundaries in life, except the ones you create for yourself."

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

Fresno State Athletics

Kamalani Dung: A way out, a way back and the family that holds her together

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