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Arizona Wildcats
Founded	1904
University	University of Arizona
Head coach	Mike Candrea (33rd season)
Conference	Pac-12
Location	Tucson, AZ
Home stadium	Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 2,956)
Nickname	Wildcats
Colors	Cardinal and Navy[1]
NCAA Tournament champions
1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007
NCAA WCWS appearances
1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
AIAW WCWS appearances
1974, 1975, 1977, 1979[2]
NCAA Tournament appearances
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Conference championships
1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2017

The Arizona Wildcats softball team represents the University of Arizona in NCAA Division I Softball. Having claimed eight national championships (second only to UCLA), the team is one of the most successful in the history of the sport. It plays its home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium in Tucson, AZ. The team's current head coach is Mike Candrea, who has been so since 1986.

History

1974 to 1985

The Arizona Wildcats officially began softball play in 1974 under head coach Judy Spray in the Intermountain Conference. The first team in the school's history went 11–3 and participated in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Women's College World Series (WCWS). The AIAW and Amateur Softball Association^[2] co-sponsored the Women's College World Series through 1982 (the NCAA held a separate tournament in 1982 when it began organizing women's softball). The 1975 team also played in the WCWS. In 1977, the Wildcats finished second in the WCWS, just missing out on winning the tournament. In 1979, the team once again qualified for the WCWS. However, after the 1979 season, the Wildcats failed to make the postseason again until 1987. From 1981 to 1986, the Wildcats were members of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association (WCAA), which renamed itself the Pacific West Conference (PacWest; not to be confused with the current NCAA Division II conference) for its final season.^[3] The WCAA/PacWest folded after the 1986 season when the then-Pac-10, home to all five of the final PacWest members, began sponsoring women's sports.

Mike Candrea era

Mike Candrea was hired for the 1986 season to build the Wildcats program. In his first season, the Wildcats won 27 games and missed out on the postseason. However, in 1987, Arizona won 42 games and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since the NCAA began sponsoring the sport. In 1988, Candrea guided the Wildcats to 54 wins and an appearance in the Women's College World Series where the team finished tied for third place. From 1988 to 2003, the Wildcats made sixteen straight appearances in the Women's College World Series. Arizona's first national championship season came in 1991. The Wildcats went 56–16 that year. In 1992, the Wildcats won the school's first Pac-10 title and finished runner-up at the Women's College World Series. The Wildcats continued their hot streak throughout the 1990s winning national championships in 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1997. The 1994 team went 64–3 and was ranked #1 throughout the year. Arizona also claimed the Pac-10 championship in 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998. The Wildcats experienced continued success in the 2000s winning another national title in 2001 after finishing that year 65–4. The Wildcats won the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 conference titles. Candrea left Arizona to coach the USA National team in the 2004 Olympics, and Larry Ray was named the interim coach for the 2004 season. The 2004 team won 55 games but lost to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Regionals, which marked the first time since 1987 that the Wildcats did not make it to the Women's College World Series. Candrea returned in 2005, and the Wildcats again returned to Oklahoma City for the World Series. The 2006 Arizona team defeated the Northwestern Wildcats to capture the Wildcats' seventh national title and their first since 2001. The 2007 Wildcats repeated as national champions by defeating the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in the championship series after losing the opening game of the series. Larry Ray again was tagged the interim coach in 2008 when Candrea coached the U.S. National Team at the 2008 Olympics. The 2008 team again made it to the Women's College World Series finishing tied for seventh in the eight team field. The Wildcats participated in the World Series in both 2009 and 2010 finishing tied for seventh and second respectively.^[4] In 2011, the Wildcats were eliminated in the NCAA Super Regional play by the Oklahoma Sooners.^[5]

All-Americans by position

• Pitcher: Debby Day, Julie Jones, Susie Parra, Carrie Dolan, Nancy Evans, Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Alicia Hollowell, and Taryne Mowatt


• Catcher: Jody Miller-Pruitt, Leah Braatz, Leticia Pineda, Lindsey Collins, and Stacie Chambers


• First Base: Julie Jones, Amy Chellevold, Leah O'Brien, Leticia Pineda, Leneah Manuma, and Laine Roth


• Second Base: Karen Fellenz and Jenny Dalton


• Shortstop: Julie Standering, Laura Espinoza, Lovie Jung, and Kristie Fox


• Third Base: Nicki Dennis, Krista Gomez, Toni Mascarenas, and Jenae Leles


• Left Field: Vivian Holm, Alison Johnsen, Lauren Bauer, Brandi Shriver, Nicole Giordano, Autumn Champion, and Brittany Lastrapes


• Center Field: Jamie Heggen, Leah O’Brien, Brandi Shriver, Alison Johnsen, Lauren Bauer, and Caitlin Lowe


• Right Field: Brandi Shriver, Nicole Giordano, and Courtney Fossatti


• Designated Player: Wendy Allen ^[6]
  

Head coaches

Year-by-year results

National championships

Retired jerseys

Wildcats of note

Honors, awards, and accomplishments

Honda Softball Award

• 1993-94 – Susie Parra


• 1995-96 – Jenny Dalton


• 1997-98 – Nancy Evans


• 2000-01 – Jennie Finch


• 2001-02 – Jennie Finch

ESPY Award

• 2007 Taryne Mowatt - Best Female Athlete, Best Female College Athlete

Lowe's Senior Class Award

• 2007 Caitlin Lowe

Adidas Golden Shoe Award

• 2007 Caitlin Lowe

Coach of the Year

• 1986 Mike Candrea, Pacific-West co-honor


• 1987 Mike Candrea, Pac-10


• 1988 Mike Candrea, Northwest Region, Pac-10


• 1994 Mike Candrea, NSCA Div. I, National Coach of the Year, Pacific Region, Pac-10


• 1995 Mike Candrea, Pacific Region


• 1996 Mike Candrea, Speedline/NFCA Division I, National Coach of the Year


• 1997 Mike Candrea, Speedline/NFCA Division I, National Coach of the Year, Pac-10, Pacific-Region


• 1998 Mike Candrea, Pac-10


• 2000 Mike Candrea, Pac-10 co-honor


• 2001 Mike Candrea, Pac-10 co-honor


• 2002 Mike Candrea, Pac-10


• 2003 Mike Candrea, Pac-10


• 2007 Mike Candrea, Pac-10 Staff , NFCA Division I


• 2017 Mike Candrea, Pac-12 Staff , NFCA West Region

Pac-10 Conference Medal

• 1989 Stacy Engel


• 1995 Amy Chellevold


• 1996 Jenny Dalton


• 1997 Leah O’Brien


• 1998 Nancy Evans


• 2001 Lauren Bauer


• 2002 Jennie Finch


• 2003 Lovie Jung


• 2004 Wendy Allen

Pac-10/12 Pitcher of the Year

• 2001 Jennie Finch


• 2002 Jennie Finch


• 2004 Alicia Hollowell


• 2017 Danielle O'Toole

Pac-10/12 Freshman of the Year

• 1994 Leah Braatz


• 1998 Toni Mascarenas


• 2002 Lovieanne Jung


• 2003 Alicia Hollowell


• 2004 Caitlin Lowe


• 2014 Katiyana Mauga

Pac-10/12 Defensive Player of the Year

• 2007 Caitlin Lowe


• 2014 Kellie Fox


• 2015 Hallie Wilson

Pac-10/12 Scholar Athlete of the Year

• 2007 Kelsey Rodriguez

All-Americans
Arizona has had 99 All-Americans, 59 of which have been First-Team.^[7]

See also

• 2006 Women's College World Series


• 2007 Women's College World Series


• List of NCAA Division I softball programs

References

External links

• Official website