Arizona Wildcats softball
| Arizona Wildcats | |
 |
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| University | University of Arizona |
|---|---|
| Conference | Pac-12 |
| Location | Tucson, AZ |
| Head Coach | Mike Candrea (31st year) |
| Home Stadium | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 2,956) |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
| Colors | [[ (color)|]] and [[ (color)|]]
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| National Championships | |
| 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007 | |
| WCWS Appearances | |
| 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979,[1] 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 | |
| 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 | |
| Conference Champions | |
| 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 | |
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 Arizona Softball program is one of the most successful in the history of the sport. The Wildcats play their home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium in Tucson, AZ. The current head coach is Mike Candrea who has been the head coach since 1986.
Contents
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[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] In 2011, the Wildcats were eliminated in the NCAA Super Regional play by the Oklahoma Sooners.[4]
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, 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, Leah O’Brien, Nicole Giordano, and Courtney Fossatti
- Designated Player: Wendy Allen [5]
Head coaches
| Name | Years | Seasons | Won | Lost | Tie | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judy Spray | 1974–1976 | 3 | 45 | 18 | 0 | .714 |
| Ginny Parrish | 1977–1979 | 3 | 82 | 40 | 0 | .672 |
| Rocky LaRose | 1980 | 1 | 23 | 23 | 0 | .500 |
| Paula Noel | 1981–1985 | 5 | 110 | 96 | 0 | .534 |
| Larry Ray (Interim) | 2004, 2008 | 2 | 96 | 25 | 0 | .793 |
| Mike Candrea | 1986–present | 31 | 1468 | 377 | 2 | .813 |
| All-Time | 45 | 1823 | 504 | 2 | .768 | |
Year-by-year results
| Season | Coach | Record | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Conference | |||
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| 1974 | Judy Spray | 11-3 | — | AIAW College World Series |
| 1975 | 13-8 | — | AIAW College World Series | |
| 1976 | 21-7 | — | ||
| 1977 | Ginny Parrish | 22-14 | 6-2 | AIAW College World Series |
| 1978 | 16-11 | 3-6 | ||
| 1979 | 44-15 | 15-3 | AIAW College World Series | |
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| 1980 | Rocky LaRose | 23-23 | 2-14 | |
| 1981 | Paula Noel | 24-20 | 5-11 | |
| 1982 | 21-20 | 6-14 | ||
| 1983 | 20-24 | 7-12 | ||
| 1984 | 28-16 | 5-5 | ||
| 1985 | 17-16 | 5-7 | ||
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| 1986 | Mike Candrea | 27-13-1 | 5-6-1 | |
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| 1987 | Mike Candrea | 42-18 | 6-4 | NCAA Regional |
| 1988 | 54-18 | 15-5 | Women's College World Series | |
| 1989 | 48-19 | 11-9 | Women's College World Series | |
| 1990 | 49-17 | 12-6 | Women's College World Series | |
| 1991 | 56-16 | 11-9 | Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 1992 | 58-7 | 16-2 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series | |
| 1993 | 44-8 | 15-3 | Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 1994 | 64-3 | 23-1 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 1995 | 66-6 | 24-4 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series | |
| 1996 | 58-9 | 23-5 | Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 1997 | 61-5 | 26-1 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 1998 | 67-4 | 27-1 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series | |
| 1999 | 53-16 | 19-9 | Women's College World Series | |
| 2000 | 59-9 | 16-4 | Women's College World Series | |
| 2001 | 65-4 | 19-2 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 2002 | 55-12 | 15-6 | Women's College World Series | |
| 2003 | 56-7 | 19-2 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series | |
| 2004 | Larry Ray | 55-6 | 17-3 | Pac-10 Champions, NCAA Regional |
| 2005 | Mike Candrea | 45-12 | 13-8 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series |
| 2006 | 54-11 | 15-6 | Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 2007 | 50-14-1 | 15-5-1 | Pac-10 Champions, Women's College World Series Champions | |
| 2008 | Larry Ray | 41-19 | 13-8 | Women's College World Series |
| 2009 | Mike Candrea | 46-17 | 13-7 | Women's College World Series |
| 2010 | 52-14 | 12-8 | Women's College World Series | |
| 2011 | 43-18 | 11-10 | NCAA Super Regional | |
| 2012 | 44-16 | 12-12 | NCAA Super Regional | |
| 2013 | 33-24 | 9-15 | NCAA Regional | |
| 2014 | 44-16 | 14-10 | NCAA Super Regional | |
| 2015 | 41-20 | 13-11 | NCAA Super Regional | |
National championships
National Champions 1991 |
National Champions 1993 |
National Champions 1994 |
National Champions 1996 |
National Champions 1997 |
National Champions 2001 |
National Champions 2006 |
National Champions 2007 |
Retired jerseys
| Retired Softball Jerseys | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jenny Dalton 16 |
Nancy Evans 13 |
Jennie Finch 27 |
Susie Parra 1 |
Julie Reitan 10 |
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See also
- 2006 Women's College World Series
- 2007 Women's College World Series
- List of NCAA Division I softball programs
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Arizona Wildcats Yearly Records
- ↑ Mike Candrea Biography: The University of Arizona Official Athletic Site
- ↑ Arizona Wildcats Eliminated from Tournament
- ↑ Wildcat Media Guide
