Arizona Wildcats softball


The Arizona Wildcats softball team represents the University of Arizona in NCAA Division I Softball. Having claimed eight national championships, 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 Women's College World Series. The AIAW and Amateur Softball Association co-sponsored the Women's College World Series through 1982. 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, which renamed itself the Pacific West Conference for its final season. 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

was hired for the 1986 season to build the Wildcats program. In his first season, the Wildcats won 29 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. In 2011, the Wildcats were eliminated in the NCAA Super Regional play by the Oklahoma Sooners.

All-Americans by position

Year-by-year results

National championships

Retired jerseys

Wildcats of note

Honors, awards, and accomplishments

Honda Softball Award
USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year
ESPY Award
Lowe's Senior Class Award
Adidas Golden Shoe Award
Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year
Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year
Coach of the Year
Pac-10 Conference Medal
Pac-10/12 Player of the Year
Pac-10/12 Pitcher of the Year
Pac-10/12 Freshman of the Year
Pac-10/12 Defensive Player of the Year
Pac-10/12 Scholar Athlete of the Year
All-Americans
Arizona has had 105 All-Americans, 63 of which have been First-Team.
NameYearsBatting Average
Alison McCutcheon1997–98.466†
Caitlin Lowe2004–07.446
Leah O'Brien1993–97.428
Brittany Lastrapes2008–11.417
Autumn Champion2003–06.417

NameYearsHits
Alison McCutcheon1995–98405†‡
Amy Chellevold1992–95371
Nicole Giordano1998–01359
Caitlin Lowe2004–07351
Lauren Bauer1998–01349

NameYearsHome Runs
Kaityana Mauga2014–1792†
Stacie Chambers2008–1187
Laura Espinoza1992–9585
Leah Braatz1994–9885
Jenny Dalton1993–9676

NameYearsRBI
Jenny Dalton1993–96328†‡
Leah Braatz1994–98322
Laura Espinoza1992–95314
Stacie Chambers2008–11293
Kaityana Mauga2014–17257

NameYearsRuns
Jenny Dalton1993–96293†
Alison McCutcheon1995–98289
Brittany Lastrapes2008–11253
Amy Chellevold1992–95252
Leah Braatz1994–98250

NameYearsStolen Bases
Caitlin Lowe2004–07156
Alison McCutcheon1995–98148
Lauren Bauer1998–01133
Vivian Holm1987–90129
Amy Chellevold1992–95113

NameYearsWalks
Jenny Dalton1993–96178
Leah Braatz1994–98173
Stacie Chambers2008–11158
Kaityana Mauga2014–17158
Brittany Lastrapes2008–11137

NameYearsWalks
Julie Standering1988–91277
Toni Mascarenas1998–01276
Leah Braatz1994–98271
Nancy Evans1994–98271
Jennie Finch1999–02270

NameYearsERA
Debbie Day1991–920.44
Susie Parra1991–940.63
Pam Stone1982–840.73
Ginnie Scheller1987–900.81
Julie Jones1987–900.85

NameYearsW–L
Alicia Hollowell2003–06144–23
Nancy Evans1994–98124–8
Jennie Finch1999–02119–16
Carrie Dolan1994–97103–13
Becky Lemke1998–01103–19

NameYearsStrikeouts
Alicia Hollowell2003–061,768
Taryne Mowatt2005–081,267
Jennie Finch1999–021,028
Becky Lemke1998–01916
Susie Parra1991–94874

NameYearsShutouts
Alicia Hollowell2003–0681/8
Jennie Finch1999–0264/7
Susie Parra1991–9461/1
Nancy Evans1994–9853/2
Becky Lemke1998–0144/9

NameYearsNo-Hitters
Alicia Hollowell2003–0616/1
Susie Parra1991–948
Jennie Finch1999–028
Taryne Mowatt2005–086/1
Debbie Day1991–926

indicates Pac-12 record
indicates NCAA record