Arizona Wildcats softball
Encyclopedia
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.
(AIAW) College World Series. The NCAA did not begin organizing women's softball until 1982, so the AIAW and DGWS sponsored the College World Series until that time. The 1975 team also participated in the AIAW College World Series. In 1977, the Wildcats finished second in the AIAW College World Series and just missed out on winning the tournament, and the 1979 also participated in the AIAW College World Series. However, after the 1979 season, the Wildcats failed to make postseason again until 1987. From 1981 to 1985, the Wildcats were members of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association.
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. In 2011, the Wildcats were eliminated in the NCAA Super Regional play by the Oklahoma Sooners
.
! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | ARIZONA WILDCATS SOFTBALL
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:4px" cellpadding="4"
|-align="center" bgcolor="#C41E3A"
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1991
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1993
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1994
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1996
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
1997
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2001
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2006
|
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
2007
|}
! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | RETIRED SOFTBALL JERSEYS
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:4px" cellpadding="4"
|-align="center" bgcolor="white"
|
JENNY
DALTON
16
|
NANCY
EVANS
13
|
JENNIE
FINCH
27
|
SUSIE
PARRA
1
|
JULIE
REITAN
10
|}
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
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
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium is the softball stadium for the University of Arizona. The stadium is on-campus and can seat 2,956 people.Hillenbrand Stadium, as it is more commonly known, was completed in 1993 and is named for the sister of the late William G. Hillenbrand...
in Tucson, AZ. The current head coach is Mike Candrea
Mike Candrea
Mike Candrea is the head softball coach at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He was also the head coach of the United States women's national softball team.-Collegiate Coaching Record:...
who has been the head coach since 1986.
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 WomenAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
(AIAW) College World Series. The NCAA did not begin organizing women's softball until 1982, so the AIAW and DGWS sponsored the College World Series until that time. The 1975 team also participated in the AIAW College World Series. In 1977, the Wildcats finished second in the AIAW College World Series and just missed out on winning the tournament, and the 1979 also participated in the AIAW College World Series. However, after the 1979 season, the Wildcats failed to make postseason again until 1987. From 1981 to 1985, the Wildcats were members of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association.
Mike Candrea Era
Mike CandreaMike Candrea
Mike Candrea is the head softball coach at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He was also the head coach of the United States women's national softball team.-Collegiate Coaching Record:...
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
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game 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
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
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
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
for the World Series. The 2006 Arizona team defeated the Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
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
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
.
All Americans By Position
- Pitcher: Debby Day, Julie Jones, Susie Parra, Carrie Dolan, Nancy Evans, Becky Lemke, Jennie FinchJennie FinchJennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
, 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
National Championships
{| class="toccolours" style= width="300px"! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | ARIZONA WILDCATS SOFTBALL
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:4px" cellpadding="4"
|-align="center" bgcolor="#C41E3A"
|
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
{| class="toccolours" style= width="300px"! colspan="15" style="text-align: center; background:#000080" | RETIRED SOFTBALL JERSEYS
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:Bold; font-size:100%; border:4px" cellpadding="4"
|-align="center" bgcolor="white"
|
JENNY
DALTON
16
|
NANCY
EVANS
13
|
JENNIE
FINCH
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
27
|
SUSIE
PARRA
1
|
JULIE
REITAN
10
|}
See Also
- Arizona WildcatsArizona Wildcats-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
- College softballCollege softballCollege softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.As with other intercollegiate...
- 2006 Women's College World Series2006 Women's College World SeriesThe 2006 Women's College World Series was held June 1 through June 7, 2006 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Eight NCAA Division I college softball teams met after having advanced through a 64-team bracket to play in the World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The official host for the event is the...
- 2007 Women's College World Series2007 Women's College World SeriesThe 2007 Women's College World Series was held May 31st through June 6th, 2007 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Eight NCAA Division I college softball teams met after having advanced through a 64-team bracket to play at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium...
- University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...