HILLENBRAND INVITATIONAL
FEB. 15-18 • HILLENBRAND STADIUM
THE GAMES
| DATE |
TIME |
MATCHUP/RESULT |
LINKS |
| Thursday, Feb. 15 |
6 p.m. |
ARIZONA vs. Colorado State |
Canceled |
| Friday, Feb. 16 |
9 a.m. |
Montana 4, Troy 3 (8) |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Friday, Feb. 16 |
11 a.m. |
Colorado State 3, Montana 1 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Friday, Feb. 16 |
1 p.m. |
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Bryant |
Halted |
| Friday, Feb. 16 |
4 p.m. |
ARIZONA vs. Troy |
Canceled |
| Friday, Feb. 16 |
6 p.m. |
ARIZONA vs. Bryant |
Canceled |
| Friday, Feb. 16 |
8 p.m. |
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Colorado State |
Canceled |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 |
9 a.m. |
Troy 5, Bryant 2 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 |
11 a.m. |
Colorado State 9, Bryant 4 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 |
1 p.m. |
Colorado State 5, Troy 0 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 |
3 p.m. |
Louisiana-Monroe 4, Montana 3 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 |
5 p.m. |
ARIZONA 4, Louisiana-Monroe 0 |
Recap • Box Score (PDF) |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 |
7 p.m. |
ARIZONA 2, Montana 1 |
Recap • Box Score (PDF) |
| Sunday, Feb. 18 |
9 a.m. |
Troy 2, Montana 1 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Sunday, Feb. 18 |
11 a.m. |
Bryant 6, Louisiana-Monroe 4 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Sunday, Feb. 18 |
1 p.m. |
ARIZONA vs. Colorado State |
Live Stream • Live Stats • Twitter |
| Sunday, Feb. 18 |
3 p.m. |
ARIZONA vs. Bryant |
Live Stream • Live Stats • Twitter |
Parking: Lots surrounding Hillenbrand Stadium will be available for parking on Thursday and Friday after 5 p.m. Prior to 5 p.m., paid parking is available at meters surrounding Hillenbrand Stadium as well as Cherry Garage and Second Street Garage. All lots and garages are free of charge on weekends (unless otherwise noted). Additional paid parking will be available on the mall on Saturday from 3-7:30 p.m.
WEEKLY NOTES
THIS WEEK: Twelfth-ranked Arizona (4-1) is set to open its 31-game home schedule with the 22nd Hillenbrand Invitational this weekend in Tucson. Arizona, which went 4-1 at the Kajikawa Classic to open the season, will host Colorado State, Troy, Bryant, Louisiana-Monroe and Montana for the four-day, 16-game event at Hillenbrand Stadium. UA, which is 107-3 overall in the tournament, will get things going on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. vs. Colorado State. Prior to the game, the 2017 Pac-12 Champions will receive their rings. On Friday, UA will take on Troy and Bryant in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. followed by a doubleheader with Louisiana-Monroe and Montana beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday. UA and ULM will conclude the event at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All six games can be watched live at pac-12.com/live/university-arizona-2.
CATS AT A GLANCE
- Arizona opened the 2018 season with a 4-1 weekend at the Kajikawa Classic. The Wildcats run-ruled each of their final two opponents and hit three homers in each of the final three games. For the weekend, the defending NCAA leaders in home runs hit 12 bombs, including four from Jessie Harper.
- Despite returning six starters and 12 letterwinners from the 2017 Pac-12 Championship team, seven of the nine positions featured a new face to start the 2018 season. Only two players (catcher Dejah Mulipola and second baseman Reyna Carranco) were in the same position as last year; Jessie Harper (1B to SS), Alyssa Palomino (CF to 1B), Ashleigh Hughes (RF to CF) all played new positions.
- The Wildcats dropped to No. 12/11 in the polls after their 4-1 start.
- Taylor McQuillin threw her first career no-hitter vs. New Mexico. The junior fanned 11 of the 16 Lobos she faced in the five-inning game and had her perfect-game-bid broken up by a full-count walk with one out in the fifth. McQuillin struck out 26 batters in 15 innings, second in the Pac-12 and ninth in the country.
- 2017 first-team All-American Jessie Harper picked up right where she left off from her freshman season. Harper hit .533, slugged 1.333 and drove in 10 runs to lead the team on opening weekend. Harper hit two homers in each of Arizona's last two games; she ranks second in the country with four home runs.
- After starting the season on the road for the first time since 2013, Arizona is set to open its home slate this weekend at Hillenbrand Stadium, where it is 693-90 (.887) all-time. UA is set to host the Hillenbrand Invitational for the 22nd time. Arizona is 107-3 (.973) all-time at the event.
OPPONENTS
Colorado State: The Rams (4-0) enjoyed a nice start to 2018, sweeping the Texas Classic, including a 6-2 triumph over the host Longhorns. Ashley Michelena was an unconscious .727 at the plate while Larissa Petakoff went 2-0 without allowing a run in her two appearances. Arizona is 15-0 all-time vs. Colorado State; the two most recently met in the 2015 Wildcat Invitational, Arizona won 6-3. Full series history on page 5.
Troy: The Trojans (3-0) swept the weather-shortened Troy University Tournament to start 2018, outscoring Tennessee State, Alabama State and Valparaiso 23-1. Peyton Glover went 2-0 and did not allow a run in 13 innings in the circle. This will be the second meeting; UA defeated Troy 8-0 in the 1996 Tallahassee Regional.
Bryant: The Bulldogs (0-0) did not play last week and are set to begin their 2018 season in Tucson. Bryant is coming off a 12-36 season in 2017. Former WIldcat volunteer assistant coach Nick French is the assistant coach at Bryant. UA is 3-0 all-time vs. Bryant; the Cats defeated Bryant 5-0 at the CSUN/LMU Tournament. Full series history on page 5.
Louisiana-Monroe: The Warhawks (3-1) had their offense on full display in three victories at the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe; ULM averaged close to 11 runs per game in wins over Grambling State, North Texas and Stephen F. Austin. Arizona won the lone previous meeting on 3/16/2000 (3-0).
Montana: The Griz (0-5) struggled to a winless start at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament in Phoenix. Montana lost to host Grand Canyon twice as well as Pacific, Weber State and No. 1 Oklahoma. AshlynLyons hit .400 with three RBI in the tournament. UA and Montana have never met.
WHO'S HOT?
Jessie Harper: The sophomore became the first Wildcat since 2013 (Lauren Young) to record two straight multi-homer games when she hit four homers in her final six at-bats in the Kajikawa Classic. She now has multiple home runs in seven of her 66 career games. Harper, whose four homers are second in the NCAA, led the team with a .533 batting average, 1.333 slugging percentage and 10 RBI.
Reyna Carranco: After posting five extra-base hits in 141 at-bats as a freshman last season, Carranco had a home run and two doubles in her first 16 at-bats of 2018. She hit .438, slugged .750, drove in six runs and scored seven, including four vs. Fresno State.
Dejah Mulipola: After an 0-for-4 start to the season, Mulipola had four straight two-hit games to close out the Kajikawa Classic, going 8-for-12 (.667) over those four games. Mulipola homered twice and slugged .938 in the opening weekend. The sophomore now has 21 multi-hit games in her 65-game career.
Taylor McQuillin: After a rocky day 1 of the 2018 season, McQuillin responded with two dominant complete game victories in her second and third starts of the year, including her first career no-hitter vs. New Mexico in which she faced one over the minimum and struck out 11 of the 16 Lobos she faced. In all, McQuillin struck out 26 batters in just 15 innings. She ranks second in the conference and ninth in the country.
Alyssa Denham: Her first weekend in a Wildcat uniform was a good one. Denham allowed only one earned run over 12 innings, good for a 0.58 ERA, seventh best in the Pac-12. The Louisiana-Lafayette transfer struck out 10 and held opponents to a .200 average.
LAST WEEK
- Arizona went 4-1 at the Kajikawa Classic with victories over Northwestern (4-1), UC Davis (6-1), Fresno State (13-1, 5) and New Mexico (8-0, 5) and loss to No. 24 Oklahoma State (4-9).
- UA, the reigning NCAA home run leaders, hit 12 home runs in five games. That figure ranks third in the country behind Pac-12 foes Oregon (17) and Washington (16). Jessie Harper led the Wildcats with four, while Dejah Mulipola, Aleah Craighton and Alyssa Palomino had two apiece.
- The Wildcats stole eight bases on the weekend (in eight tries), more than they did in any weekend in 2017. Dejah Mulipola, Ashleigh Hughes and Jenna Kean had two apiece.
ARIZONA AT THE HILLENBRAND INVITATIONAL: Arizona is 107-3 (.973) all-time in the Hillenbrand Invitational and has not lost since 2009 (Creighton). Last season, UA went 5-0 with victories over Fordham (8-1), Cal State Northridge (6-0), No. 21 Baylor (4-0), Northwestern (11-3) and Tulsa (10-2) in the season-opening event. Arizona has hosted the event 21 times since 1994, the year after Hillenbrand Stadium's opening. For a full breakdown of Arizona's history in the Hillenbrand Invitational, head to page 5.
CIRCLE IT: Arizona has finished second in the Pac-12 in each of the last two years (2016 - 2.67, 2017 - 1.45). Each of the last two seasons, Arizona's team ERA and walks-per-seven-innings are trending down while its strikeouts-per-seven-innings are trending upwards. This season, UA will need to replace 2017 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American
Danielle O'Toole, who led the conference in ERA (1.21) and finished second in strikeouts (210) and victories (30).
HARPER HOMERS: Power-hitting shortstop
Jessie Harper matched her jersey number with 19 home runs in her rookie campaign and became Arizona's first true freshman to earn first-team NFCA All-America honors since Kenzie Fowler in 2010. The Stevenson Ranch, California native is off to a hot start in 2018, she recorded back-to-back two-homer games vs. Fresno State and New Mexico, the first time a Wildcat had accomplished that since 2013 (Lauren Young). Her four home runs rank second nationally and she leads the team in batting average (.533), slugging percentage (1.333) and RBI (10). Harper is one of four Wildcats named to the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 "Watch List".
GEAUXING OUT WITH A BANG: Two-time NFCA All-American outfielder
Aleah Craighton is set to finish her career in Tucson after a decorated three-year career at Louisiana Lafayette. Craighton hit .365 in her Ragin Cajun career with 48 homers, 154 RBI and a .794 slugging percentage. She was named a Hero Sports Preseason All-American and is on the USA Softball Player of the Year "Watch List".
DEJAH VU: Dejah Mulipola will look to duplicate her impressive rookie campaign in year 2 in Tucson. As a freshman, Mulipola, who was one of 25 finalists for NFCA DI Freshman of the Year, hit .335 with 12 doubles, 12 homers and three triples. Mulipola has caught 65 of UA's 66 games in her career. The sophomore, who will play for USA Softball this summer, was selected to the USA Softball Player of the Year "Watch List". She is hitting .500 with a double and two home runs this season.
TAYLOR'S TIME: After complementing ace
Danielle O'Toole during McQuillin's freshman and sophomore seasons, it's now the junior's time to shine. McQuillin one of the most decorated high school pitchers in recent history has been terrific in her complementary role. Last year, McQuillin was one of 34 finalists for USA Softball Pitcher of the Year; this year, she begins the season on the Top 50 "Watch List". McQuillin recorded her first career no-hitter while flirting with perfection in her third start of 2017. She fanned 11 of the 16 New Mexico batters she faced on Feb. 11. The strikeout specialist who finished 12th in the country last year, averaging 9.2 strikeouts per seven innings, is rapidly climbing the UA career strikeout charts.
MINOR SETBACKS, MAJOR COMEBACK: A torn right ACL on day 1 of fall practice cost
Alyssa Palomino her true freshman season in 2016. In her return in 2017, she was among the conference leaders and national freshman leaders in home runs (16) and RBI (54) heading into the postseason. Two days prior to the Tucson Regional, Palomino tore her left ACL in practice. Now, the redshirt sophomore is ready to overcome both devastating injuries. Palomino, who made the switch from the outfield to first base, hit two homers in her first action back last weekend.
QUEEN REYNA: Reyna Carranco led the Wildcats with a .419 batting average in conference play last season. Dating back to the beginning of Pac-12 play in 2017, Carranco is hitting .470 over her last 38 games (47-100).
HOME RUN U
- Arizona has hit 2,023 home runs since softball became a Division I sport in 1982, the most of any team in NCAA history.
- Arizona has four of the top six home run hitters in NCAA history, including Katiyana Mauga, who hit a Pac-12 record 92 from 2014-17, three shy of the NCAA record.
- The Wildcats led the country with 94 home runs last season, their third time in the last nine years pacing the NCAA. Overall, UA has led the country nine times since 1994.
- Arizona has hit 100-or-more home runs six times in program history. Only two other schools have hit the century mark more than twice (UTSA and Louisiana Lafayette).
- UA is third in the country this season with 12 long balls, led by Jessie Harper's four.
BEATING THE BEST: Since 1994, Arizona is above .500 against ranked teams, top-10 teams and top-five competition. UA is 557-251-1 (.690) against ranked competition, 262-163 (.617) against top-10 teams and 128-111 (.536) against top-five teams.
R31GNING SUPREME: Arizona has appeared in every NCAA Tournament since 1988,
Mike Candrea's second year on campus. That's an NCAA-Record 31 consecutive years in the tournament for Arizona. Not only is that the longest active streak, but it is seven years longer than the second longest streak. The 31 straight seasons breaks Fresno State's inactive 30-year streak.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: This fall, Arizona brought back Wildcat All-American, National Champion and 2007 Women's College World Series MVP
Taryne Mowatt as an assistant coach, joining
Caitlin Lowe on
Mike Candrea's all-Arizona staff. Mowatt and Lowe were teammates on both the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Championship squad. Their combined four NCAA titles in addition to Coach Candrea's eight give Arizona's coaching staff a total of 12 as either a head coach or player, the most in NCAA softball. Add in Director of Recruiting-Operations
Stacy Iveson, who helped lead UA to three NCAA titles as an assistant coach (96, 97, 01) before winning four NJCAA titles as a head coach at Pima and Yavapai College, you won't find a staff with championship pedigree quite like Arizona's.
FOLLOW THE TEAM: Be sure to follow the Wildcats on their social media platforms. To stay up-to-date on all the latest happenings with the team, follow Arizona softball on Twitter and Instagram (@ArizonaSoftball).
