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TIP OF THE CAP TO ARIZONA SOFTBALL

I would like to open this week's Wildcat Wednesday by taking a moment to reflect on the special season Arizona Softball is having. What Coach Candrea and the Wildcats are accomplishing defines excellence in nearly every facet of the program beginning with Coach earning his 1,600^th career win at Arizona over the weekend. He achieved the feat in truly historic fashion by becoming the fastest coach, in any sport, in NCAA history to reach 1,600 wins in a career. It's another one-of-a-kind accolade in the career of one of the greatest coaches in college sports.
 
Arizona swept Stanford at home last weekend as the environment at Hillenbrand Softball Stadium continues its reputation as one of the best in the nation. We are seeing capacity crowds at each home game as Arizona Softball has become one of the hottest tickets in town. Our electric home crowds have been a large part of the team's current 20-game winning streak overall, which includes a 15-0 start to Pac-12 play for just the second time in program history.
 
This is an exciting time for Arizona Softball as the talent of the program is on display every time the Wildcats take the field. The team plays at California this weekend before returning for their final home series of the regular season versus No. 4 Washington. Bear Down this weekend in Berkeley, and we will see everyone back at Hillenbrand starting on Friday, May 3 at 5 p.m.
 
BACK THE A

May 1 is an important day at Arizona Athletics as that is the deadline to renew your Arizona Football season tickets and Wildcat Club memberships, including Men's Basketball priority seating. Now is the time for us to Bear Down and Back the A as we get ready for next year. The commitment and unwavering support of our Southern Arizona community helps make our athletics department and the University of Arizona the special places that they are.
 

 
We've completed many key projects to enhance the fan experience at our venues, and we continue to make gamedays a time for memories for all of our fans, alumni and supporters. Our campus comes alive when the Wildcats play and that dynamic energy that fills our community is powered by everyone who wears the colors and dons the Block A. Renew or purchase new season tickets by May 1 and let's Back the A.
 
THE 2019 CATSYS



Monday was a fantastic night of celebration as we honored our student-athletes for their athletic, academic and community achievements with the third annual CATSYS. Channing Frye, who just retired from the NBA after 13 seasons, returned to McKale Center to host. It was awesome to see his special connection to the University of Arizona on display. He talked about how much his time as a Wildcat shaped his future as an NBA first round pick, and his message resonated with our student-athletes from all of our programs.
 
Congratulations to our many award winners and to all of the Wildcats in attendance for making the CATSYS such a memorable event. It is our privilege to highlight all of the great accomplishments from all of our programs. Thank you for making Arizona Athletics the outstanding place it is today.
 
WOMEN'S GOLF IN NCAA'S



Coach Ianello and Arizona Women's Golf are fresh off their strong finish at the Pac-12 Championships where they finished second to host USC. The defending national champions learned their postseason plans during today's NCAA Championship Selection Show, and the Wildcats are off to the East Lansing Regional hosted by Michigan State. The team will take on a loaded field that includes No. 4 Stanford, No. 12 Kent State, No. 14 UCLA, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 22 Campbell starting on Monday, May 6 as the Golf Channel will provide television coverage of the third day of action.
 
BEAR DOWN BEACH VOLLEYBALL

As the historic Arizona Beach Volleyball season continues with a 14-match winning streak intact, the Wildcats are building on the winningest season in program history. The success of Coach Walker and the Wildcats has elevated the program on the national stage, and it's been a pleasure to see all of our Beach Volleyball student-athletes proudly representing the University of Arizona during the program's best year.
 
A trip to Los Angeles for the Pac-12 Championships is the next stop for the program as they look to continue their record-breaking season. Arizona, the fourth seed in the tournament, opens postseason play versus Stanford at 10:30 a.m. (MST) on Thursday, April 25 on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
AN ARIZONA NBA G LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

We want to congratulate Arizona men's basketball letter winner Joseph Blair on coaching the Rio Grande Vipers to an NBA G League championship earlier this month. Joseph and the Vipers earned their rings in his first season as head coach. It's always a great sight to see former Wildcats go on to win professional championships. Congrats Joseph and Bear Down!
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

To view the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links, click HERE. (Note: All times are listed as Mountain Standard Time, i.e. Tucson time.)
 
To access live stats from your desktop or mobile device, visit ArizonaLiveStats.com.
 
WEAR THE COLORS – SHARE THE PHOTOS
 
Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! If your photo submission did not make this week's edition of the Wildcat Wednesday, please check our "Wear the Colors" album at facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics on Fridays.
 
NOTE: Please submit photos for Wildcat Wednesday with an original email to uofaad@arizona.edu using the subject line 'Wildcat Wednesday photo.' Also, please ensure all submissions are clear and properly lit. We also ask that you identify everyone in the photo so we can highlight them accordingly.
 
 
 
 
 
Continue to do what you can to help Arizona Athletics and: 

1. Bear Down with us today! Join the Wildcat Club to make an impact on our student-athletes' experience.
2. Buy Season Tickets
3. Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
4. Encourage Others to Do the Same

 
Bear Down with Pride,

Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu