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Wildcat Invitational

Softball Arizona Athletics

2020 Wildcat Invitational Tournament Central

WILDCAT INVITATIONAL
MARCH 6-8 • HILLENBRAND STADIUM
Tickets • Fan Guide • Clear Bag Policy 

#4 ARIZONA (21-3)
BOISE STATE (14-11)
INDIANA (9-9)
SIUE (13-5)
SOUTH DAKOTA (11-15)
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THE GAMES
DATE TIME (MST) MATCHUP/RESULT LINKS
Friday, March 6 SIUE 4, Indiana 1 Box Score
Friday, March 6 Indiana 5, South Dakota 1 Box Score
Friday, March 6 Boise State 7, SIUE 1 Box Score
Friday, March 6 Arizona 9, South Dakota 1 (6) Recap • Box Score
Saturday, March 7 Indiana 5, Boise State 0 Box Score
Saturday, March 7 Indiana 9, South Dakota 0 (5) Box Score
Saturday, March 7 Arizona 2, Boise State 1 Recap • Box Score
Saturday, March 7 Arizona 15, SIUE 2 Recap • Box Score
Saturday, March 7 SIUE 3, South Dakota 0 Box Score
Sunday, March 8 SIUE 3, Boise State 2 Box Score
Sunday, March 8 Arizona 6, Indiana 1 Recap • Box Score
Sunday, March 8 Boise State 5, South Dakota 0 Box Score

WEEKLY NOTES
 
LEADING OFF
  • Fourth-ranked Arizona comes home one of the hottest teams in the nation after sweeping the Easton Crimson Classic, including a pair of wins vs. eighth-ranked Alabama. UA was the only top-10 team to not lose a game last week.
  • Mariah Lopez was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for her dominance in Tuscaloosa. The senior went 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 17.0 innings pitched with two wins over Alabama in a 24-hour span.
  • Arizona wraps up the nonconference portion of its schedule with this week's Wildcat Invitational; the Cats open Pac-12 play next weekend at home vs. Oregon State.
  • In Arizona's five-game sweep last weekend, it stole eight bases in eight tries, bringing its season total to 21. That's already exceeds last season's 62-game total of 14. Two UA freshmen, Isabella Dayton and Janelle Meono, have combined for 11.
  • Last weekend, Jessie Harper hit career home runs No. 72 and 73, moving into a tie for 18th place in NCAA history. She is chasing Lauren Chamberlain's NCAA record (95).
  • Arizona has two of the NCAA's three active career home runs leaders; Jessie Harper leads the way with 71 while Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza is third with 59.
  • The Wildcats also have the current NCAA leader in career winning percentage. Mariah Lopez has a career record of 61-4 (.938). She needs 10 more decisions to be eligible for the NCAA record, held by Arizona's Nancy Evans (120-8, .938).

ARIZONA TO HOST WILDCAT INVITATIONAL    
  • We've reached the final week of nonconference play in the Pac-12 and the Wildcats will welcome Boise State, Indiana, SIUE and South Dakota for the annual Wildcat Invitational at Hillenbrand Stadium. 
  • The Wildcats, winners of six straight games, come into the week with a 17-3 record. Boise State comes in 12-8 on the season, Indiana is 6-7, SIUE is 10-3 and South Dakota is 11-10 on the season.
  • Arizona is 115-4 all-time in the Wildcat Invitational, which the Wildcats have hosted 23 previous times. The Wildcats have won 18 consecutive games in the event, including a 6-0 weekend last season. Last year, Arizona beat Kent State (twice), and Drake (twice), as well as #23 Minnesota and #19 James Madison.
  • After two straight weeks on the road, the Wildcats return to Hillenbrand Stadium this weekend for the first four of eight consecutive games at home over the next two weeks. Arizona is 4-1 at home this year and 13-2 on the road.
  • Schedule
    • Friday: The Wildcat Invitational opens with four games on Friday. Arizona has the last game of the day vs. South Dakota at 5:30 p.m. 
    • Saturday: The event continues with a jam-packed Saturday at Hillenbrand with five games beginning at 9 a.m. MST. Arizona will play games 3 and 4 of the day vs. Boise State and SIUE in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. MST.
    • Sunday: The Wildcat Invitational concludes with three games on Sunday. Arizona plays the middle game vs. Indiana beginning at 11:15 a.m. MST.
  • Live Coverage
    • T.V.: N/A
    • Live Stream: All of Arizona's games will be streamed for free at arizonawildcats.com/SBLIVE. The eight non-Arizona games will be streamed by FloSoftball for a fee.
    • Live Stats: Live stats for all games this weekend will be available at arizonastats.com.
  • Tickets: Tickets for this weekend's games and all 31 home games this 2020 season are available at arizonawildcats.com/SB. 
  • Parking
    • Friday: $5 parking will be available on the Center Mall and in Cherry Garage. Campus lots and meters will be free beginning at 4 p.m.
    • Saturday: Center mall parking is not available. Free parking will be available in the Second Street Garage and lots surrounding Hillenbrand Stadium until 4:30 p.m.
    • Sunday: $5 parking will be available on the Center Mall. Parking will be free in Cherry Garage and campus lots/meters. 

BOISE STATE BRONCOS (12-8)    
  • Boise State went 3-2 at the highly competitive Judi Garman Classic last week in Fullerton, California, with wins over BYU, Loyola Marymount and Grand Canyon and losses to Cal State Fullerton and #3 Texas.
  • Offensively, the Crimson Tide is led by Alison Seng, who is hitting .418 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
  • Series History: Arizona has won all three matchups between the two clubs, all three of which occurred at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2013.

INDIANA HOOSIERS (6-7)    
  • Indiana went 3-1 in the Fairfield Crabtree Invitational last weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina, outscoring its four opponents 27-5.
  • Gabbi Jenkins leads the Indiana offense, hitting .450 with eight of the team's 26 stolen bases on the year.
  • In the circle, Emily Goodin has pitched 69.2 of the team's 82.2 innings and owns a 1.71 ERA with 71 strikeouts and a .165 batting average against.
  • Series History: Arizona holds a 5-2 all-time advantage over Indiana and have won five straight in the series; both Indiana's wins came prior to Mike Candrea's time on campus.

SIUE COUGARS (10-3)    
  • SIUE went 3-2 at last weekend's Purple & Gold Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee with two wins over UMBC and one vs. Lipscomb and losses to Lipscomb and Indiana State.
  • The Cougars are hitting .315 as a team and have five hitters above .375 on the year, including Kloe Hilbrenner, who leads the way at .438.
  • Series History: Arizona and SIUE have never met.

SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES (11-10)    
  • South Dakota has won six of its last eight games, including a 3-2 showing at the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico last weekend with two wins over Northern Colorado and one vs. La Salle and a pair of close losses to host New Mexico.
  • The Coyotes are led by former Arizona State head coach Robert Wagner, who is in his fourth season at South Dakota.
  • Series History: Arizona has won its only matchup with South Dakota, a 9-1, five-inning win in the 2018 Wildcat Classic.

LAST WEEK (5-0 • EASTON CRIMSON CLASSIC)    
  • Arizona went 5-0 at the Easton Crimson Classic last weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
  • The Wildcats picked up a pair of wins vs. eighth-ranked Alabama in a 24-hour span, the first time it had won back-to-back games vs. a top-10 foe since beating No. 8 Arizona State on April 21 and April 22, 2018.
  • Mariah Lopez, who went 3-0 with two wins vs. the Crimson Tide and a 1.65 ERA in 23 strikeouts in 17.0 innings pitched, was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week.
  • Arizona defeated Alabama twice, 2-1 and 6-5, and McNeese State twice, 7-2 and 2-0, as well as a single win over UT Arlington (9-1, 6 innings).
  • Jessie Harper with 7-for-18 (.389) and led the team with two home runs and nine RBI on the weekend. 
  • Arizona stole eight bases over the five games, two each by freshmen Isabella Dayton and Janelle Meono.
  • In the final game of the weekend, Arizona freshman catcher Sharlize Palacios was injured in a scary collision at home plate in the second inning vs. UT Arlington. She was transported to the hospital to be evaluated for a head/neck injury and was released hours later and traveled back with the team. Palacios is recovering and is day-to-day.
  • Game 1 - #7 Arizona 7, McNeese State 2: Alyssa Denham had her no-hit bid ended with one out in the top of the sixth inning, but she led the Cats to a win in the weekend opener. Jessie Harper homered in the game.
  • Game 2 - #7 Arizona 2, #8 Alabama 1: Mariah Lopez's nine-strikeout gem led the Cats in a top-10 pitchers' duel. Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza broke a 1-1 tied in the top of the seventh with a game-winning RBI single.
  • Game 3 - #7 Arizona 6, #8 Alabama 5: In a wild back-and-forth game, the Crimson Tide scored three runs with two out in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-3 lead into the seventh. With two down and nobody out, Arizona mounted a two-out rally for the ages after being down to its final strike, culminated by a Malia Martinez game-winning three-run homer.
  • Game 4 - #7 Arizona 2, McNeese State 0: Mariah Lopez threw a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts, leading UA to a 2-0 win in Saturday's nightcap.
  • Game 5 - #7 Arizona 9, UT Arlington 1 (6): Jessie Harper and Hannah Martinez homered in Arizona's run-rule win to close out the weekend.

RANKINGS     
NFCA: #4 • USA Softball: #5 • D1 Softball: #4
  • After it was the only top-10 team to not lose a game last week, Arizona jumped from seventh to fourth in this week's NFCA Top 25, the biggest jump of any school in the rankings.
  • UA is one of five Pac-12 teams in the poll, three of which are in the top four. In all, eight of the nine league teams are receiving votes in the poll.
  • Preseason: Arizona began the season ranked fifth in the country by the NFCA, its highest preseason ranking since 2011 (#2). The No. 5 ranking matched UA's final ranking from 2019.
  • The Wildcats are currently 4-2 this season vs. ranked opponents.
  • The Cats' schedule is again among the toughest in the nation. UA is scheduled to play five of the other nine top-10 teams in the country and nine total ranked teams.
  • Of Arizona's 17 games vs. teams currently ranked in the top 25, 14 of them will (or have already) take place away from Hillenbrand Stadium.
WHO'S HOT?    
  • Mariah Lopez: The reigning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week went 3-0 at the Easton Crimson Classic with two wins vs. #8 Alabama in a 24-hour span. She posted a 1.65 ERA over three appearances. Lopez is 10-2 this season, one win shy of the NCAA lead.
  • Jessie Harper: The senior led the Wildcats in hits (7), home runs (2) and RBI (9) in the Easton Crimson Classic. On the season, Harper leads the team with a .373 average to go along with seven homers and 22 RBI. 
  • Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza: The senior has reached base in 19 of Arizona's 20 games this season, including an active eight-game streak, the longest on the team.
  • Hannah Martinez: The junior entered last Saturday with six career extra-base hits, none of which had occurred in 2020. That changed over the span of two games when she hit a career-high two doubles vs. McNeese State and then homered the next day vs. UT Arlington.
  • Alyssa Denham: Three of her last six starts have been shutouts, dating back to her no-hitter vs. Long Beach State (2/16). She is third in the NCAA with four shutouts this season.

SENIOR SALUTE    
  • Arizona has been its stellar senior class in 2020: Reyna Carranco, Alyssa Denham, Jessie Harper, Mariah Lopez, Malia Martinez and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza.
  • The Wildcat senior class has won 160 games with a .792 winning percentage in their careers.
  • Offensively, the four position-playing seniors have hit a combined .343 in their careers with 162 home runs and 576 RBI.
  • In the circle, both Denham (Louisiana-Lafayette) and Lopez (Oklahoma) started their careers elsewhere but are set for their grand finales in the cardinal and navy. In their careers, they have combined to go 108-16 with a 1.82 ERA and 763 strikeouts.
  • All six have had excellent starts to their senior seasons.

THE CHASE FOR HISTORY    
  • Two legends, two Hall of Famers, Arizona's Mike Candrea and Michigan's Carol Hutchins, are battling it out to become the winningest coach in the sport's history. 
  • In 2019, Candrea became the fastest coach in NCAA history, in any sport, in any division, to record 1,600 career wins. 
  • The two enter the week tied with 1,628 career wins. Candrea's victories have occurred over 33 years of coaching at Arizona (his record does not include UA's 2004 and 2008 records when he was coaching the Olympic team) while Hutchins is in her 37th year (including a season in NCAA Division II).

CAT CLICKS
2020 Schedule
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Players Mentioned

Reyna Carranco

#5 Reyna Carranco

2B
5' 6"
Senior
Alyssa Denham

#22 Alyssa Denham

P
6' 1"
Senior
Jessie Harper

#19 Jessie Harper

SS
5' 6"
Senior
Hannah Martinez

#2 Hannah Martinez

OF
5' 7"
Junior
Malia Martinez

#17 Malia Martinez

3B
5' 7"
Senior
Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza

#32 Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza

OF
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Isabella Dayton

#33 Isabella Dayton

OF
5' 6"
Freshman
Mariah Lopez

#42 Mariah Lopez

P
5' 8"
Senior
Janelle Meoño

#6 Janelle Meoño

OF
5' 4"
Freshman
Sharlize Palacios

#18 Sharlize Palacios

C
5' 6"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Reyna Carranco

#5 Reyna Carranco

5' 6"
Senior
2B
Alyssa Denham

#22 Alyssa Denham

6' 1"
Senior
P
Jessie Harper

#19 Jessie Harper

5' 6"
Senior
SS
Hannah Martinez

#2 Hannah Martinez

5' 7"
Junior
OF
Malia Martinez

#17 Malia Martinez

5' 7"
Senior
3B
Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza

#32 Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
OF
Isabella Dayton

#33 Isabella Dayton

5' 6"
Freshman
OF
Mariah Lopez

#42 Mariah Lopez

5' 8"
Senior
P
Janelle Meoño

#6 Janelle Meoño

5' 4"
Freshman
OF
Sharlize Palacios

#18 Sharlize Palacios

5' 6"
Freshman
C
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