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1991 & 1997 NCAA Championships

Softball Arizona Athletics

On This Day (May 26): Arizona Softball Wins the 1991 & 1997 NCAA Championships

TUCSON, Ariz. -- May 26 has been a special day in Arizona softball history, with the Wildcats winning a quarter of their NCAA Championships on this date. Both May 26, 1991 and May 26, 1997 ended with the Wildcats atop the college softball world, bringing home the NCAA Championship to Tucson after sound defeats of rival UCLA. Arizona's incredible run in the 1990s, when it won five titles in a seven-year span from 1991-1997, both began and ended on May 26.
 

May 26, 1991: Arizona 5, UCLA 1
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Arizona 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 - 5 7 0
UCLA 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 4 1

WP: Debby Day (30-8) • LP: Heather Compton (22-4) 
3B: Julie Jones (5)



Arizona wins its first women's team national championship in any sport. Pitching (Debby Day 30-8, 0.50; Susie Parra 14-3, 0.43; Julie Jones 12-5, 1.21) and defense (.970 team fielding percentage, Julie Standering 187 assists at shortstop) were keys to the season. The Cats also stole 119 bases. Jones (.350), Jamie Heggen (.330), Kristin Gauthier (.300), Standering (.296) and Jody Miller (.272) had outstanding seasons at the plate.  The Cats beat No. 1-ranked UCLA twice at the College World Series to earn the championship, including a 5-1 victory in the title game. UA had four extra-inning games in the classic. The Cats used short-game tactics much of the year and were led by Standering with 30 and Miller with 20 stolen bases. Arizona finished the year 56-16 overall. The Cats were frustrated in the tough Pac-10 Conference at 11-9 and a fourth-place finish.
1991 Softball National Champions
1991 ROSTER
 
# Name Year  Position  Hometown (Last School)
1 Susie Parra Fr.  P Scottsdale, Ariz. (Chaparral H.S.)
2 Kristin GauthierAC2 Sr.  OF Yuma, Ariz. (Yuma H.S.)
3 Stephanie Salcidio Jr.  INF  Phoenix, Ariz. (Shadow Mountain H.S.)
4 Julie StanderingAA1, AC1  Sr.  INF Anaheim, Calif. (Katella H.S.)
5 Susie Duarte  Fr. INF Tucson, Ariz. (Pueblo H.S.)
7 Julie JonesAA2, AC1  Sr.  1B/P Yuma, Ariz. (Arizona Western J.C.)
8 Marcie Aguilar Sr.  INF Tucson, Ariz. (Pima C.C.)
10 Renee Rosas  So. C Yuma, Ariz. (Kofa H.S.)
11 Lisa Guise  So. INF Santa Maria, Calif. (Righetti H.S.)
15 Jody Miller  So.  C Phoenix, Ariz. (Moon Valley H.S.)
16 Teresa Castillo Fr.  OF Tucson, Ariz. (Cholla H.S.)
22 Suzie Lady  Sr.  OF Glendale, Ariz. (Independence H.S.)
23 Stacy Redondo  So. OF/INF Tucson, Ariz. (Cholla H.S.)
24 Jamie HeggenAC1  So. OF Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Moorpark J.C.)
32 Debby DayAA3, AC2  Jr.  P/1B Sylmar, Calif. (UTA)
HC: Mike Candrea (6th season)
AC: Larry Ray (6th season)
AC: Lisa Bernstein (1st season)
 
May 26, 1997: Arizona 10, UCLA 2 (5 innings)
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Arizona 2 4 0 0 4 X X - 10 11 0
UCLA 0 2 0 1 0 X X - 2 5 2

WP: Nancy Evans (36-2) • LP: Christa Williams (21-8)
2B: Nancy Evans (11) 



Arizona was ranked No. 1 much of the season and just decided to stay on top, completing a remarkable 61-5 season with its fifth NCAA Championship and second back-to-back effort.

UA was represented by five first-team All-Americans as selected by the nation's coaches — pitcher Nancy Evans, catcher Leah Braatz, first baseman Leah O'Brien, third baseman Leticia Pineda and outfielder Alison Johnsen.

But individual honors were the gravy as the Cats stayed locked on target throughout a focused season playing for a single goal. Integrating a number of young players with championship veterans, coach Mike Candrea kept his team playing hard the whole year. Hard enough for a 26-1 finish and Pac-10 Championship; hard enough for a 27-4 mark against ranked teams. (The Pac-10 record was to stand as the best ever as league coaches later voted for a 21-game conference slate.)
    
Johnsen set a lot of tone in the regular season, finishing with a UA-record .534 batting average and an NCAA-record 132 hits. O'Brien capped a remarkable career by using her talent at its best when all the chips were on the table: she collected 9 hits and 6 RBI in the College World Series and finished her CWS career with an incredible total of 31 hits and 19 RBI in four different classics. 

Evans, with a then-Arizona record 36 pitching victories, also saved some best for the last part of the year. She threw all five Arizona games at the World Series and finished the year with verve as UA topped UCLA 10-2 in a runaway title game. 

Coach Mike Candrea was named NFCA Division I National Coach of the Year, Pacific Region Coach of the Year and Pac-10 Coach of the Year. 

1997 Softball National Champions
1997 ROSTER
 
# Name Year  Position  Hometown (Last School)
3 Carrie DolanAC2  Sr.  P Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos H.S.)
5 Katie Swan  Fr.  IF Phoenix, Ariz. (Chaparral H.S.)
6 Alison JohnsenAA1, AC1  Jr.  IF Irvine, Calif. (Woodbridge H.S.)
7 Lety PinedaAA1, AC1  Jr.  C Tucson, Ariz. (Desert View H.S.)
10 Julie Reitan Jr.  OF Tucson, Ariz. (Sahuaro H.S.)
11 Lisa Pitt So. IF/P Buena Park, Calif. (Kennedy H.S.)
12 Lindsay Mullins  Fr.  C Glendale, Ariz. (Ironwood H.S.)
13 Nancy EvansAA1, AC1  Jr.  P/IF Glendale, Calif. (Hoover H.S.)
18 Tiana Hejduk  Jr.  1B Cardiff, Calif. (Boston Univ.)
20 Leah O'BrienAA1, AC1  Sr.  1B/OF Chino, Calif. (Don Lugo H.S.)
21 Michelle Churnock  So. SS Orange, Calif. (Foothill H.S.)
22 Andrea Doty  Sr.  OF Midway City, Calif. (Westminster H.S.)
26 Brandi Shriver  Sr.  OF Glendale, Ariz. (Deer Valley H.S.)
31 Leah BraatzAA1, AC1  Jr.  C Costa Mesa, Calif. (Estancia H.S.)
99 Chrissy Gil  Fr.  OF West Covina, Calif. (Bishop Amat H.S.)
HC: Mike Candrea (12th season)
AC: Stacy Hill (3rd season)
AC: Amy Chellevold (2nd season)
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