WEEK 4 (FEB. 27-MARCH 1): WILDCAT INVITATIONAL // Tucson, Ariz.
#15/14 Arizona Wildcats (15-3) // Colorado State Rams (7-12), UTEP Miners (3-16), UC Riverside Highlanders (14-5), UT Arlington Mavericks (11-7), Bryant Bulldogs (4-4)
THE GAMES
Friday, Feb. 27
UC Riverside 7, Colorado State 1
UC Riverside 7, Bryant 2
UT Arlington 15, Bryant 5 (5 innings)
ARIZONA 6, Colorado State 3
ARIZONA 9, UTEP 1 (5 innings)
UT Arlington 12, UTEP 6
Saturday, Feb. 28
Colorado State 7, Bryant 1
Bryant 7, UTEP 4
UTEP 9, Colorado State 8
ARIZONA 10, UC Riverside 2 (5 innings)
ARIZONA 10, UT Arlington 2 (5 innings)
UC Riverside 2, UT Arlington 1
Sunday, March 1
9:00 a.m. UC Riverside vs. UTEP
11:00 a.m. UT Arlington vs. Colorado State
1:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Bryant
3:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Bryant
FOLLOW THE CATS
Live Stream: http://pac-12.com/videos/university-arizona-2
Live Stats: http://arizonalivestats.com
Live Updates: Twitter: @UA_Softball (twitter.com/ua_softball)
THIS WEEK: 15th-ranked Arizona (11-3) hosts the Wildcat Invitational for the 19th time in school history, and second consecutive year. The Wildcats welcome Colorado State (6-9), UTEP (2-13), UC Riverside (11-4), UT Arlington (9-5) and Bryant (3-1) to Hillenbrand Stadium for the three-day, 16-game event. All-time, Arizona owns a 89-3 (.967) record in 18 previous events. UA’s last loss in the Wildcat Invitational came in 2008 to Creighton (2-1). Arizona will look to bounce back from a 2-3 weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic where the Cats fell in a trio of close contests to ranked opponents. Arizona lost to 11th-ranked Kentucky 5-2 before falling in one-run affairs to No. 14 LSU (4-3) and No. 18 Missouri (3-2). Arizona defeated No. 4 Oklahoma 5-4 on a Kellie Fox walkoff home run and Northwestern 7-6.
LEADING OFF
- Arizona is 89-3 (.967) all-time in the Wildcat Invitational and has not lost since 2008 (Creighton).
- Arizona is 11-0 on the season when scoring more than three runs and 0-3 when scoring three or fewer.
- The Wildcats have proven power throughout the lineup (109 homers led the country in 2014), but Arizona has added a new element to its offensive attack in 2015: speed. Arizona has stolen 21 bases this season in 21 tries. The 21 steals are third in the Pac-12 and near Arizona’s 2014 total of 24 stolen bases. On the other side of the ball, Chelsea Goodacre has allowed just two steals in six attempts.
- Additionally, Arizona has already hit eight triples in 2015. The eight three-baggers lead the Pac-12 and equal UA’s 2014 60-game total of eight. In 2012 and 2013, Arizona hit a combined six triples (2 in 2012, 4 in 2013).
- The Wildcats have hit more home runs (15) than opponents have total runs (11)
- Chelsea Goodacre hit her 50th career home run vs. Northwestern at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The senior needs two more home runs to crack the Arizona top-10 in career homers.
- Over the last two calendar years, Arizona owns seven victories over top-five competition. Most recently, the Cats defeated No. 4 Oklahoma, 5-4, on Kellie Fox’s walkoff homer in the bottom of the seventh on Feb. 19 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. It was Arizona’s first victory over Oklahoma in the last nine games of the series.
- UA already owns two walkoff wins this season. Ashleigh Hughes hit a two-run, come-from-behind triple in the bottom of the eighth to beat Oklahoma State (3-2) on Feb. 8. On Feb. 19, Kellie Fox hit a walkoff homer to break a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the seventh vs. No. 4 Oklahoma. Both walkoff hits went to the opposite field.
- After a 6-0 weekend at the Hillenbrand Invitational, Arizona is 623-72 (.896) all-time at Hillenbrand Stadium. More impressively, UA has lost just 17 nonconference games in the stadium’s 22-plus years; its 377-17 record in such games equates to 96 victories in every 100 games.
- The Wildcats have scored more runs (101) than opponents have total hits (72).
- Arizona has walked just 26 batters (2.05 walks/7 IP) this season, second fewest in the Pac-12. This bucks a recent concerning trend. In 2014, UA pitchers walked 5.35/7 IP. 2013 - 3.98/7; 2012 - 3.78/7; 2011 - 4.17/7.
- Underclassmen seem to be adjusting well to the collegiate game. Freshmen and sophomore are hitting .379 with 10 of Arizona’s 17 home runs. Meanwhile the upperclassmen are hitting .339 on the season.
OPPONENTS
Colorado State: The Rams (6-9) went 2-3 at the Diamond Devil Invitational last weekend in Tempe. CSU is led offensively by Danielle Wikre (.318 avg, 5 HR, 17 RBI). The pitching staff, which goes six deep, is led by Maison Kilcrease (1-1, 2.37 ERA, 11 Ks, 23.2 IP). Arizona has won all 14 all-time matchups between the two schools.
Series History: Arizona 14-0 // First Meeting: 1986 // Last Meeting: 5/15/2003; Arizona 11, Colorado State 1 (5 innings); Tucson, Ariz. (NCAA Regional)
UTEP: The Miners (2-13) enter the Wildcat Invitational on an eight game losing streak which includes losses to three ranked opponents. UTEP is led by Kawehiokalani Netane (.354 avg, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI) at the plate. The Miners have used six pitchers this season, but Kaitlin Fifield (1-4, 4.64 ERA, 24 Ks, 34.2 IP) has seen the majority of the work in the circle. Arizona is 9-1 in 10 all-time meetings with UTEP, including sweeping a two-game series with the Miners last season.
Series History: Arizona 9-1 // First Meeting: 2004 // Last Meeting: 2/26/2014; Arizona 14, UTEP 1 (5 innings); Tucson, Ariz.
UC Riverside: The Highlanders (11-4) went 5-0 as the host of the Amy S. Harrison Classic last weekend. Karina Romero (.400 avg, 4 2B, 6 RBI) leads an offense which has outscored opponents 72-50 entering the weekend. Chelsea Ponce (8-2, 1.34 ERA, 43 Ks, 57.1 IP) leads a pitching staff that has featured six pitches this season. Arizona is 1-0 against UC Riverside, defeating the Highlanders 12-2 in five innings at the 2013 Wildcat Invitational.
Series History: Arizona 1-0 // First Meeting: 2013 // Last Meeting: 3/1/2013; Arizona 12, UC Riverside 2 (5 innings); Tucson, Ariz. (Wildcat Invitational)
UT Arlington: The Mustangs (9-5) went 1-3 as the host of the UT Arlington Invitational. UTA is led by Nina Villanueva (.553 avg, 7 2B, 17 RBI) leads an offense which is hitting .370 as a unit. The pitching staff has struggled to a 3.82 team ERA, however. Arizona is 2-0 all-time against the Mustangs.
Series History: Arizona 2-0 // First Meeting: 1987 // Last Meeting: 2/15/1991; Arizona 3, UT Arlington 1; Tucson, Ariz. (Arizona Classic)
Bryant: After being rained out last weekend, the Bulldogs (3-1) have played just three games this season. Bryant is led by Jessica Benacquista (.556 avg, 2 HR, 4 RBI) and Elle Madsen (2-0, 1.75 ERA, 5 Ks, 12 IP). Arizona and Bryant have never met.
Series History: N/A // First Meeting: N/A // Last Meeting: N/A
HEAD COACH MIKE CANDREA: Arizona head coach Mike Candrea is in his 30th year at the helm of the Arizona softball program with a career record of 1,398-341-2 (.805). A winner of eight national championships (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007), Arizona has made 22 trips to the Women’s College World Series under his guidance, missing just five times in the last 27 years (2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). In 2012, Candrea became the sport’s fastest ever, and second all-time, to reach 1,300 wins. Under Candrea, Arizona has a spectacular postseason record of 155-50. Fifty-two All-Americans with a staggering 92 total citations have played in the program since Candrea took over.
THE RANKINGS: Arizona dropped to 15th in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll and 14th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. The Wildcats were preseason 14th in the NFCA Top 25 and 12th in the USA Softball preseason poll.
WHO’S HOT?
Kellie Fox: Over her last 27 at-bats, Fox is hitting .556 and slugging .963 in a stretch spanning 10 games. She has driven in 12 runs in the frame and has one double, two triples and two home runs, including a walkoff, opposite-field homer to beat No. 4 Oklahoma 5-4. She enters the Wildcat Invitational on a team-best four-game hitting streak.
Eva Watson: The sophomore leads the team with three, three-hit games, all coming in the last seven games. Over her last 19 at-bats, Watson is hitting .632.
Nancy Bowling: The Simi Valley, Calif., native leads the team with a 0.98 ERA, a number that shrinks to 0.53 over her last 13.1 innings. Bowling is 2-0 on the season and has not lost a decision since May 10, 2013.
Michelle Floyd: In Arizona’s four games against ranked competition this weekend, Floyd started three of them. The sophomore began her weekend by tossing 5.1 of scoreless ball against one of the bet offensive teams in the country, No. 4 Oklahoma, including handing active career home run leader Lauren Chamberlain her first strikeout of the season. Overall, Floyd has a 2.56 ERA on the season while facing some quality competition.
Trish Parks: Parks won the first two Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards this season after excelling both at the plate and in the circle. Despite struggling a bit facing top competition in the circle at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the freshman was able to keep up her hot start in the batter’s box. Over her last 10 games, Parks is hitting .400 with three home runs and 10 RBI.
