1996 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
For the second time, Arizona followed a season (1992 and 1995) in which it won the Pac-10 title but finished as runner-up in the College World Series... with a second-place finish in the league, but the NCAA title. Decent trade.
Arizona got hot when it counted, ending the season with a 17-game winning streak. There were numerous keys — everyone on the team.
Jenny Dalton won the Pac-10 Triple Crown, the first player to do so, with a .469 batting average, 25 home runs and an incredible 109 RBI. Leticia Pineda, put in the every-day catching role because of Leah Braatz' redshirt season, hit 14 homers and drove in 96, plus batted .404.
Dalton's season earned her the Honda Softball Award as the nation's finest player.
Carrie Dolan, carrying most of the pitching load because of Nancy Evans' medical hardship season, won a school-record 35 games against six losses, but freshman Lisa Pitt also came through with a dandy 19-3 record, too. Outfielder Alison Johnsen propelled herself to a new level with a 94-hit season and a .450 batting average. Third baseman Krista Gomez hit .400 and finished with the fourth-best career batting average in UA history, .358, plus hit the career charts in hits, RBI, runs and stolen bases, among others.
Arizona played in a regional out of the state for the first time, but used it to pull together, and hit the road for 11 days to bring back the trophy.
1996 ROSTER
| # |
Name |
Year |
Position |
Hometown (Last School) |
| 3 |
Carrie DolanAA2, AC2 |
Jr. |
P |
Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos H.S.) |
| 5 |
Tanya Farhat |
Jr. |
C |
Tucson, Ariz. (Regis Univ.) |
| 6 |
Alison JohnsenAA1, AC2 |
So. |
OF |
Irvine, Calif. (Woodbridge H.S.) |
| 7 |
Lety PinedaAA1, AC1 |
So. |
C |
Tucson, Ariz. (Desert View H.S.) |
| 8 |
Krista GomezAA2, AC1 |
Sr. |
3B |
Sylmar, Calif. (Alemany Hills H.S.) |
| 10 |
Julie Reitan |
So. |
OF |
Tucson, Ariz. (Sahuaro H.S.) |
| 11 |
Lisa Pitt |
Fr. |
1B/P |
Buena Park, Calif. (Kennedy H.S.) |
| 13 |
Nancy Evans |
Jr. |
P/INF |
Glendale, Calif. (Hoover H.S.) |
| 16 |
Jenny DaltonAA1, AC1 |
Sr. |
2B |
Valencia, Calif. (Glendale H.S.) |
| 18 |
Tiana Hejduk |
So. |
1B |
Cardiff, Calif. (Boston Univ.) |
| 20 |
Leah O'Brien |
Sr. |
OF |
Chino, Calif. (Don Lugo H.S.) |
| 21 |
Michelle Churnock |
Fr. |
SS |
Orange, Calif. (Foothill H.S.) |
| 22 |
Andrea DotyAC2 |
Jr. |
OF |
Midway City, Calif. (Westminster H.S.) |
| 26 |
Brandi ShriverAA2 |
Jr. |
OF |
Glendale, Ariz. (Deer Valley H.S.) |
| 31 |
Leah Braatz |
Jr. |
C |
Costa Mesa, Calif. (Estancia H.S.) |
| 33 |
Heidi Bomberger |
Jr. |
INF |
Tucson, Ariz. (Sahuaro H.S.) |
|
|
|
|
|
| HC: |
Mike Candrea (11th season) |
|
|
|
| AC: |
Stacy Hill (2nd season) |
|
|
|
| AC: |
Amy Chellevold (1st season) |
|
|
| Game 1 (May 17) |
(2) Arizona 8, Troy State 0 (5 innings) |
Box Score |
| Game 2 (May 18) |
(2) Arizona 9, Florida State 6 |
Box Score |
| Game 3 (May 19) |
(2) Arizona 10, Florida State 3 |
Box Score |
WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES (COLUMBUS, GA.)
| Game 1 (May 23) |
(2) Arizona 5, (7) Iowa 2 |
Box Score |
| Game 2 (May 24) |
(2) Arizona 4, (3) UCLA 0 |
Box Score |
| Game 3 (May 26) |
(2) Arizona 10, (7) Iowa 2 (6 innings) |
Box Score |
| CHAMP (May 27) |
(2) Arizona 6, (1) Washington 4 |
Box Score |
