1997 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
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 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) |
| Game 1 (May 16) |
(1) Arizona 11, Rider 2 (5 innings) |
Box Score |
| Game 2 (May 17) |
(1) Arizona 2, Nebraska 0 |
Box Score |
| Game 3 (May 18) |
(1) Arizona 2, Nebraska 1 |
Box Score |
WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES (COLUMBUS, GA.)
| Game 1 (May 22) |
(1) Arizona 2, Massachusetts 1 |
Box Score |
| Game 2 (May 23) |
(1) Arizona 2, (5) UCLA 0 |
Box Score |
| Game 3 (May 25) |
(4) Fresno State 3, (1) Arizona 0 |
Box Score |
| Game 4 (May 25) |
(1) Arizona 6, (4) Fresno State 3 |
Box Score |
| CHAMP (May 27) |
(1) Arizona 10, (5) UCLA 2 (5 innings) |
Box Score |
