1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team

American college softball season

1997 Arizona Wildcats softball
ConferencePacific-10 Conference
Record61–5 (26–1 Pac-10)
Head coach
  • Mike Candrea (12th season)
Home stadiumRita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
1997 Pacific-10 Conference softball standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T   PCT W   L   T   PCT
No. 1 Arizona  ‍†‍‍y 26 – 1 – 0   .963 61 – 5 – 0   .924
No. 2 UCLA  ‍‍‍y 21 – 7 – 0   .750 49 – 14 – 0   .778
No. 4 Washington  ‍‍‍y 16 – 11 – 0   .593 50 – 19 – 0   .725
No. 11 California  ‍‍‍y 13 – 14 – 0   .481 36 – 26 – 0   .581
Stanford  ‍‍‍ 10 – 18 – 0   .357 31 – 27 – 0   .534
No. 23 Arizona State  ‍‍‍y 9 – 19 – 0   .321 32 – 25 – 0   .561
Oregon  ‍‍‍ 9 – 19 – 0   .321 24 – 35 – 0   .407
Oregon State  ‍‍‍ 6 – 21 – 0   .222 29 – 34 – 1   .461
† – Conference champion
y – Invited to the NCAA tournament
As of May 31, 1997[1]
Rankings from NFCA/USA Today


The 1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team represented the University of Arizona in the 1997 NCAA Division I softball season. The Wildcats were coached by Mike Candrea, who led his twelfth season. The Wildcats finished with a record of 61–5. They played their home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished first with a 26–1 record.

The Wildcats were invited to the 1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament, where they swept the West Regional and then completed a run through the Women's College World Series to claim their fifth NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.[2]

Roster

1997 Arizona Wildcats roster[2]
 

Pitchers

  • 3 – Carrie Dolan – senior
  • 13 – Nancy Evans – junior

Catchers

  • 7 – Lety Pineda – junior
  • 12 – Lindsay Mullins – freshman
  • 31 – Leah Braatz – junior

Infielders

  • 5 – Katie Swan – freshman
  • 6 – Alison Johnsen – junior
  • 11 – Lisa Pitt – sophomore
  • 18 – Tiana Hejduk – junior
  • 20 – Leah O'Brien – senior
  • 21 – Michelle Churnock – sophomore
  

Outfielders

  • 10 – Julie Reitan – junior
  • 22 – Andrea Doty – senior
  • 26 – Brandi Shriver – senior
  • 99 – Chrissy Gil – freshman

Schedule

Legend
  Arizona win
  Arizona loss
* Non-Conference game
1997 Arizona Wildcats Softball Game Log[2]
Regular season
February
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record
Feb 7 Northwestern State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–2 1–0
Feb 7 Northwestern State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ 18–25 W 2–0
Feb 8 UIC* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 3–0
Feb 8 UIC* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–1 4–0
Feb 9 No. 4 Washington* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–3 5–0
Feb 14 vs Texas* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 6–2 6–0
Feb 14 vs No. 19 Nebraska* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 15– 5 7–0
Feb 15 vs No. 13 UNLV* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 5–2 8–0
Feb 15 vs UC Santa Barbara* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 10–05 9–0
Feb 16 vs Utah State* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 8–05 10–0
Feb 22 vs Alabama* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 9–05 11–0
Feb 22 at No. 7 Southwestern Louisiana* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 4–1 12–0
Feb 22 vs Baylor* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 6–2 13–0
Feb 23 vs Alabama* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 13–0 14–0
Feb 23 vs Baylor* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 10–05 15–0
March
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record
Mar 1 Kent State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–0 16–0
Mar 1 DePaul* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–0 17–0
Mar 1 LSU* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–4 18–0
Mar 2 Kansas* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–1 19–0
Mar 2 Colorado State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 9–0 20–0
Mar 2 Florida* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–0 21–0
Mar 8 No. 12 California No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–3 22–0 1–0
Mar 8 No. 12 California No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–1 23–0 2–0
Mar 9 Stanford No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 24–0 3–0
Mar 9 Stanford No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 6–0 25–0 4–0
Mar 20 vs Ohio State* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 15–6 26–0
Mar 20 vs No. 12 Oklahoma State* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 12–05 27–0
Mar 21 vs No. 23 Hawaii* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 6–5 28–0
Mar 21 vs UNLV* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 17–05 29–0
Mar 22 No. 24 Cal State Northridge* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 1–05 30–0
Mar 22 Oregon State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 0–3 30–1
Mar 29 at No. 3 UCLA No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–1 31–1 5–0
Mar 29 at No. 3 UCLA No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 1–5 31–2 5–1
April
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record
Apr 4 No. 5 Washington No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 3–2 32–2 6–1
Apr 4 No. 5 Washington No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 33–2 7–1
Apr 6 at No. 2 Fresno State* No. 1 Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA L 2–5 33–3
Apr 6 at No. 2 Fresno State* No. 1 Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA L 5–6 33–4
Apr 9 at No. 10 Arizona State No. 2 Tempe, AZ W 5–1 34–4 8–1
Apr 9 at No. 10 Arizona State No. 2 Tempe, AZ W 10–1 35–4 9–1
Apr 12 at Oregon No. 2 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 5–0 36–4 10–1
Apr 12 at Oregon No. 2 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 12–1 37–4 11–1
Apr 13 at Oregon State No. 2 Corvallis, OR W 6–26 38–4 12–1
Apr 18 No. 4 UCLA No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–0 39–4 13–1
Apr 18 No. 4 UCLA No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–6 40–4 14–1
Apr 19 No. 23 Cal State Northridge* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–3 41–4
Apr 19 No. 23 Cal State Northridge* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 16–65 42–4
Apr 23 No. 12 Arizona State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–4 43–4 15–1
Apr 23 No. 12 Arizona State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–2 44–4 16–1
Apr 26 at No. 24 California No. 1 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA W 10–4 45–4 17–1
Apr 26 at No. 24 California No. 1 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA W 11–0 46–4 18–1
Apr 27 at Stanford No. 1 Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Stanford, CA W 5–1 47–4 19–1
Apr 27 at Stanford No. 1 Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Stanford, CA W 3–0 48–4 20–1
May
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record
May 2 Oregon No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–3 49–4 21–1
May 2 Oregon No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 9–1 50–4 22–1
May 3 Oregon State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–15 51–4 23–1
May 3 Oregon State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–15 52–4 24–1
May 10 at No. 6 Washington No. 1 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA W 9–1 53–4 25–1
May 10 at No. 6 Washington No. 1 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA W 4–3 54–4 26–1
Post-season
NCAA Tucson Regional
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record NCAAT record
May 16 Rider No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–2 55–4 1–0
May 17 Nebraska No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 2–0 56–4 2–0
May 18 Nebraska No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–1 57–4 3–0
NCAA Women's College World Series
Date Opponent Rank (Seed) Site/stadium Score Overall record WCWS Record
May 22 (8) UMass No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 2–18 58–4 1–0
May 23 (5) UCLA No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 2–014 59–4 2–0
May 25 (4) Fresno State No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK L 0–3 59–5 2–1
May 25 (4) Fresno State No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 6–2 60–5 3–1
May 26 (5) UCLA No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 10–25 61–5 4–1

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre1234567891011Final
NFCA/USA Today1111111221111

References

  1. ^ 2018 Softball Media Guide. Pac-12 Conference. p. 52. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c 2019 Softball Media Guide (PDF). Arizona Wildcats. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Arizona Wildcats softball
Venues
People
Seasons
National Championships in bold; College World Series appearances in italics