USF OPENING WEEKEND INVITATIONAL
FEB. 8-10 • TAMPA, FLA.
Game Notes: #7 Arizona (0-0) • #18 Michigan (0-0) • South Florida (0-0) • #5 Florida (0-0) • Illinois State (0-0) • North Carolina State (0-0)
THE GAMES (Times MST)
1 | Friday, Feb. 8 (12:30 p.m.) | vs. | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
2 | Friday, Feb. 8 (5:15 p.m.) | at | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
3 | Saturday, Feb. 9 (10:45 a.m.) | vs. | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
4 | Saturday, Feb. 9 (3:45 p.m.) | vs. | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
5 | Sunday, Feb. 10 (9:15 a.m.) | vs. | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
THIS WEEK: Seventh-ranked Arizona is set to begin the 2019 campaign at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational in Tampa, Florida, Feb. 8-11, returning to the event for the first time since 2009. A loaded field awaits the Wildcats, who will take on #19 Michigan, South Florida, #5 Florida, Illinois State and North Carolina State over the three-day tournament. Arizona’s matchup with Michigan features the NCAA’s two winningest coaches; Carol Hutchins has won 1,571 games over 35 seasons, eight more than Candrea’s 1,563 over 31 years of coaching. When the Wildcats take on No. 5 Florida, it will be UA’s first matchup with a top-five team since 2008 (#3 Texas A&M; L, 2-3); the Cats are looking for their first win vs. a top-five team on opening week since Feb. 10, 2007 (#4 Northwestern; W, 4-3). Arizona will take on Michigan and South Florida on Friday, Florida and Illinois State on Saturday and North Carolina State on Sunday.
LEADING OFF
Arizona returns seven starters, all four pitchers and 17 total letterwinners from a 43-16, super regional team from a season ago.
The Wildcats are ranked No. 7 in the NFCA Top 25 and No. 6 in the USA Softball Top 25. Arizona’s No. 6 ranking in the USA Softball preseason poll is its highest since 2011 (No. 1).
Arizona will play each of the top five teams in the preseason NFCA Top 25 and 12 total ranked teams this season. UA’s blockbuster of a schedule gets started this week with 19thranked Michigan and No. 5 Florida in Tampa.
While the Wildcats are away for the USF Opening Weekend Invitational, the finishing touches are being placed on Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium, which is in the final stages of an $8 million renovation. Ground was broken immediately after the 2018 season and will be complete for the stadium’s grand opening on Feb. 14 for Arizona’s home opener vs. New Mexico (6 p.m.).
The Wildcats return a Pac-12-high six all-conference players from a season ago, including first-team selections Jessie Harper, Taylor McQuillin and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza. Palomino-Cardoza (2018) and Harper (2017) were All-American first basemen each of the last two seasons. Palomino-Cardoza led the Pac-12 in home runs last season (19) and Harper finished second (18) for the second straight season.
Arizona is one of only two teams in the country to return four first-team NFCA all-Region players from 2018 (Jessie Harper, Taylor McQuillin, Dejah Mulipola, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza).
The 2018 NCAA leader in shutouts (15) Taylor McQuillin returns for her senior season in 2019. McQuillin enters the year eighth in Arizona history in career strikeouts (583).
In January, junior catcher Dejah Mulipola was selected to the U.S. Women’s National Team for its summer competitions and continued training for the 2019 Tokyo Olympics, following the Wildcats’ 2019 campaign. Mulipola is one of just two current collegiate players on the roster.
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea enters 2019 second in NCAA history with 1,563 career victories in 31 years. He trails only Michigan’s Carol Hutchins, who has won 1,571 games over 35 seasons.
The Wildcats finished tied for sixth nationally with 75 home runs in 2018, their NCAA-most 15th season with at least 70 home runs. In 2019, UA returns 62 of those 75 homers. Adding in Rylee Pierce’s eight homers she hit last season at Missouri, the Cats have 70 home runs on their roster from 2018. That’s the most in the country.
OPPONENTS
#19 Michigan: The Wolverines return seven starters and 14 total letterwinners from last season’s 44-13 season in which they won their 20th Big Ten Championship and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Michigan, led by the winningest coach in NCAA history Carol Hutchins, returns two All-Americans, second baseman Faith Canfield and pitcher Meghan Beaubien. The Wildcats are 9-8 all-time vs. the Wolverines, but Michigan has won the last six meetings, dating back to 2008. In their last meeting, Michigan defeated Arizona 3-0 on March 7, 2014 in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California. Full series history on page 8.
South Florida: The Bulls are receiving votes in the preseason NFCA Top 25 following a 39-23 season and an American Athletic Championship in 2018. USF was selected to repeat as conference champions by the coaches in the preseason poll. South Florida returns reigning American Athletic Conference co-Pitcher and Rookie of the Year Georgina Corrick, who went 15-8 with a 1.61 ERA in 2018. This will be the first of two matchups between UA and USF; the Bulls will participate in the Hillenbrand Invitational in week 2 of the season. Arizona is 9-0 all-time vs. South Florida and defeated the Bulls twice in the 2009 USF Wilson Tournament in Tampa. Full series history on page 8.
#5 Florida: The Gators are preseason SEC favorites once again, picked by the league coaches to win the conference for the fifth straight season. Florida, ranked fifth in the preseason NFCA Top 25, went 56-11 and advanced to the Women’s College World Series in 2018. Three Gators, Kelly Barnhill, Kendyl Lindaman and Amanda Lorenz, were named to the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List; Barnhill won the award in 2017. Arizona is 5-4 all-time against Florida, but the Gators have won each of the last four matchups, including a 10-0, five-inning win in the teams’ last matchup on March 6, 2015 in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California.
Illinois State: The Redbirds were selected fifth in the preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference team following a 21-33 season in 2018. Illinois State is led by Andrea Coursey, who was named preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference following a campaign in which she hit .269 with six doubles, a homer and nine RBI. Arizona is 4-0 all-time vs. Illinois State, but the two have not met since Feb. 18, 1995, when the Wildcats defeated the Redbirds 13-0 in five innings at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona. Full series history on page 8.
North Carolina State: The Jennifer Patrick-Swift era is set to commence at New Mexico; the former Saint Francis head coach takes over a club that went 23-31 in 2018. Chandly Gardner, who led the team with 11 home runs a season ago, returns to lead the offense. Arizona is 3-0 all-time against North Carolina State, with the two programs’ last meeting coming March 15, 2007 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California (UA 2, NC State 0). Full series history on page 8.
ARIZONA AT THE USF OPENING WEEKEND INVITATIONAL: Arizona returns to the USF Opening Weekend Invitational (previously the USF Wilson Tournament) for the first time since 2009. Overall, the Wildcats are making their fourth ever trip to the event (2001, 2003, 2009, 2019). UA is 12-0 all-time, including four wins vs. the host Bulls. Full tournament history on page 8.
RANKINGS
Arizona will start the season ranked No. 7 in the NFCA Top 25 and No. 6 in the USA Softball Top 25. The Cats were seventh in the 2018 preseason NFCA poll, but the No. 6 USA Softball ranking is its highest since 2011 (No. 1).
The Wildcats are set to face each of the top five teams in the top 25 this season, including three-game series against each of the top three teams (Florida State, UCLA, Washington). In all, the Cats are set to face 12 of 25 teams in the NFCA Top 25.
Arizona is one of five Pac-12 teams in the top 25 and three in the top 10.
THE CHASE FOR HISTORY: Two legends, two Hall of Famers, Arizona’s Mike Candrea and Michigan’s Carol Hutchins, are battling it out to become the winningest coach in the sport’s history. Hutchins currently has an eight-win advantage on Candrea. Below are some notes on their chase for history.
In 2017, Candrea became the first coach in NCAA softball history to reach 1,500 Division I victories. Candrea, who is 1,563-404-2 (.794), trails only Michigan’s Carol Hutchins (1,571-504-5, .757) in NCAA history. Candrea’s victories have occurred over 31 years of coaching at Arizona while Hutchins is in her 36th year (including a season in a lower NCAA division).
Candrea is the fastest coach in NCAA history, in any sport, in any division, to record 1,500 career wins.
SUPER JUNIORS
Arizona is expected to be led by its junior class, a class that features three of the four Wildcats named to the preseason USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List: Jessie Harper,Dejah Mulipola and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza.
All six juniors on the roster for the Wildcats are expected to be significant contributors this season for the Wildcats. Reyna Carranco, Jessie Harper, Malia Martinez, Dejah Mulipola and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza should all be members of the starting lineup while Alyssa Denham figures to be the Wildcats’ No. 2 pitcher.
The top four Wildcat hitters (by batting average) in 2018 were all sophomores (now juniors). Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza led the team with a .363 average, Jessie Harper was second (.340), Reyna Carranco was third (.335) and Dejah Mulipola was fourth (.313).
Courtesy of Arizona Communication Services
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