March 17, 1999
Kia Klassic
The Wildcats travel to Fullerton, Calif., to play against some of the nation's traditional powers in the host Cal State Fullerton's 16-team Kia Klassic Tournament. Three pool-play games for each team will lead to a single-elimination championship bracket. Arizona won the tourney in 1988, 1995, 1996 and 1998. Among ranked teams in the tourney are Fresno State (3), Washington (4), Oklahoma (5), Arizona State (6), Southwestern Louisiana (8), Texas (11), Oregon State (12) and DePaul (18). Arizona's pool includes Cal State Northridge, San Diego State and DePaul.
Thursday, March 18 vs. Cal State Northridge 11 a.m.
vs. DePaul (No. 18) 5 p.m.
Friday, March 19 vs. San Diego State 11 a.m.
Fri./Sat./Sun. elimination play TBA
(All games at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Softball Field)
Arizona Coach Mike Candrea
The 1998 Pac-10 Coach of the Year (his fifth honor), Mike Candrea has a career and UA record of 718-144 (.833) in his 14th
season. He is the active winningest Division I coach by percentage and No. 7 by victories. Candrea won his 700th game on Friday,
Feb. 12. Only seven coaches have won 700 or more games. The average tenure of the coaches ahead of him is 19 years.
Candrea got there in his 14th season. He's a 1996 inductee into the NFCA Hall of Fame. His players have earned 46 All-America
playing honors and six Academic All-America honors, plus he has coached three players including 1998's Nancy Evans to the
Honda Softball Award as the nation's top player. His average yearly record to date: 53-11, but his teams haven't lost more than 10
games in a year since 1991. Five Candrea teams have won the NCAA title 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997. For eight years
running the Cats have played in the NCAA Championship final.
National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll
Arizona was ranked No. 2 in the preseason NFCA coaches poll behind defending NCAA champion Fresno State, then No. 2 behind
UCLA in the first two weekly (Wednesdays) polls March 3 and March 10. The poll is available online at www.nfca.org. Arizona has
been in the rankings since 1990.
Game Tickets
Arizona softball tickets are available through the McKale Center Ticket Office (520-621-2287) at varying prices for seat locations,
with discounts for children and seniors. Tickets will be sold at McKale and at the stadium box office on game days.
Cats' Last Action
Arizona played an exhibition game against former alumni March 13 but otherwise had no scheduled action March 8-17.
UA's last games came in the Hillenbrand Invitational Tournament the previous weekend. The team put together some good games
to finish 6-0 in the event. The Cats beat then No. 12 LSU in 9 innings in the title game, 7-6, in come-from-behind fashion, scoring
two runs in the bottom of the seventh to send it into extra innings. UA had 13 doubles, two triples and five home runs in the
tourney, raising its slugging percentage 158 percentage points to .556. Still, UA went about some of its typical 1999 exploits to
date, stealing 13 bases and scoring an average of nine runs per game. Becky Lemke and Jennie Finch each were 3-0, with Finch
throwing two shutouts and Lemke beating LSU both times. Nicole Giordano scored eight runs and had nine hits and Lindsey
Collins was 8-for-18 with two homers and 10 RBI. UA had a 15-hit game against Notre Dame, winning 16-0, plus had other mercy
games against LSU (9-1) and the Irish (9-0.),
Arizona Softball Notes...
Arizona has won nine 5-inning games and two extra-inning games this year. Combined score in the 5-inning jobs: 94-3... Shortstop
Michelle Churnock, the Cats' lone senior, is out for the year after breaking her left leg in a collision while trying to turn a double
play. She was having her best year heisting .395 with 15 runs scored, batting eighth in the order... Candrea moved Toni
Mascarenas to short and Jennie Finch or Amy Baray to the corner... Lemke, a sophomore, moved into a tie for No. 8 on the UA's
all-time career victories chart at 38-3... UA has been nearly perfect in stealing bases, with 63 in 67 tries, an average of more than
three per game. Nine players have contributed, led by Giordano's 17 and 14 by Bauer. UA is on a record pace -- the team mark is
136 in 1998... Giordano is 42-for-42 in her career and No. 9 on the all-time UA list... UA knocked five homers last week... UA's
pitchers have given up only two this season... The Cats take to the road for the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., March 18-21, then
open Pac-10 play at home against the Oregon schools March 26-27... catcher Lindsey Collins takes a 10-game hitting streak to
Fullerton... SS Toni Mascarenas is on a 14-28 tear, raising her average 124 percentage points in the last two weeks of action...
Sophomore infielder Felecity Willis, who is anticipated to make a strong move at taking a starting role, was a starting guard on the
UA basketball team which just ended action in the NCAA Tournament. She's to rejoin the team shortly, but hurt her throwing (right)
shoulder in the UA's second-round basketball game last week and likely will rehabilitate for a week or so...
Defending Pac-10 Champs
Arizona is the two-time defending Pacific-10 Conference champions. The Cats set a league record with a 27-1 mark in 1998, the
best in the history of the league, which commenced play in 1987. Arizona has finished first (5 times) or second in each of the past
seven years.
Home Sweet Home
Arizona is 195-9 in Hillenbrand Stadium since it opened in 1994. That's 95.6 percent.
Cats Depth Chart p B. Lemke, J. Finch, T. Ayoub or M. Pricer c Lindsey Collins, Amy Baray 1b Erika Hanson, Jennie Finch 2b Katie Swan, Lauren Bauer, (Felecity Willis - w/basketball) ss Toni Mascarenas, (Willis) 3b Jennie Finch, (Willis), Amy Baray, lf Lauren Bauer, Lindsey Robinson cf Chrissy Gil, Tami Acuna rf Nicole Giordano, Tami Acuna dp Lauren Bauer, Erika Hanson, Jennie Finch, (Felecity Willis) ph Teresa Ayoub, Lindsay Robinson, Tami Acuna pr Lindsay Robinson, Tami Acuna