#16 ARIZONA WILDCATS (32-10, 7-4 Pac-12) vs. #18 WASHINGTON HUSKIES (35-10, 7-6 Pac-12)
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GAME 1 - Arizona 14, Washington 6 (5 innings)
Game Story // Box Score // Photo Gallery
GAME 2 - Washington 9, Arizona 8
Game Story // Box Score
GAME 3 - SUNDAY, APRIL 12 (2:00 p.m.)
Live Stats // Pac-12 Stream // Tickets
WEEK 10 (APRIL 10-12): WASHINGTON // Tucson, Ariz.
#16/16 Arizona Wildcats (31-9, 6-3 Pac-12) vs. #18/17 Washington Huskies (34-9, 6-5 Pac-12)
THIS WEEK: Sixteenth-ranked Arizona (31-9, 6-3 Pac-12) returns home for a key conference series as the Cats welcome No. 18 Washington (34-9, 6-5 Pac-12) for a three-game series at Hillenbrand Stadium. The Cats and Huskies meet Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2:00 p.m.). Saturday and Sunday’s games will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks, with Krista Blunk and Kenzie Fowler calling the action. Both teams enter off of impressive sweeps, with Arizona sweeping Oregon State in Corvallis and Washington sweeping Stanford in Seattle. UA and UW combined to outscore their opposition 79-20 last weekend. The series will be a matchup of two of the nation’s top offenses, pitting Washington’s No. 3 scoring lineup (8.26 runs/game) vs. Arizona’s No. 6 offense (7.85 runs/game) ... Washington leads the Pac-12 with 62 home runs while Arizona is second with 61 ... Arizona is third in the country with a .364 batting average while Washington is 11th.
LEADING OFF
· Arizona enters the Washington series on a four-game conference winning streak, outscoring its opponents 49-9 in the four contests. Most recently, the Cats swept Oregon State in Corvallis, earning their first Pac-12 road sweep since 2011 and second ever since the conference moved to three-game series in 2010. The Wildcats scored 22 runs in game 3, their most ever in a road game and most in any conference game since 1995.
· Arizona’s bats are heating up at the right time of the year. The Wildcats lead the Pac-12 and are third in the nation with a .366 team average. Arizona has had at least eight hits in 13 of its last 14 games, including 10 straight.
· In those 14 games, Arizona has 30 home runs, including 11 straight games with a long ball. As a team, in Arizona’s last 409 at-bats, the Wildcats are averaging a home run every 13.6 at-bats. In the previous 672 at-bats, UA hitters averaged one home run every 21.8 at-bats. Arizona leads the Pac-12 with 1.53 home runs/game.
· Chelsea Goodacre leads the NCAA with 62 RBI, already 10 off her career high, set last season. The senior, whose 216 career RBI are currently 10th in school history, is on pace to become the sixth player in Arizona history to bat in 90-or-more runs in a season.
· Katiyana Mauga and Chelsea Goodacre are tied for seventh nationally with 16 home runs. Both are four away from hitting 20-plus homers in consecutive years. Only four Wildcats in school history have had multiple 20-homer seasons. If Mauga is able to accomplish the feat, she will be the first ever to do so in her freshman/sophomore seasons.
· After sweeping Oregon State, the Wildcats are 5-1 on the road in the Pac-12. In 2014, the Wildcats went 4-8 in conference road games. The 5-1 start on the road is Arizona’s best road conference start since 2011.
· Arizona State handed Arizona its first two losses at home this season, equaling its regular-season loss total from 2014. Arizona is 18-2 at Hillenbrand Stadium this season and 49-5 since the start of 2014.
· Arizona’s Pac-12 results this season have matched last year, down to the order of the victories. In 2014 Arizona won the series vs. Cal, winning games 1 and 3 and falling in game 2. Also, UA dropped games 1 and 2 vs. ASU before earning a game 3 victory. UA swept Oregon State. The same has occurred this season.
· All nine of Arizona’s losses have come to ranked opponents this season, all of whom are currently ranked in the top 20. Arizona is 4-9 against ranked competition. Arizona has played or will play the top three teams in the current NFCA Top 25 (LSU, Oregon, Florida), making it just one of two teams to do so (Texas A&M).
· The Wildcats are 42-40 (.512) in Pac-12 play since the conference expanded to 12 teams in 2012. Since joining the Pac-10 in 1987, Arizona is 448-168-1 (.727).
· The Wildcats have proven power throughout the lineup (109 homers led the country in 2014), but Arizona has added a new element to its offensive attack in 2015: speed. Arizona has stolen 40 bases this season in 41 tries. The 40 steals are third in the Pac-12 (and the one caught stealing is fewest) and better Arizona’s 2014 total of 24 stolen bases. On the other side of the ball, Chelsea Goodacre has allowed just seven steals in 14 attempts.
· Additionally, Arizona has already hit 10 triples in 2015. The 10 three-baggers are fourth in the Pac-12 and better UA’s 2014 60-game total of eight. In 2012 and 2013, Arizona hit a combined six triples (2 in 2012, 4 in 2013).
· Arizona is 9-0 in night games, but just 22-9 during the day.
· The Wildcats have scored more runs (314) than opponents have total hits (247).
· Arizona has more hits (394) than opponents have total bases (375).
· Arizona has walked just 108 batters (3.01 walks/7 IP) this season, fourth fewest in the Pac-12. This bucks a recent concerning trend. In 2014, UA pitchers walked 5.35/7 IP. 2013 - 3.98/7; 2012 - 3.78/7; 2011 - 4.17/7.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: Eighteenth-ranked Washington (34-9, 6-5 Pac-12) will bring one of the nation’s top offenses in Tucson, led by Courtney Gano (.341 avg, 17 HR, 54 RBI) and Ali Aguilar (.439 avg, 21 2B, 51 R). Washington leads the Pac-12 with 62 home runs and 355 runs scored. The Huskies are slugging .594 on the season while getting on-base at a .453 clip. Washington is coming off a sweep of Stanford in Seattle last weekend, a series in which the Huskies plated double-digit runs in all three contests, including a season-high tying 17 runs in game 3.
CATS VS. THE HUSKIES: Arizona is 62-28 all-time vs. Washington, but the Huskies have won five of the last seven matchups, including 2-of-3 in Seattle last season (full recap on page 5). Arizona last won a series vs. Washington in 2012 and last won a home series vs. Washington in 2011. The Cats and the Huskies first met in 1993.
HEAD COACH MIKE CANDREA: Arizona head coach Mike Candrea is in his 30th year at the helm of the Arizona softball program with a career record of 1,418-347-2 (.803). A winner of eight national championships (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007), Arizona has made 22 trips to the Women’s College World Series under his guidance, missing just five times in the last 27 years (2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). On Feb. 27 vs. UTEP, Candrea became the sport’s fastest ever coach, and second all-time, to reach 1,400 wins; Candrea is the sport’s active wins leader. Under Candrea, Arizona has a spectacular postseason record of 155-50. Fifty-two All-Americans with a staggering 92 total citations have played in the program since Candrea took over.
Winningest Division I Coaches (Softball)
1. Margie Wright (Illinois State 1980-85; Fresno State 1886-2012) 1,457-542-3 (.729)
2. Mike Candrea (Arizona 1986-2003, 05-07, 09-)* 1,418-347-2 (.803)
3. Yvette Girouard (La.-Lafayette 1981-2001; LSU 2002-11) 1,285-421-1 (.753)
Winningest Division I Coaches (All Sports)
1. Augie Garrido, baseball (Various 1969-)* 1,936-907-2 (.675)
12. Cliff Gustafson, baseball (Texas 1968-1996) 1,427-373-2 (.792)
13. Mike Candrea, softball (Arizona 1986-2003, 05-07, 09-)* 1,418-347-2 (.803)
*Active coach
THE RANKINGS: Arizona improved to 16th in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll and remained 16th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. The Wildcats were preseason 14th in the NFCA Top 25 and 12th in the USA Softball preseason poll.
WHO’S HOT?
Chelsea Goodacre: After posting a .295 batting average in nonconference affairs, Chelsea Goodacre has turned it on for Pac-12 play. The senior is hitting .500 in conference play with five home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.033 slugging percentage. After a relatively slow start to the season in the power department for Goodacre, who hit two home runs in her first 39 at-bats of 2015 (nearly one per 20 at-bats), the senior has hit 14 homers in her 79 at-bats since (one per 5.6 at-bats). The catcher has eight multi-hit games in Arizona’s last 13 contests.
Hallie Wilson: The senior enters the Washington series on a season-long 14-game hitting streak, one shy of her career-long, with multiple hits in 10 of those contests. Wilson has reached base in 33 of Arizona’s last 35 games. In her last 45 at-bats, Wilson has 24 hits (.533), including six doubles and three home runs, helping her to an .867 slugging percentage in that span. Wilson is batting .515 in Pac-12 play, second in the conference in such games.
Kellie Fox: Fox has been a consistent force in the batter’s box all season long, showcasing a batting average in the .400s for the majority of the year. After starting the season 2-for-12, Fox has 49 hits in her last 111 at-bats (.441 batting average). Fox enters the Washington series on a career-best nine-game hitting streak. She is hitting .516 and slugging 1.000 with four home runs and 19 RBI. The senior has already tied her career high with three triples through 37 games.
Katiyana Mauga: Like Goodacre, Mauga has significantly increased her power output recently. The sophomore has hit eight home runs in her last 37 at-bats (1 per 4.6 at-bats). In those 37 at-bats, Mauga is hitting .432 and slugging 1.162. In her last 11 games, Mauga has at least three RBI in six of them.
Mandie Perez: The redshirt sophomore has asserted herself at the plate recently and has earned the last five starts as Arizona’s designated player. Perez is on a six-game hitting streak, tying her career ling. Perez has multiple RBI in each of Arizona’s last four games. It’s a small sample size, but in her last 11 at-bats, Perez is hitting .455 with two home runs, a double, 10 RBI and a 1.091 slugging percentage.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Wildcats are 49-5 in the last 54 games inside the friendly confines of Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium, including 18-2 this season. Since its opening in 1993, Arizona has put up a 632-74 record on the field. That’s a .897 winning percentage at home in the last 22-plus years. Hillenbrand has led the nation in attendance nine times since 1994 and set the NCAA record in attendance in 2011 when 77,129 fans turned the turnstiles (since broken by Alabama). For the eighth consecutive season, Arizona is drawing over 2,000 fans per game in 2015. In 14 home dates, the Wildcats are averaging 2,241 per contest. UA has lost just 17 nonconference games in the stadium’s 22-plus years; its 385-17 record in such games equates to 96 victories in every 100 games.
IF YOU’RE NOT EARLY, YOU’RE LATE: Arizona has a knack for jumping on opponents early, doing the majority of its offensive damage early in games. The Wildcats are 14-1 when scoring in the first inning, but it’s the second and third frames in which the bats really heat up. Arizona has outscored opponents 65-16 in the second and 68-22 in the third this season. Arizona has scored in the third inning in eight of its last 13 games, outscoring opponents 24-10 in the third in the recent span. Conversely, in seven of Arizona’s nine losses, the Wildcats fell behind in the first or second inning.
COUNTING ON NO. 34: As Katiyana Mauga goes, so go the Cats. In Arizona’s nine losses this season, Mauga has just four hits (.182) with three extra-base hits and two RBI. In Arizona’s 31 victories, Mauga is hitting .413 with 17 extra-base hits and a .924 slugging percentage.
BEATING THE BEST: In 2015, Arizona has played 13 games against teams ranked in the NFCA Top 25, including three against the top 10 and two against the top five. UA is 4-8 against the top 25, 1-2 against the top 10 and 1-1 against the top five. Since 1994, Arizona is 528-220-1 (.715) against ranked competition, 254-147 (.636) against top-10 teams and 124-100 (.554) against top-five teams.
Over the last two calendar years, Arizona owns seven victories over top-five competition. Most recently, the Cats defeated No. 4 Oklahoma, 5-4, on Kellie Fox’s walkoff homer in the bottom of the seventh on Feb. 19 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. It was Arizona’s first victory over Oklahoma in the last nine games of the series.
WALK IT OFF: UA already owns two walkoff wins this season. Ashleigh Hughes hit a two-run, come-from-behind triple in the bottom of the eighth to beat Oklahoma State (3-2) on Feb. 8. On Feb. 19, Kellie Fox hit a walkoff homer to break a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the seventh vs. No. 4 Oklahoma. Both walkoff hits went to the opposite field.
FRESHMAN PHENOM: Trish Parks has been named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week four of the first eight weeks of the season (Weeks 1, 2, 4, 7). Most recently, Parks had a hit in all four games in week 7, none bigger than her seventh-inning, two-out RBI single vs. NMSU to complete Arizona’s game-tying four-run rally that sent the game into extra innings, where Arizona would win 11-6. It was one of five RBI in the four games for Parks, who hit .400 in 15 at-bats. Parks hit one home run, a three-run shot vs. Connecticut in her first at-bat of the weekend. In the circle, Parks threw a complete-game two-hit shutout in Arizona’s 12-0, five-inning victory over Connecticut, her second career complete-game shutout.
FRESH FACES: The Cats have six newcomers this season (Alexis Dotson, Ashleigh Hughes, Danielle O’Toole, Trish Parks, Robyn Porter and Aireal Sakasegawa), though you will only see five of them on the field this season - O’Toole, a transfer from San Diego State and reigning Mountain West Pitcher of the Year, will have to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules. Additionally, Arizona welcomes back Mandie Perez, a 55-game starter in 2013, who redshirted last season with a torn ACL.
CATS ON THE TUBE: Arizona has an all-time high 19 games on national T.V. this year, including two games to be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. Seventeen conference games will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks while Arizona’s May 2 matchup at UCLA will be shown on ESPNU and the May 9 regular-season finale against Oregon will be on ESPN. All of Arizona’s non-televised home games will be streamed online at pac-12.com for free with Kenzie Fowler providing analysis.
FOLLOW THE TEAM: Be sure to follow the Wildcats on their various social media platforms. To stay up-to-date on all the latest happenings with the team, follow Arizona softball on Twitter (@UA_Softball) and for behind-the-scenes photos and infographics, follow the team on Instagram (@UA_Softball).
UP NEXT: Arizona continues Pac-12 play when it heads to Salt Lake City to take on Utah April 17-19,
