THE GAMES (Times MST)
1 |  10,  1 (6 inn.) | Recap | Box Score
2 |  7,  1 | Recap | Box Score
3 |  18,  0 (5 inn.) | Recap | Box Score
4 |  8,  0 (6 inn.) | Recap | Box Score
5 |  10,  0 (5 inn.) | Recap | Box Score
6 |  5,  0 | Recap | Box Score
7 | Tuesday, March 14 (10 a.m.) |  vs.  | Long Beach, Calif. (49er Softball Complex) | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
8 | Tuesday, March 14 (12:30 p.m.) |  at  | Long Beach, Calif. (49er Softball Complex) | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
 

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THIS WEEK: After sweeping Texas in a three-game series at home, fifth-ranked Arizona (18-1) hits the road for 11 straight games, the first eight of which occur over a five-day span in Southern California. The Wildcats will play eight games in three locations to kick off 11 straight games on the road. Up first, the Cats take part in the CSUN/LMU Tournament, facing Cal State Northridge, Quinnipiac, Harford and Cal State Bakersfield in Northridge on Friday and Saturday before heading to LMU to take on the Lions and Bryant on Sunday. Then the Cats will head to Long Beach to take part in a Tuesday doubleheader with Long Beach State and defending national champion Oklahoma. The eight games wrap up nonconference play for the Wildcats, who head to Corvallis to kick off Pac-12 play against Oregon State.
 
CATS AT A GLANCE

• With its sweep of Texas, Arizona rose one spot to No. 5 in the NFCA Top 25. This marks the first time in the top five for the Wildcats since week 4 of 2011.
• Through 19 games this season, the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents 154-20. Their offense has hit more home runs (23) than their opponents have total runs (20). UA has 67 more hits (172) than its opponent has total bases (105).
• Arizona has not allowed more than three runs in a game this season. The Wildcats are fourth in the nation with a 0.94 team ERA. Meanwhile, the UA offense is scoring 8.11 runs per game, sixth best nationally.
• Four weeks into the season, four different Wildcats have received Pac-12 weekly awards. Katiyana Mauga was Pac-12 Player of the Week in week 1, Dejah Mulipola was Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in week 2 and Danielle O'Toole (pitcher) and Mo Mercado (player) were honored in week 3.
• Katiyana Mauga's career home run chase is off to good start. The senior has seven homers in 20 games, tied for ninth in the NCAA, giving her 74 career homers, 13 shy of Stacie Chambers and the Arizona record and 21 shy of Oklahoma's Lauren Chamberlain and the NCAA record.
• Danielle O'Toole is 10-1 with a 0.51 ERA in 68.0 innings. She is tied for fifth in the NCAA in wins and 20th with 76 strikeouts. Her 0.51 ERA ranks 14th in the country, but second among pitchers with at least 60 innings. The senior has a 76/8 strikeout to walk ratio and has limited opponents to a .159 batting average.
• Arizona is one of four Pac-12 teams in the top 10 in this week's NFCA poll, and one of seven league teams overall. The Wildcats, who were picked second in the conference's preseason coaches poll, have the Pac-12's second best record at 18-1.
• Dejah Mulipola's .510 average is second in the NCAA among freshmen with at least 40 at-bats.
• Arizona has scored an average of 2.47 runs in the first inning this year. Its opponents are averaging 1.05 runs per game.
• Arizona's freshmen have more combined home runs (14) than 219 Division I teams.
• Two Wildcats (Dejah Mulipola - 24, Mandie Perez - 22) have scored more runs individually than UA's opponents combined (20). Mulipola has also driven in more runs than opponents have total runs (21).

 
OPPONENTS

• Cal State Northridge: The Matadors (10-9) have won eight of their last nine games since a 2-7 start to the season, including a 1-4 showing at the season-opening Hillenbrand Invitational, where Arizona defeated Cal State Northridge 6-0 ... CSUN has hit 22 homers and slugs nearly 70 points higher than its opponents ... Taylor Glover (.391 avg, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 SB) is one of the nation's best players ... Arizona is 26-6 all-time vs. the Matadors, including the last eight matchups.
• Quinnipiac: The Bobcats (3-5) lost all three of their games at the Colonial Classic in Washington D.C. last weekend, with losses two George Washington (twice) and Bucknell ... Magana Miranda leads the team with a .481 average and 10 RBI in eight games ... This will be the first ever matchup between Arizona and Quinnipiac.
• Hartford: The Hawks (2-7) went 0-5 at the USF Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., last weekend with losses to Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Georgia State and Fort Wayne ...  Elizabeth Newkirk leads the offense with a .360 average in 25 at-bats ... This will be the first ever matchup between Arizona and Hartford.
• Cal State Bakersfield: The Roadrunners (2-10) were off last weekend, but went 1-2 in a three-game series with Saint Mary's the weekend before ... Maddi Clark leads the offense with a .346 average and a home run with eight RBI ... This will be the first matchup between Arizona and CSUB.
• Loyola Marymount: The Lions (5-9) defeated UC Riverside last weekend, ending a four-game losing streak ... LMU is led by Irma Sanchez's .333 average in 30 at-bats ... Arizona is 3-0 all-time against LMU, including a 10-1, six-inning victory in 2015.
• Bryant: The Bulldogs (1-9) head to Los Angeles on a seven-game losing streak after an 0-5 weekend at the Citrus Classic 2 in Orlando, Fla., with losses to Florida International, Mercer, South Alabama, Purdue and Chattanooga ... Haylee Haas leads the offense with a .375 average ... Arizona is 2-0 all-time against Bryant, with both wins coming in a doubleheader sweep on March 1, 2015.
• Oklahoma: The ninth-ranked Sooners (15-4) are 6-0 in March after a 9-4 start to the year ... The defending national champions have outscored opponents 112-44 on the year ... Oklahoma has already faced four teams in the top 15 (1-3) ... OU hits .315 as a team and its pitchers have posted a 2.17 ERA ... Arizona holds a 26-17 all-time series advantage over the Sooners; UA's 5-4 win on a Kellie Fox walkoff homer to beat No. 4 Oklahoma at the 2015 Mary Nutter Classic ended an eight-game winning streak for OU in the series.
• Long Beach State: The 49ers (6-10-1) are coming off a 1-4 weekend at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., last week with a victory over Indiana and losses to Fresno State, Florida, Michigan and South Carolina ... LBSU has three hitters hitting better than .333, including Nichole Fry's .348 average with eight extra base hits ... Arizona owns a 26-19 advantage in the series; Arizona has won 12 straight since 1992, but the last two meetings (2014, 2015) have been decided by one run.

 
WHO'S HOT?

• Mo Mercado: The senior has seven multi-hit games in her last eight games, hitting .682 with five doubles and 12 RBI in the last two weeks. Mercado was named Pac-12 and national player of the week after hitting .846 at the Mary Nutter Classic in week 3.
• Danielle O'Toole: Tooly allowed a run three batters into the 2017 season. Since then, the conference's leader in ERA has posted a 0.41 ERA and has allowed just over one hit per two innings. O'Toole was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week in week 3.
• Dejah Mulipola: She leads all freshmen (min. 40 AB) with her .510 batting average and leads the Pac-12 in RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.939).

 
THE KATI WATCH IS ON: Though Katiyana Mauga's focus remains on OKC, her chase for history is on. How many #MaugaBombs can she hit? A complete breakdown of where she stands in the UA, Pac-12 and NCAA record books can be found on page 12. Here are some notes:

• Mauga has hit 74 career home runs in 194 games played. That's 13 shy of Arizona's record (87 - Stacie Chambers, 08-11), 16 shy of the Pac-12 record (90 - Stacey Nuveman, UCLA, 97-02) and 21 shy of the NCAA record (95 - Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma, 12-15).
• The senior is tied for ninth in the NCAA with seven home runs this season.
• With 20 homers as a freshman, 26 as a sophomore and 21 as a junior, Mauga is the only player in NCAA history to hit 20 home runs in each of her first three years.
• Mauga's 74 career homers lead all active hitters in the NCAA by a wide margin. Only one other player has more than 55.

 
RAISE THE A: Arizona started a new tradition in 2016 -- raising the "A" flag in Candrea's Corner, the left field bleachers, after home victories. The flagpole may get a workout, considering Arizona's 677-86 (.887) record all-time at Hillenbrand Stadium. Arizona has won 15 straight games at Hillenbrand Stadium.
 
RED, WHITE AND BLUE TAKES ON A DIFFERENT MEANING: Arizona's long-standing tradition with USA Softball will continue this summer. Senior Danielle O'Toole was named the U.S. Women's National Team while freshmen Jessie Harper and Dejah Mulipola were named to the U.S. Junior Women's National Training Team following a selection camp in January. Arizona's ties to USA Softball run deep, most memorably as skipper Mike Candrea served as the head coach for Team USA's 2004 (gold medal) and 2008 (silver medal) teams. In 2016, a pair of Wildcats received the Association's highest honors as Kellie Fox (2014-15) was named USA Softball Athlete of the Year and redshirt freshman Alyssa Palomino was named USA Softball Junior Athlete of the Year.
 
CIRCLE IT: After a five-year span in the circle in which Arizona put up a combined ERA north of 3.50 from 2011-15, pitching has returned as Arizona's strength the last two years, coinciding with the arrival of Danielle O'Toole and Taylor McQuillin in 2016. After Arizona finished second in the Pac-12 in ERA last year (2.67), the pitching staff put up a combined 0.94 ERA 19 games into 2017.
 
SENIOR SALUTE: Arizona eight-player senior class is its largest since the eight seniors in 2001 went out on top, winning the program's sixth NCAA title. In 2017, UA will bid adieu to eight players who have been invaluable to the program. All eight have either been full or part time starters during their time. The octet includes four all-Pac-12 first or second teamers and has played a combined 2,003 games at Arizona, combined for 737 hits, 131 home runs, 526 RBI, 731.2 IP, 653 strikeouts and 78 pitching victories. Here are some notes on each senior's career contributions:

• Nancy Bowling: A 36-game starter in her career in the circle, plus 32 games at first base. Has not lost a pitching decision since her freshman year (15-0 from sophomore year on).
• Alexis Dotson: A 79-game starter since transferring from local Pima College after her sophomore year. Owns a career .318 average and has scored 46 runs.
• Michelle Floyd: Arizona's ace in 2015, a season in which she tallied the most innings pitched (183.2), wins (19) and strikeouts (135) while helping lead Arizona to a 41-win season and a super regional appearance.
• Katiyana Mauga: On pace to leave Arizona as the school's all-time leader in home runs. Has put up single-season home run totals that rank in UA's top-20 in each of her previous three years.
• Mo Mercado: Has started every game (201) of her Arizona career and has put up a .361 average in 610 career at-bats, the most among active Wildcats. Three-time all-region performer.
• Danielle O'Toole: Led the Pac-12 in wins in her first season at Arizona (26) while becoming Arizona's first, first-team all-Pac-12 pitcher since 2010.
• Mandie Perez: A 185-game starter who was named first-team all-conference as a redshirt junior in 2016. Owns a career .332 average and a stellar .428 on-base percentage.
• Eva Watson: Has battled injuries, but led Arizona in batting average in 2016 (.387). Has appeared in 148 games in her career, including 68 starts.

 
OVER THE HILL: Arizona has appeared in every NCAA Tournament since 1988, Mike Candrea's second year on campus. That's 30 consecutive years in the tournament for Arizona. Not only is that the longest active streak, but it is seven years longer than the second longest streak. If Arizona makes the NCAA Tournament in 2017, it will be the longest streak in NCAA softball history, breaking Fresno State's inactive 30-year streak.
 
BEATING THE BEST: Since 1994, Arizona is above .500 against ranked teams, top-10 teams and top-five competition. UA is 545-244-1 (.700) against ranked competition, 256-162 (.624) against top-10 teams and 128-111 (.549) against top-five teams.
 
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: Arizona was ranked No. 10 in the Preseason NFCA Top 25, its highest preseason ranking since 2012, and picked to finish second in the Pac-12 by the coaches prior to the season, its highest since 2011. Why?

• Arizona returned eight starters, four pitchers and 16 total letterwinners from a 40-win team in 2016. In all, the Cats return 90% of their hits (420-of-465), 91% of their home runs (61-of-67) and 90% of their RBI (268-of-298). Additionally, all four pitchers return from a staff that was second in the Pac-12 in ERA.
• The Wildcats' senior class of eight is its largest in 16 years, when the eight seniors in 2001 went out by winning national championship.
• Those seniors will play a key role in mentoring Arizona's seven-player freshman class. The six true freshmen -- Dejah Mulipola (No. 5 recruit, FloSoftball), Reyna Carranco (No. 16), Jessie Harper (No. 43), Malia Martinez (No. 57), Carli Campbell and Jaycee Lindley -- were rated as the No. 3 recruiting class in the country. Add in redshirt freshman Alyssa Palomino, the 2016 USA Softball Junior Athlete of the Year who missed last season with a torn ACL, and the Wildcats have plenty of fresh talent to go with their experienced core.

 
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, Instagram and Snapchat (@UA_Softball).