THE GAMES (Times MST)
49 | Friday, May 3 |
2,
1 |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
50 | Saturday, May 4 |
3,
1 |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
51 | Sunday, May 5 (12 p.m.) |
vs.
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Pac-12 National/Washington |
Live Stats |
Twitter Updates |
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THIS WEEK: May is here and so is the most important part of the season for sixth-ranked Arizona (40-8, 17-1 Pac-12), who will play a pair of top-five teams in the final two weeks of the regular season before heading into the NCAA Tournament. The month gets started with senior week and a visit from third-ranked Washington (39-7, 14-4 Pac-12) in the final regular season series at Hillenbrand Stadium this season. The Cats and Huskies will meet Friday (5 p.m.), Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.) in a three-game series to be televised by the Pac-12 Networks this season.
- It's Senior Week for the Wildcats, who welcome in No. 3 Washington for the final regular season series at Hillenbrand Stadium this season. UA will celebrate the careers of six seniors this weekend: Hillary Edior, Joelle Krist, Taylor McQuillin, Rylee Pierce, Gina Snyder and Tamara Statman.
- The calendar has turned to May and the Wildcats are set for the most difficult stretch of their season. Arizona will face a pair of teams currently ranked in the top three. Arizona kicks it off vs. No. 3 Washington before concluding the regular season at No. 2 UCLA. The Huskies (#4) and the Bruins (#2) sandwich the Wildcats (#3) in the RPI with two weeks remaining until Selection Sunday.
- The Wildcats are tied for first in the Pac-12 (17-1) with No. 2 UCLA with the Bruins still remaining on the schedule. First, the Cats will take on third-place Washington (14-4) this weekend.
- Arizona saw its 21-game winning streak come to an end when it fell to California in nine innings last Saturday, the first loss of the conference season for the Wildcats. Still, UA's 17-1 start to Pac-12 play marks its best since starting the 1994 Pac-10 season 23-0.
- The Wildcats have the top two pitchers in the Pac-12 in conference ERA. Taylor McQuillin leads the league in both wins (11) and ERA (0.67) during Pac-12 play while Alyssa Denham's 0.69 ERA in league play is second. The Cats lead the league with a 0.84 ERA in conference play and are third in the NCAA with a 1.41 ERA this season. Arizona is trying to finish top-five in the NCAA in ERA for the first time since 2006 (4th - 1.10) and could finish top-three in the NCAA for the first time since 1992 (1st - 0.35).
- Arizona has hit 90 home runs this season, second most in the country; the Cats have the top two home run hitters in the Pac-12: Jessie Harper (22) and Dejah Mulipola (20). Harper is second and Mulipola is seventh in the NCAA (Mississippi State's Mia Davidson is the NCAA leader with 25 home runs).
- The Wildcats are trying to cross the 100-homer plateau for the seventh time in program history. No other school has hit 100-plus home runs more than thrice in school history.
- Arizona's 90 home runs hit by its offense exceed the total number of runs surrendered by its pitching staff all season (82).
- Arizona placed an NCAA-most three players on the midseason USA Softball Player of the Year Finalists. Junior shortstop Jessie Harper, senior pitcher Taylor McQuillin and junior catcher Dejah Mulipola are three of the 26 finalists for the award.
- Over the last 23 games (22-1), Arizona's pitchers have allowed just 15 total earned runs (0.74 ERA). During that same stretch, UA's offense has scored 191 runs and has hit 48 home runs.
- In an unprecedented decision, Arizona's entire junior class (six players) was named Arizona Athletics' Female Junior Student-Athlete of the Year at the CATSYS, Arizona Athletics' year-end award show. UA's five junior position players (Reyna Carranco, Jessie Harper, Malia Martinez, Dejah Mulipola, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza) are hitting a combined .379 with 73 total home runs and 250 RBI this season. If the five players were their own team, they would lead the NCAA in batting average and have the eighth most home runs in the country; their 250 combined RBI is more than 232 Division I teams have scored this season.
- An Arizona junior leads the Pac-12 (or is tied for the lead) in nearly every major statistical category: batting average (Carranco - .447), slugging percentage (Mulipola - .852), runs scored (Harper - 55), RBI (Harper - 58), doubles (Palomino-Cardoza - 16), home runs (Harper - 22), total bases (Harper - 131) and walks (Mulipola - 35).
- Juniors Jessie Harper and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza both enter the weekend one home run shy of a milestone. Harper has 59 career home runs, already tied for eighth most in UA history. She is trying to become the fourth Wildcat to hit her 60th career home run during her junior season. Palomino-Cardoza has 49 career homers, one shy of becoming the 16th Wildcat to hit 50 career homers (six previous who have done so in their junior year).
- Arizona's offense is top 10 in the NCAA in home runs per game (2nd - 1.88), slugging percentage (3rd - .612), scoring (7th - 7.21), batting average (10th - .335) and on-base percentage (8th - .419).
- Arizona's pitching staff is third in the country in ERA (1.41) and fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.61).
- The UA pitching staff is led by Taylor McQuillin, who is 18-5 (including a Pac-12-most 10 shutouts) this season with a 1.21 ERA. Last month, McQuillin was the sixth overall selection in the 2019 NPF Draft by the Cleveland Comets.
- In 18 conference games, the Wildcats have outscored their Pac-12 opponents 153-19 and have a Pac-12-best 0.84 ERA in league games. With two weeks remaining in the conference season, Arizona's 153 runs are already its most since 2015 (199).
- Dating back to last season, Arizona has won nine consecutive Pac-12 series.
- Arizona has won 36 of its last 40 games, with its only four losses in that span coming by a combined five runs, three of which came to the current No. 1 (Oklahoma) and No. 5 (Florida State) team in the country.
- Arizona's offense has been heating up with the weather. Since the calendar turned to March (last 33 games), Arizona has averaged 8.06 runs/game and is hitting 2.0 home runs per game after scoring 5.33 runs and hitting 1.67 homers per game in February (15 games).
- Arizona head coach Mike Candrea enters the weekend four wins shy of Michigan's Carol Hutchins for the most career wins in NCAA softball history. Candrea, who is in his 32nd year of coaching at Arizona, has won 1,603 wins while Hutchins has 1,607 over 36 seasons of coaching. Earlier this year, Candrea moved into fifth all-time in NCAA Division I victories among all sports.
NOTES ON THE HUSKIES (39-7, 14-4 Pac-12)
- Washington comes into the week ranked No. 3 in the NFCA Top 25 after no-hitting Utah Valley in its Pac-12 bye week.
- The Huskies have won 17 of their last 18 games, including eight shutouts.
- UW is led by its phenomenal pitching duo of Gabbie Plain (17-2, 1.27 ERA, 177 K, 132.1 IP) and Taran Alvelo (20-4, 1.72 ERA, 226 K, 150.1 IP). Washington is sixth nationally with a 1.59 ERA this season.
- The Washington offense is led by Sis Bates, who is hitting .405 this season and leads the Pac-12 with a .525 average during Pac-12 play.
ARIZONA vs. WASHINGTON
- The Wildcats hold an 69-34 all-time series advantage over Washington.
- The home team has won the series in each of the last five seasons; top-ranked Washington swept ninth-ranked Arizona last season in Seattle.
- In Washington's last trip to Tucson, Arizona swept the sixth-ranked Huskies in 2017. That series included a Danielle O'Toole no-hitter as well as Mike Candrea's 1,500th career victory.
LAST WEEK
- Arizona won the final series in Cal's historic Levine-Fricke Field, taking 2-of-3 from the Golden Bears in a trio of closely-contested games in Berkeley.
- Cal took game 2 in nine innings, UA's first Pac-12 loss this season.
- While Arizona's offense struggled in the series (.216 avg), UA's pitchers continued to dominate. Taylor McQuillin (2-0 in the series) and Alyssa Denham (0-1) combined to post a 0.93 ERA over the three games.
- Reyna Carranco led the Wildcats with a .500 average (5-for-10) in the series, upping her Pac-12 average to .491 this season.
- Jessie Harper hit her Pac-12-best 22nd home run in the series, a three-run shot in game one that increased her league lead in RBI as well (58).
RANKINGS
- This week, Arizona moved down to sixth in NFCA Top 25 (from fifth), and remained fourth in the USA Softball Top 25 (from sixth) remained third in the Softball America Top 25.
- UA remained third in this week's NCAA RPI.
- The Wildcats started the season ranked seventh in the NFCA Top 25 and Softball America Top 25 and sixth in the USA Softball Top 25.
- Arizona is one of three Pac-12 teams in the top 10.
HARPER'S HEROICS
- Jessie Harper leads the Pac-12 and is tied for second in the NCAA with 22 home runs, two behind the national leader. She is trying to become the first Wildcat since Stacie Chambers in 2009 (31 homers) to lead the country in home runs. Overall, nine Wildcats have led the country in homers.
- The junior's career-most 22 home runs give her 59 for her career, already eighth most in Arizona history. She is trying to join Katiyana Mauga (67 home runs after junior year), Stacie Chambers (67) and Leah Braatz (60) as the only three players in UA history to have hit their 60th career homer during their junior seasons. Mauga (2nd), Chambers (4th) and Braatz (t5th) are all in the top six in NCAA history in career homers.
- Harper's 59 home runs have come in 168 career games. Katiyana Mauga is the fastest Wildcat to 60 homers (157 games) followed by Stacie Chambers (166 games).
- Harper leads the Pac-12 with a career-high 58 RBI with five weeks to go in the regular season. Her 58 RBI are the most by a Wildcat since Katiyana Mauga had 61 in 2017.
- Harper is second in the Pac-12 and 17th nationally with a .851 slugging percentage. That figure would currently be 11th in UA history. She is slugging .755 for her career, currently seventh highest in UA history.
- Harper has four multi-homer games this season and 12 in her career.
- Arizona is 45-2 in her career when Harper homers and 67-6 when she records an extra-base hit.
- Is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 32 extra-base hits (with Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza) after leading the conference with 34 XBH last season.
ONE LAST RIDE FOR TAYLOR MCQUILLIN
- Taylor McQuillin has been excellent in her senior season. She is 19-5 with a career-low 1.21 ERA and has fanned 181 batters (against just 30 walks) in 150.1 innings pitched.
- McQuillin, who led the NCAA with 15 shutouts in 2018, leads the Pac-12 and is sixth nationally with 10 shutouts this season.
- The senior is second in the Pac-12 in ERA (1.21) and wins (19), fourth in strikeouts (181) and fifth in opponent batting average (.167).
- McQuillin has six victories (inlcuding four shutouts) this season vs. ranked teams (all complete games). McQuillin beat #19 Michigan (7.0 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 7 K), #20 Oklahoma State (7.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 10 K), #23 Minnesota (7.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 10 K), #19 James Madison (8.0 IP, 6 R, 5 8 H, 7 K) and two wins vs. #17 Arizona State (5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 8 K) and (7.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 7 K).
- McQuillin has stepped up in a huge way during Pac-12 play. She is 11-0 in league games with a 0.67 ERA and has struck out 68 batters while walking just seven.
- After walking a season-most seven batters vs. Florida State, McQuillin has walked more than one batter just one time over her last 12 appearances. In her last 72 innings, she has walked just eight batters while striking out 79.
- McQuillin has moved into the Arizona career top-10 in wins (9th - 75), strikeouts (7th - 764), innings pitched (10th - 640.2).
- On April 15, McQuillin was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NPF Draft by the Cleveland Comets, where she will play professional softball starting this summer. McQuillin will also compete internationally beginning this summer with Team Mexico.
RAKIN' REYNA
- Reyna Carranco leads the Pac-12 with a .447 average, 36 points higher than second place Taylor Pack (UCLA). She is trying to become the first Wildcat since Brittany Lastrapes in 2009 (.481) to win the Pac-12 batting title.
- Reyna Carranco is tied for 18th in the country (third among Power 5 players) in hits this season with 68 and 12th in the country with a .447 batting average.
- Carranco's .447 batting average is the highest by an Arizona hitter 48 games into a season since Kelsey Rodriguez's .449 average 48 games into 2014.
- Carranco recently saw her 24-game reached-base streak, which included a 15-game hitting streak, come to an end. Both of those are the longest by a Wildcat this season and longest since Hallie Wilson's 19-game hitting streak/29 game reached-base streak in 2015. She has started a new streak and has reached base in eight straight games.
- In the first 48 games of the season, Carranco has multiple hits in 25 of them (including five three-hit games).
NEW DIGS, SAME CROWD
- Arizona's fans have long been among the best in the country, filling Hillenbrand Stadium since it was originally built in 1993. The Wildcats have led the country in attendance seven times and are currently second in the NCAA this season.
- In the first season of renovated Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium, UA is averaging 2,534 fans per date this season, second to Alabama's 2,704. Arizona is approaching its school record of 2,591 fans per date in 2011.
- Arizona has sold out eight of its nine Pac-12 games this season, including six-in-a-row.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- When it's all said and done, Arizona will play what is sure to be among the toughest schedules in the country. Arizona's schedule includes each of the top seven teams from the final 2018 NFCA Top 25 (and 11 total ranked teams), 17 games against 2018 WCWS teams, 21 2018 NCAA Tournament teams and home series vs. the defending national champions (Florida State; March 8-10) and national runners up (Washington; May 3-5).
- Arizona's opponents, both past and future, have a combined .647 winning percentage. That is the third hardest schedule in the country.
- The Wildcats will play or have already played the other six of top the top seven teams in the current NFCA Top 25. In all, UA's schedule includes 10 teams currently ranked in the top 25.
- Since 1994, Arizona is above .500 against ranked teams, top-10 teams and top-five competition. UA is 572-267-1 (.690) against ranked competition, 266-179 (.617) against top-10 teams and 130-126 (.536) against top-five teams.
