1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team

The 1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team represented the University of Arizona in the 1997 NCAA Division I softball season. The Wildcats were coached by Mike Candrea, who led his twelfth season. The Wildcats finished with a record of 61–5. They played their home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished first with a 26–1 record.

1997 Arizona Wildcats softball
National Champion NCAA Tucson Regional champion Pac-10 champion
Conference	Pacific-10 Conference
Record	61–5 (26–1 Pac-10)
Head coach	Mike Candrea (12th season)
Home stadium	Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Pacific-10 Conference softball standings

v t e	Conf.									Overall
Team	W		L		T		PCT			W		L		T		PCT
No. 1 Arizona  ‍†‍‍y	26	–	1	–	0		.963			61	–	5	–	0		.924
No. 2 UCLA  ‍‍‍y	21	–	7	–	0		.750			49	–	14	–	0		.778
No. 4 Washington  ‍‍‍y	16	–	11	–	0		.593			50	–	19	–	0		.725
No. 11 California  ‍‍‍y	13	–	14	–	0		.481			36	–	26	–	0		.581
Stanford  ‍‍‍	10	–	18	–	0		.357			31	–	27	–	0		.534
No. 23 Arizona State  ‍‍‍y	9	–	19	–	0		.321			32	–	25	–	0		.561
Oregon  ‍‍‍	9	–	19	–	0		.321			24	–	35	–	0		.407
Oregon State  ‍‍‍	6	–	21	–	0		.222			29	–	34	–	1		.461
† – Conference champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of May 31, 1997[1] Rankings from NFCA/USA Today

The Wildcats were invited to the 1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament, where they swept the West Regional and then completed a run through the Women's College World Series to claim their fifth NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.^[2]

Roster

1997 Arizona Wildcats roster[2]
	Pitchers 3 – Carrie Dolan – senior 13 – Nancy Evans – junior Catchers 7 – Lety Pineda – junior 12 – Lindsay Mullins – freshman 31 – Leah Braatz – junior	Infielders 5 – Katie Swan – freshman 6 – Alison Johnsen – junior 11 – Lisa Pitt – sophomore 18 – Tiana Hejduk – junior 20 – Leah O'Brien – senior 21 – Michelle Churnock – sophomore		Outfielders 10 – Julie Reitan – junior 22 – Andrea Doty – senior 26 – Brandi Shriver – senior 99 – Chrissy Gil – freshman

Schedule

Legend
	Arizona win
	Arizona loss
*	Non-Conference game

1997 Arizona Wildcats Softball Game Log[2]
Regular season
February Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Feb 7 Northwestern State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–2 1–0 Feb 7 Northwestern State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ 18–25 W 2–0 Feb 8 UIC* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 3–0 Feb 8 UIC* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–1 4–0 Feb 9 No. 4 Washington* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–3 5–0 Feb 14 vs Texas* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 6–2 6–0 Feb 14 vs No. 19 Nebraska* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 15– 5 7–0 Feb 15 vs No. 13 UNLV* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 5–2 8–0 Feb 15 vs UC Santa Barbara* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 10–05 9–0 Feb 16 vs Utah State* No. 1 Tempe, AZ W 8–05 10–0 Feb 22 vs Alabama* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 9–05 11–0 Feb 22 at No. 7 Southwestern Louisiana* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 4–1 12–0 Feb 22 vs Baylor* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 6–2 13–0 Feb 23 vs Alabama* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 13–0 14–0 Feb 23 vs Baylor* No. 1 Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 10–05 15–0
March Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Mar 1 Kent State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–0 16–0 Mar 1 DePaul* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–0 17–0 Mar 1 LSU* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–4 18–0 Mar 2 Kansas* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–1 19–0 Mar 2 Colorado State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 9–0 20–0 Mar 2 Florida* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–0 21–0 Mar 8 No. 12 California No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–3 22–0 1–0 Mar 8 No. 12 California No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–1 23–0 2–0 Mar 9 Stanford No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 24–0 3–0 Mar 9 Stanford No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 6–0 25–0 4–0 Mar 20 vs Ohio State* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 15–6 26–0 Mar 20 vs No. 12 Oklahoma State* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 12–05 27–0 Mar 21 vs No. 23 Hawaii* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 6–5 28–0 Mar 21 vs UNLV* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA W 17–05 29–0 Mar 22 No. 24 Cal State Northridge* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 1–05 30–0 Mar 22 Oregon State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 0–3 30–1 Mar 29 at No. 3 UCLA No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–1 31–1 5–0 Mar 29 at No. 3 UCLA No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 1–5 31–2 5–1
April Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Apr 4 No. 5 Washington No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 3–2 32–2 6–1 Apr 4 No. 5 Washington No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 33–2 7–1 Apr 6 at No. 2 Fresno State* No. 1 Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA L 2–5 33–3 Apr 6 at No. 2 Fresno State* No. 1 Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA L 5–6 33–4 Apr 9 at No. 10 Arizona State No. 2 Tempe, AZ W 5–1 34–4 8–1 Apr 9 at No. 10 Arizona State No. 2 Tempe, AZ W 10–1 35–4 9–1 Apr 12 at Oregon No. 2 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 5–0 36–4 10–1 Apr 12 at Oregon No. 2 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 12–1 37–4 11–1 Apr 13 at Oregon State No. 2 Corvallis, OR W 6–26 38–4 12–1 Apr 18 No. 4 UCLA No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–0 39–4 13–1 Apr 18 No. 4 UCLA No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–6 40–4 14–1 Apr 19 No. 23 Cal State Northridge* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–3 41–4 Apr 19 No. 23 Cal State Northridge* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 16–65 42–4 Apr 23 No. 12 Arizona State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–4 43–4 15–1 Apr 23 No. 12 Arizona State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–2 44–4 16–1 Apr 26 at No. 24 California No. 1 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA W 10–4 45–4 17–1 Apr 26 at No. 24 California No. 1 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA W 11–0 46–4 18–1 Apr 27 at Stanford No. 1 Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Stanford, CA W 5–1 47–4 19–1 Apr 27 at Stanford No. 1 Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Stanford, CA W 3–0 48–4 20–1
May Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record May 2 Oregon No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–3 49–4 21–1 May 2 Oregon No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 9–1 50–4 22–1 May 3 Oregon State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–15 51–4 23–1 May 3 Oregon State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–15 52–4 24–1 May 10 at No. 6 Washington No. 1 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA W 9–1 53–4 25–1 May 10 at No. 6 Washington No. 1 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA W 4–3 54–4 26–1
Post-season
NCAA Tucson Regional Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record NCAAT record May 16 Rider No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–2 55–4 1–0 May 17 Nebraska No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 2–0 56–4 2–0 May 18 Nebraska No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–1 57–4 3–0
NCAA Women's College World Series Date Opponent Rank (Seed) Site/stadium Score Overall record WCWS Record May 22 (8) UMass No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 2–18 58–4 1–0 May 23 (5) UCLA No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 2–014 59–4 2–0 May 25 (4) Fresno State No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK L 0–3 59–5 2–1 May 25 (4) Fresno State No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 6–2 60–5 3–1 May 26 (5) UCLA No. 1 (1) ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 10–25 61–5 4–1

Ranking movements

Main article: 1997 NCAA Division I softball rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
NFCA/USA Today	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	1	1