Arizona softball: Candrea, Cats hang hats on recruiting to boost program back to heights

It used to be that Mike Candrea could recruit the best high school juniors, sign them before their senior years and know exactly what he was getting.

Arizona softball: Candrea on 2014: 'Buckle up'

Hallie Wilson and her Wildcats teammates were eliminated in regional play with two losses to Baylor in College Station, Texas.

Arizona softball: Candrea on 2014: 'Buckle up'

Mike Candrea has never been in this position before: sitting in his office Tuesday, conducting year-end player interviews, while 16 teams across the country prepared for the NCAA tournament's super regional round.

Arizona notebook: Cats go 'grrr' as freshman starts

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Whitney Canion shut out the Arizona Wildcats on Friday.

Arizona softball: 'Long day,' long season ends

Arizona's Brigette Del Ponte, left, celebrates with Chelsea Suitos after making a double play in the third inning of Arizona's elimination-game win against Penn.

Arizona softball: 'Long day,' long season ends

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - In the end, the Arizona Wildcats were bounced from the NCAA tournament regional for the same reason they were sent to the Brazos Valley here as the third-highest team in their own pod: because they weren't good enough.

Arizona softball: Strange things in game against Penn

Near miss

NCAA softball tournament: Baylor 7, Arizona 0: Deep in a hole in Texas

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - After losing a regional game for the first time in nine years and putting the season on life support with a 7-0 loss to Baylor, Mike Candrea gathered the Arizona Wildcats on Friday and asked them a question:

Arizona softball: Seen & heard in College Station, Texas

Graduation

Arizona notebook: Penn calls it 'honor' to face Cats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -Penn made its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance Friday, and was greeted by 14 Texas A&M hits in a 12-0, five-inning loss.

Arizona softball: Once Cats lightened up, wins followed

Since the Wildcats decided to have more fun and relax on the softball field, they have gone a combined 4-2 against No. 5 Arizona State and No. 13 Stanford. UA faces Baylor today.

Arizona softball: Once Cats lightened up, wins followed

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - There are easy explanations for how the Arizona Wildcats, one of the great programs in softball history, wound up as the third-best team in a regional in the middle of muggy Brazos County: the late transfer of an All-American, a lack of pitching, an injury to star Ke…

Arizona softball: Cats not dwelling on regular season showing, instead focused on Baylor's pitching, base stealing

Mike Candrea and his staff lugged a hulking cardboard box into Wednesday’s breakfast-time practice at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Arizona Softball: Cats hit road, can't look ahead to OU

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Arizona Softball: Cats hit road, can't look ahead to OU

In the end, the Arizona Wildcats' most dicey NCAA tournament selection ever yielded surprises - one good, one bad.

Arizona softball: Wildcats win season finale

The visiting Arizona Wildcats used a ninth-inning homer from Chelsea Goodacre and solid outings from pitchers Nancy Bowling and Estela Piñon on Saturday to win the regular-season finale and the series from No. 13 Stanford.

Arizona softball: This time around, Cats expect to travel for NCAA tourney

Their 27th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance all but guaranteed, the Arizona Wildcats nonetheless figure to find themselves in foreign territory when seeds are announced Sunday at 7 p.m.

Arizona softball: Young's blast lifts Wildcats

Lauren Young's three-run homer in the sixth inning gave Arizona the lead for good in its 5-3 win over No. 13-ranked Stanford on Thursday in Stanford, Calif.