1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team explained
| Sport: | softball |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Team: | Arizona Wildcats |
| Conference: | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Short Conf: | Pac-10 |
| Record: | 61–5 |
| Conf Record: | 26–1 |
| Head Coach: | Mike Candrea |
| Hc Year: | 12th |
| Stadium: | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium |
| Champion: | National Champion
NCAA Tucson Regional champion
Pac-10 champion |
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.
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.[1]
Schedule
| Legend |
|---|
| | Arizona win |
| | Arizona loss |
| Non-Conference game | |
| 1997 Arizona Wildcats Softball Game Log |
|---|
| Regular season |
|---|
| February |
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | Pac-10 record |
|---|
| Feb 7 | | No. 1 | | W 10–2 | 1–0 | | | Feb 7 | Northwestern State* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | 18–25 | W 2–0 | | | Feb 8 | | 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 * | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 7–3 | 5–0 | | | Feb 14 | vs * | No. 1 | | W 6–2 | 6–0 | | | Feb 14 | vs No. 19 * | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 15– 5 | 7–0 | | | Feb 15 | vs No. 13 * | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 5–2 | 8–0 | | | Feb 15 | vs * | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 10–05 | 9–0 | | | Feb 16 | vs * | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 8–05 | 10–0 | | | Feb 22 | vs * | No. 1 | | W 9–05 | 11–0 | | | Feb 22 | at No. 7 * | No. 1 | Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA | W 4–1 | 12–0 | | | Feb 22 | vs * | 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 | | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 4–0 | 16–0 | | | Mar 1 | | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–0 | 17–0 | | | Mar 1 | | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–4 | 18–0 | | | Mar 2 | | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–1 | 19–0 | | | Mar 2 | | 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 | 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 | | 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 * | No. 1 | | W 15–6 | 26–0 | | | Mar 20 | vs No. 12 * | No. 1 | Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA | W 12–05 | 27–0 | | | Mar 21 | vs No. 23 * | 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 * | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 1–05 | 30–0 | | | Mar 22 | | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | L 0–3 | 30–1 | | | Mar 29 | | No. 1 | | 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 * | No. 1 | | 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 | 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 | No. 2 | | 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 | | 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 | | 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 | | 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 | | 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 |
|---|
|
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | NCAAT record |
|---|
| May 16 | | 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 | |
|
|
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank (Seed) | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | WCWS Record |
|---|
| May 22 | (8) | No. 1 (1) | | 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
See main article: 1997 NCAA Division I softball rankings.
Notes and References
- Book: 2019 Softball Media Guide. Arizona Wildcats. February 2, 2020.
