The 1996 Arizona Wildcats softball team represented the University of Arizona in the 1996 NCAA Division I softball season . The Wildcats were coached by Mike Candrea , who led his eleventh season. The Wildcats finished with a record of 58–9. They played their home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference , where they finished second with a 23–5 record.
The Wildcats were invited to the 1996 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 fourth NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.[2]
Roster [ ]
1996 Arizona Wildcats roster[2]
Pitchers
3 - Carrie Dolan - Junior
13 - Nancy Evans - Junior
Catchers
5 - Tanya Farhat - Junior
7 - Lety Pineda - Sophomore
31 - Leah Braatz - Junior
Infielders
8 - Krista Gomez - Senior
11 - Lisa Pitt Fr. 1B/P
16 - Jenny Dalton - Senior
18 - Tiana Hejduk - Sophomore
21 - Michelle Churnock - Freshman
33 - Heidi Bomberger - Junior
Outfielders
6 - Alison Johnsen - Sophomore
10 - Julie Reitan - Sophomore
20 - Leah O'Brien - Senior
22 - Andrea Doty - Junior
26 - Brandi Shriver - Junior
Schedule [ ]
Legend
Arizona win
Arizona loss
*
Non-Conference game
1996 Arizona Wildcats Softball Game Log[2]
Regular Season
February
Date
Opponent
Rank
Site/Stadium
Score
Overall Record
Pac-10 Record
Feb 15
vs No. 7 UNLV *
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
W 9–5
1–0
Feb 16
vs No. 5 Cal State Fullerton *
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
L 3–6
1–1
Feb 16
vs No. 13 Florida State *
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
W 8–4
2–1
Feb 17
vs San Diego State *
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
W 11–3
3–1
Feb 17
vs UMass *
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
W 4–2
4–1
Feb 18
vs Ohio State *
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
L 0–4
4–2
Feb 23
New Mexico State *
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 8–0
5–2
Feb 23
Ohio State*
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 6–4
6–2
Feb 24
No. 4 Washington *
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 4–1
7–2
Feb 24
Ohio State*
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 11–2
8–2
Feb 25
New Mexico State*
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 10–06
9–2
March
Date
Opponent
Rank
Site/Stadium
Score
Overall Record
Pac-10 Record
Mar 1
Northwestern State *
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 16–4
10–2
Mar 1
Tennessee *
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 12–3
11–2
Mar 2
Tennessee*
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 6–3
12–2
Mar 2
Northwestern State*
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 15–1
13–2
Mar 3
Northwestern State*
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 7–4
14–2
Mar 7
North Carolina *
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 19–35
15–2
Mar 7
No. 14 Michigan *
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 8–06
16–2
Mar 8
North Carolina*
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 18–9
17–2
Mar 8
No. 10 Oklahoma *
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 10–0
18–2
Mar 9
Missouri *
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 9–0
19–2
Mar 10
No. 10 Oklahoma*
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 10–0
20–2
Mar 10
No. 4 Fresno State *
No. 3
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 4–2
21–2
Mar 21
vs DePaul *
No. 1
Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA
W 6–5
22–2
Mar 21
vs No. 12 Oklahoma
No. 1
Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA
W 2–1
23–2
Mar 22
vs No. 8 South Carolina *
No. 1
Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA
L 0–1
23–3
Mar 22
vs Georgia State *
No. 1
Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA
W 4–1
24–3
Mar 23
vs Oregon State *
No. 1
Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA
W 12–25
25–3
Mar 24
vs No. 6 UNLV*
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 6–3
26–3
Mar 24
vs No. 2 Washington*
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 9–05
27–3
Mar 29
No. 2 UCLA
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 5–4
28–3
1–0
Mar 29
No. 2 UCLA
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 5–0
29–3
2–0
Mar 31
No. 3 Washington
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
L 4–10
29–4
2–1
Mar 31
No. 3 Washington
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 7–4
30–4
3–1
April
Date
Opponent
Rank
Site/Stadium
Score
Overall Record
Pac-10 Record
Apr 5
Stanford
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 5–0
31–4
4–1
Apr 5
Stanford
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 10–3
32–4
5–1
Apr 6
No. 11 California
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 7–2
33–4
6–1
Apr 6
No. 11 California
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 5–2
34–4
7–1
Apr 10
No. 20 Arizona State
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 8–2
35–4
8–1
Apr 10
No. 20 Arizona State
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 6–2
36–4
9–1
Apr 13
at No. 3 UCLA
No. 1
Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA
W 5–3
37–4
10–1
Apr 13
at No. 3 UCLA
No. 1
Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA
W 5–1
38–4
11–1
Apr 16
No. 4 Fresno State*
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 7–3
39–4
Apr 16
No. 4 Fresno State*
No. 1
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
L 1–2
39–5
Apr 20
at No. 2 Washington
No. 1
Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA
L 1–2
39–6
11–2
Apr 20
at No. 2 Washington
No. 1
Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA
L 0–7
39–7
11–3
Apr 24
at Arizona State
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
W 2–19
40–7
12–3
Apr 24
at Arizona State
No. 2
Tempe, AZ
W 6–0
41–7
13–3
Apr 27
at No. 12 California
No. 2
Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA
L 1–3
41–8
13–4
Apr 27
at No. 12 California
No. 2
Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA
L 1–3
41–9
13–5
Apr 28
at Stanford
No. 2
Stanford, CA
W 6–3
42–9
14–5
Apr 28
at Stanford
No. 2
Stanford, CA
W 9–0
43–9
15–5
May
Date
Opponent
Rank
Site/Stadium
Score
Overall Record
Pac-10 Record
May 3
Oregon State
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 10–2
44–9
16–5
May 3
Oregon State
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 11–4
45–9
17–5
May 4
Oregon
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 10–3
46–9
18–5
May 4
Oregon
No. 2
Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ
W 7–0
47–9
19–5
May 11
at Oregon
No. 2
Howe Field • Eugene, OR
W 6–1
48–9
20–5
May 11
at Oregon
No. 2
Howe Field • Eugene, OR
W 11–0
49–9
21–5
May 12
at Oregon State
No. 2
Corvallis, OR
W 2–0
50–9
22–5
May 12
at Oregon State
No. 2
Corvallis, OR
W 5–0
51–9
23–5
Post-Season
NCAA Tallahassee Regional
Date
Opponent
Rank (seed)
Site/Stadium
Score
Overall Record
NCAAT Record
May 17
Troy State
No. 2
Tallahassee, FL
W 8–0
52–9
1–0
May 18
No. 16 Florida State
No. 2
Tallahassee, FL
W 9–6
53–9
2–0
May 19
No. 16 Florida State
No. 2
Tallahassee, FL
W 10–3
54–9
3–0
NCAA Women's College World Series
Date
Opponent
Rank
Site/Stadium
Score
Overall Record
WCWS Record
May 23
No. 14 (7) Iowa
No. 2 (2)
Golden Park • Columbus, GA
W 5–2
55–9
1–0
May 24
No. 4 (3) UCLA
No. 2 (2)
Golden Park • Columbus, GA
W 3–0
56–9
2–0
May 26
No. 14 (7) Iowa
No. 2 (2)
Golden Park • Columbus, GA
W 10–26
57–9
3–0
May 27
No. 1 (1) Washington
No. 2 (2)
Golden Park • Columbus, GA
W 6–4
58–9
4–0
Ranking movements [ ]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Final
NFCA/USA Today
Not released
2
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
References [ ]
Venues People Seasons National Championships in bold ; College World Series appearances in italics