As the Arizona softball home opener inched closer, so did the rain. A couple hours before the first pitch against New Mexico to start the Hillenbrand Invitational, field workers started pulling out the tarp.
The atmosphere in the newly-renovated Hillenbrand Stadium was still hopeful.
Fans enjoyed the new views and took advantage of roof covers to stay dry, but eventually the rain won and UA canceled its home opener.
The invitational will continue Friday at 9 a.m., and the Wildcats will (finally) commence play at their new home in a doubleheader against South Florida and Illinois-Chicago at 3:45 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Arizona will not make up its game with New Mexico.
Athletic director Dave Heeke said the $8 million renovation served as an important opportunity to invest in a national championship-caliber program.
“It was time,” Heeke said. “It was time to continue that great tradition and put a facility that recognizes the greatness of that program.”
Tina Talley, a Tucson native who’s been an Arizona softball fan her entire life, was one of the estimated 900 people on hand at the time the game was canceled. UA had sold 2,194 tickets for the home opener.
Even though Talley was aware of the forecast, she was prepared to sit in the rain as long as possible for the chance to watch the Wildcats for the first time in 2019.
Usher Frank Esparza gets his gear squared away as the rain starts coming down harder before the first pitch. Arizona will play two games Friday at the Hillenbrand Invitational.
Talley, a season-ticket holder who’s “old enough to be retired,” said she really enjoyed the new concession stands and roof covers, especially considering the weather.
Heeke said he was really proud of the way the stadium turned out — and the fact that it was finished on time and on budget.
“I couldn’t be more excited about how it came out,” Heeke said. “Got a few cosmetic things to finish off, but it’s a dynamic facility and it’ll serve all of our needs.”
Thursday’s rain couldn’t postpone the ribbon cutting ceremony.
President Robert Robbins joined UA coach Mike Candrea and the team on top of the Arizona dugout to greet the fans that stuck through the weather. Robbins credited Candrea for the way the stadium turned out.
“This is actually the house that Mike built,” Robbins said.
The new facade of the west side of Hillenbrand Stadium, Thursday, February 14, 2019, Tucson, Ariz.
In fact, Candrea drew out his vision for Hillenbrand Stadium on a napkin before it first opened in 1993. His vision turned into a first-of-its-kind softball stadium that would set the stage for other programs around the nation.
This time around, Candrea was just as involved, and with more than just the little details.
“A ballpark is pretty important to a head coach,” Heeke said. “So for him to really dig into it, he did it right from the very beginning and a lot of his fingerprints are on this facility. A lot of his fingerprints were on the old facility and, so, to blend it together was important for him.”
At the time the game was called, about 10 minutes before the scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch, Talley said she was “bummed, but not surprised.”
She’ll still find time to watch the Wildcats this weekend and throughout the season.
“I’ve got season tickets, so I’ll be here most games,” Talley said.
