Arizona climbed back into the USA Today/NFCA Coaches’ top 10 after sweeping then-No. 22 California last weekend. Now, the ninth-ranked Wildcats will have to scratch and claw some more.
The UA will open a three-game series at No. 5 Oregon starting Friday night. The set comes two weeks after the Wildcats were swept at top-ranked Washington.
Such is life in the ultra-competitive Pac-12, which features five teams ranked in the top 10 nationally.
“Anytime you come out and you can put things together three days in a row, you have to feel good about it,” UA coach Mike Candrea said. “So, hopefully you gain momentum and now our thoughts are on Oregon.”
Still, there are lessons the team can learn from the Washington sweep. Senior Ashleigh Hughes said the Washington series taught her how to have a short-term memory and helped her move on to the next game. The Huskies were walk-off winners twice in three games.
“In Washington, we didn’t get the outcomes that we wanted, but it’s not like we got blown out,” Hughes said. “We were right there. If they’re No. 1 and we’re losing by a walk-off, we’re right there.”
The Wildcats (27-6, 6-3) will be closer to full strength. Infielder Reyna Carranco cleared her concussion test earlier this week and participated fully in practices while wearing a face mask. Carranco was hit by a wild pitch during the first Washington game and sat out the remainder of the series and last week’s home series against California.
The sophomore traveled with the team to Oregon; it’s unclear what role, if any, she’ll play. Hughes has filled in for Carranco the last two weekends.
Candrea said Carranco looked good at Tuesday’s practice. She played good defense and swung the bat well, he said.
“She doesn’t get too emotional about things and I think this could be an advantage for her to come back as quickly as we hoped that she can,” Candrea said. “I haven’t really set a timeline right now, but when she’s ready and she tells me she’s ready, she’ll be in the lineup because she makes us better.”
The Oregon series will feature a hostile environment, something the Wildcats also experienced at Washington. The Ducks (29-6, 4-2) were ranked sixth last year when the Wildcats took two of three at Hillenbrand Stadium. Ace Taylor McQuillin said the team will have the same mentality they shared during last year’s top-10 matchup. The only difference this year is where the games are being played.
“They’re in their environment that’s comfortable,” McQuillin said. “Now that we’ve dealt with some of that in Washington, now coming in this year, we kind of know what it’s like to play on the road. We’ve had a little bit of experience with this, now we just got to emphasis the finish.”
