Arizona's improbable postseason run continues this week, this time on the biggest stage in the sport of softball.
The Wildcats will open Women's College World Series play on Thursday with a 6:30 p.m. game against No. 7 Oklahoma State. The Wildcats are unbeaten this postseason, having won the Columbia, Missouri Regional in three consecutive games, then capturing an NCAA Super Regional title by winning two straight against Mississippi State in Starkville.
The reward? Arizona will play in the 25th WCWS in program history, part of a field that includes many of the sport's top teams.
These numbers explain the Cats’ NCAA Tournament run:
Devyn Netz throws a pitch during Saturday's win over Mississippi State in Starkville.
6: The Wildcats have given up six total runs over five postseason games, the third-fewest among the eight remaining teams. Arizona has given up just three total runs over its last 28 innings. The reason: Pitching and defense. Pitchers Hanah Bowen and Devyn Netz have been lights-out on the mound, and the defense behind them has committed just one error.
62%: It’s no surprise that the power-hitting Wildcats are doing damage in the postseason considering they ranked 10th in the country in home runs during the regular season. More than half of the team’s runs during the NCAA Tournament have come via the longball. Arizona has hit nine home runs in the NCAA Tournament, resulting in 13 of the team’s 21 runs scored (62%).
8: Four Arizona players are tied for the team postseason lead with two home runs. Sharlize Palacios, Allie Skaggs, Izzy Pacho and Carlie Scupin each have gone deep twice to give the Cats a balanced, dangerous lineup.
It helps that all four players have hit in the middle of the order together much of the season.
Skaggs leads the bunch with 24 home runs this year, while both Scupin and Palacios are one shy of 20. Pacho’s emergence late in the season has been perhaps the most promising: the redshirt junior has six home runs since April 23, and 11 on the year.
7: Sometimes in the NCAA Tournament, it's better to be lucky rather than good. The Wildcats have been both — they're playing at their best while also having breaks go their way. Seventh-ranked Oklahoma State marks the best team Arizona has played this postseason. Arizona went to No. 15 Missouri in the regionals beating the Tigers twice; the Wildcats then then faced unseeded Mississippi State in, which stunned No. 2 Florida State on the opening weekend.
Arizona will try to break through against OSU. Against top 10 teams this year, the UA is 0-5.
Caitlin Lowe has the Wildcats in the Women’s College World Series in her first season as head coach after taking over for the retired Mike Candrea.
1: Coach Caitlin Lowe has already made college softball history. Lowe is the first NCAA woman since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1988 to lead her team to the Women’s College World Series in her first year as head coach. This year’s Arizona team is the first team in program history to have 20 or more losses in a season, post a losing record in conference play and still make the WCWS.
