Editor’s note: For more than three decades, the UA has been one of college softball’s best teams, making 23 Women’s College World Series appearances and winning eight national championships. The Star is re-living each of the WCWS trips.
1994: Arizona wins third WCWS title in four years
What went down: Arizona dominated from start to finish, thanks to its six All-Americans. Backed by stellar pitching, stout defense and timely hitting, the Wildcats beat Cal State Northridge 4-0 to win their second national championship in a row and third in four years.
Ace Susie Parra ended her Wildcats career by throwing a one-hitter and striking out 13. She allowed a double in the first inning and then retired 18 consecutive batters. She faced a CSUN team that entered the finals with a .318 average.
Parra finished her college career with eight no-hitters — two of them coming in the Women’s College World Series. She was also named the Honda Softball Player of the Year.
To get to the title game, Arizona plowed through Illinois-Chicago, Fresno State and UCLA.
The defense came up big when needed. Against UCLA, Krista Gomez robbed a grand slam at the fence and Andrea Doty caught a fly just off the grass in the outfield and threw to first for a double play to end a rally. Against Fresno State, Leah O’Brien robbed a home run.
“It was just a reaction,” O’Brien said. “I gave it everything I had. I just stuck my glove up, and it landed in it.”
In the title game, O’Brien went 3 for 3 and scored two runs — one coming following a perfectly placed hit to third by Laura Espinoza. Leah Braatz drove in a run and Nancy Evans scored on a close play at the plate on an infield grounder.
The 1994 UA squad was one of the most fun-loving in recent memory. The night before the WCWS opener, the Wildcats played miniature golf and rode bumper boats. Sports psychologist Jeff Jansen urged them to think of their team like a racecar — to get to the finish line, you have to fine-tune the little things.
The Wildcats brought toy cars with them to Oklahoma City, each one representing one opponent. Once they beat a team, they smashed the car with the end of their bats. They carried it further with a checklist on their hotel room doors that resembled one a pit crew might use — fuel (desire), oil (encouragement), spark plugs (enthusiasm), spare tire (prepare to thrive on adversity) and power steering fluid (choosing an effective attitude).
Six Wildcats — Parra, O’Brien, Espinoza, Braatz, Amy Chellovold and Jenny Dalton — were named All Americans. Braatz, Chellevold, Dalton, O’Brien and Parra made the all-tournament team.
From the archives: The Star’s Anthony Gimino wrote that the title game may have been Parra’s finest as a Wildcat. The Wildcats re-wrote the UA record books setting seven new marks: wins (64), batting average (.380), home runs (93), runs (527), hits (701), total bases (1,112) and RBIs (478). UA coach Mike Candrea was asked if the 1994 squad was the best he has ever seen:
Personally, I would say yes,” Candrea said, whose team finished 64-3 and played one of the toughest schedules in the country.
There are a lot of egos, a lot of personalities, and they have truly done a remarkable job becoming one. And that’s the only way you are going to win championships. The teams that have six All-Americans are often the teams that don’t win it because of the egos. Well, this team didn’t have that.
One thing he hates is the term dynasty. Three titles in four years probably qualifies and when Cal-State Northridge coach Gary Torgeson said, “Arizona is comparable to those UCLA teams,” he meant Arizona is comparable to that UCLA dynasty.
The Bruins won four titles from 1988-1992.
“I don’t believe in dynasties,” Candrea said.
“Maybe that’s the reason you stay on top of the game. I don’t see that. If I did, maybe I would have a tendency to kick back a little bit. I see people right on our tail.”
Arizona, however will likely start the 1995 season on top again. The Wildcats return the top five hitters in the lineup — and every one is an All-American.
Arizona went 64-3 in winning the 1994 softball national championship.
He said it: “I should probably retire. It’s not going to get any better than this … until we start next year.” – Candrea
After OKC: The Wildcats arrived the next afternoon to a rally at Hillenbrand Stadium — the first time a softball team has been celebrated on campus. Five hundred fans showed up to celebrate the champions. “This caps off a dream season for us,” Candrea said. “When I came in the stadium and saw this, it brought tears to my eyes to see all of you.”
The big number: 4. Four players — Braatz, Espinoza, Dalton and Parra — combined to hit 78 of the Wildcats’ 93 home runs.
