UA coach Mike Candrea sat at a news conference Sunday, flanked by his three best players.
There was pitcher Danielle O’Toole, shortstop Mo Mercado and third baseman Katiyana Mauga, each an All-Pac-12 selection, all returning for one more season in an Arizona uniform.
“This is the backbone of our team right here,” Candrea said. “They’re going to be our nucleus next year.”
The 2016 season ended for the Wildcats after Auburn came out on top in Sunday’s Super Regionals game. The immediate future, however, is as bright as it’s been in a long time. The Wildcats are only expected to lose one player from their 2016 roster, senior catcher Lauren Young.
The stars — O’Toole, Mauga, Mercado and outfielder Mandie Perez — all return, and the Wildcats are expected to bring in yet another top-five recruiting class.
Everybody on the Wildcats’ roster, with the exception of redshirting freshman Alyssa Palomino and the incoming freshmen, will have postseason experience against the toughest competition.
The 2016 season was an up-and-down one, to say the least, starting with Palomino’s season-ending knee injury in the fall, losses to Cal Poly and Central Michigan in nonconference play and tough series losses to Pac-12 foes Oregon, Washington and UCLA. During that time, however, the Wildcats found an ace in O’Toole; went on the road as an unseeded team to two SEC schools — Tennessee and Auburn; and came within one win of the Women’s College World Series.
“We’re just going to work hard,” Mauga said. “All of us experienced this loss. We all experienced the postseason, so we know what’s going to happen next year. We just have to get the freshmen up to date with us and work as hard as we can.”
Added Candrea: “Right now I feel very good about where we’re at. I feel bad for them not being able to finish it. But on the other hand, I think that Arizona softball will get where it needs to be.”
Here’s a look ahead to what’s in store for the Wildcats in 2017.
Who’s gone
Barring any offseason roster turnover, the Wildcats will lose only Young. She only hit .276 this season, but her versatility and consistency behind the plate is something the Wildcats will miss, particularly because of the rapport she developed with O’Toole.
No player has announced plans to transfer, though Arizona’s logjam at pitcher could provoke some movement. Michelle Floyd pitched just 10º innings this season after pitching 183º a year earlier. Taylor McQuillin was the Wildcats’ No. 2 pitcher during their tournament run, with Nancy Bowling occasionally filling in.
Who returns
Well, nearly everyone.
The most important returnees: O’Toole, fresh off a stellar postseason run and overall impressive debut season in Tucson, with a 26-12 record and 2.17 ERA; McQuillin, who started 20 games as a freshman and had a 3.17 ERA; Mauga, who’s on track to finish her career as Arizona’s all-time leader in home runs; Mercado, Arizona’s best fielder and hitter, finishing with a .378 average; Perez, an all-conference selection who led the Pac-12 with 59 runs scored; speedy outfielder Eva Watson, who only played 42 games but hit .387; and Bowling, a first baseman and pitcher who hit .352 in seven postseason games and .409 in Arizona’s final nine games.
Who’s new
Candrea has put together another impressive recruiting class, rated the third-best in the nation as of November by FloSoftball. The Wildcats landed four of the nation’s top 60 recruits.
Palomino doesn’t count toward the 2016-17 class, but may be the biggest newcomer of them all. She set the Orange County record for home runs hit in high school, hitting 68 in four years, and was expected to play a key role in 2016 before tearing her ACL in the preseason. Expect Candrea to plug her in behind Katiyana Mauga in the batting order.
The UA’s four-person recruiting class consists entirely of position players.
Dejah Mulipola is a catcher from Garden Grove, California, who is rated the No. 5 overall recruit by FloSoftball. Candrea said she can play multiple positions and is “very athletic.”
Reyna Carranco is a shortstop from Oxnard, California, who hit .628 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs as a senior. Candrea said she “can hit with power.”
Jessica Harper is a power-hitting shortstop from Valencia, California, who hit 11 home runs in her final high school season. Candrea said she can be a middle-of-the-lineup hitter.
Malia Martinez is an infielder from Poway, California, who Candrea said has “good offensive tools.”
