1996 Arizona Wildcats softball team

The 1996 Arizona Wildcats softball team represented the University of Arizona in the 1996 NCAA Division I softball season. The Wildcats were coached by Mike Candrea, who led his eleventh season. The Wildcats finished with a record of 58–9. They played their home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished second with a 23–5 record.

1996 Arizona Wildcats softball
National Champion NCAA Tallahassee Regional champion
Conference	Pacific-10 Conference
Record	58–9 (23–5 Pac-10)
Head coach	Mike Candrea (11th season)
Home stadium	Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1995 1997 →

1996 Pacific-10 Conference softball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 2 Washington  ‍†‍‍y	23	–	4		.852			59	–	9		.868
No. 1 Arizona  ‍‍‍y	23	–	5		.821			58	–	9		.866
No. 3 UCLA  ‍‍‍y	20	–	7		.741			47	–	11		.810
No. 6 California  ‍‍‍y	14	–	12		.538			41	–	23		.641
Arizona State  ‍‍‍	10	–	18		.357			34	–	27		.557
Stanford  ‍‍‍	7	–	19		.269			24	–	29		.453
Oregon  ‍‍‍	5	–	18		.217			21	–	30		.412
Oregon State  ‍‍‍	3	–	22		.120			15	–	35		.300
† – Conference champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of May 31, 1996[1] Rankings from NFCA/USA Today

The Wildcats were invited to the 1996 NCAA Division I softball tournament, where they swept the West Regional and then completed a run through the Women's College World Series to claim their fourth NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.^[2]

Roster

1996 Arizona Wildcats roster[2]
	Pitchers 3 – Carrie Dolan – junior 13 – Nancy Evans – junior Catchers 5 – Tanya Farhat – junior 7 – Lety Pineda – sophomore 31 – Leah Braatz – junior	Infielders 8 – Krista Gomez – senior 11 – Lisa Pitt Fr. 1B/P 16 – Jenny Dalton – senior 18 – Tiana Hejduk – sophomore 21 – Michelle Churnock – freshman 33 – Heidi Bomberger – junior		Outfielders 6 – Alison Johnsen – sophomore 10 – Julie Reitan – sophomore 20 – Leah O'Brien – senior 22 – Andrea Doty – junior 26 – Brandi Shriver – junior

Schedule

Legend
	Arizona win
	Arizona loss
*	Non-Conference game

1996 Arizona Wildcats Softball Game Log[2]
Regular season
February Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Feb 15 vs No. 7 UNLV* No. 2 Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic) W 9–5 1–0 Feb 16 vs No. 5 Cal State Fullerton* No. 2 Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic) L 3–6 1–1 Feb 16 vs No. 13 Florida State* No. 2 Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic) W 8–4 2–1 Feb 17 vs San Diego State* No. 2 Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic) W 11–3 3–1 Feb 17 vs UMass* No. 2 Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic) W 4–2 4–1 Feb 18 vs Ohio State* No. 2 Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic) L 0–4 4–2 Feb 23 New Mexico State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ (Arizona Classic) W 8–0 5–2 Feb 23 Ohio State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ (Arizona Classic) W 6–4 6–2 Feb 24 No. 4 Washington* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ (Arizona Classic) W 4–1 7–2 Feb 24 Ohio State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ (Arizona Classic) W 11–2 8–2 Feb 25 New Mexico State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ (Arizona Classic) W 10–06 9–2
March Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Mar 1 Northwestern State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 16–4 10–2 Mar 1 Tennessee* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 12–3 11–2 Mar 2 Tennessee* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 6–3 12–2 Mar 2 Northwestern State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 15–1 13–2 Mar 3 Northwestern State* No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–4 14–2 Mar 7 North Carolina* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 19–35 15–2 Mar 7 No. 14 Michigan* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–06 16–2 Mar 8 North Carolina* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 18–9 17–2 Mar 8 No. 10 Oklahoma* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–0 18–2 Mar 9 Missouri* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 9–0 19–2 Mar 10 No. 10 Oklahoma* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–0 20–2 Mar 10 No. 4 Fresno State* No. 3 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 4–2 21–2 Mar 21 vs DePaul* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) W 6–5 22–2 Mar 21 vs No. 12 Oklahoma No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) W 2–1 23–2 Mar 22 vs No. 8 South Carolina* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) L 0–1 23–3 Mar 22 vs Georgia State* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) W 4–1 24–3 Mar 23 vs Oregon State* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) W 12–25 25–3 Mar 24 vs No. 6 UNLV* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) W 6–3 26–3 Mar 24 vs No. 2 Washington* No. 1 Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA (Pony/Kia Klassic) W 9–05 27–3 Mar 29 No. 2 UCLA No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–4 28–3 1–0 Mar 29 No. 2 UCLA No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–0 29–3 2–0 Mar 31 No. 3 Washington No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 4–10 29–4 2–1 Mar 31 No. 3 Washington No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–4 30–4 3–1
April Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Apr 5 Stanford No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–0 31–4 4–1 Apr 5 Stanford No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–3 32–4 5–1 Apr 6 No. 11 California No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–2 33–4 6–1 Apr 6 No. 11 California No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 5–2 34–4 7–1 Apr 10 No. 20 Arizona State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 8–2 35–4 8–1 Apr 10 No. 20 Arizona State No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 6–2 36–4 9–1 Apr 13 at No. 3 UCLA No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 5–3 37–4 10–1 Apr 13 at No. 3 UCLA No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 5–1 38–4 11–1 Apr 16 No. 4 Fresno State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–3 39–4 Apr 16 No. 4 Fresno State* No. 1 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 1–2 39–5 Apr 20 at No. 2 Washington No. 1 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA L 1–2 39–6 11–2 Apr 20 at No. 2 Washington No. 1 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA L 0–7 39–7 11–3 Apr 24 at Arizona State No. 2 Tempe, AZ W 2–19 40–7 12–3 Apr 24 at Arizona State No. 2 Tempe, AZ W 6–0 41–7 13–3 Apr 27 at No. 12 California No. 2 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA L 1–3 41–8 13–4 Apr 27 at No. 12 California No. 2 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA L 1–3 41–9 13–5 Apr 28 at Stanford No. 2 Stanford, CA W 6–3 42–9 14–5 Apr 28 at Stanford No. 2 Stanford, CA W 9–0 43–9 15–5
May Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record May 3 Oregon State No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–2 44–9 16–5 May 3 Oregon State No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 11–4 45–9 17–5 May 4 Oregon No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 10–3 46–9 18–5 May 4 Oregon No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 7–0 47–9 19–5 May 11 at Oregon No. 2 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 6–1 48–9 20–5 May 11 at Oregon No. 2 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 11–0 49–9 21–5 May 12 at Oregon State No. 2 Corvallis, OR W 2–0 50–9 22–5 May 12 at Oregon State No. 2 Corvallis, OR W 5–0 51–9 23–5
Post-season
NCAA Tallahassee Regional Date Opponent Rank (seed) Site/stadium Score Overall record NCAAT record May 17 Troy State No. 2 Tallahassee, FL W 8–0 52–9 1–0 May 18 No. 16 Florida State No. 2 Tallahassee, FL W 9–6 53–9 2–0 May 19 No. 16 Florida State No. 2 Tallahassee, FL W 10–3 54–9 3–0
NCAA Women's College World Series Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record WCWS Record May 23 No. 14 (7) Iowa No. 2 (2) Golden Park • Columbus, GA W 5–2 55–9 1–0 May 24 No. 4 (3) UCLA No. 2 (2) Golden Park • Columbus, GA W 3–0 56–9 2–0 May 26 No. 14 (7) Iowa No. 2 (2) Golden Park • Columbus, GA W 10–26 57–9 3–0 May 27 No. 1 (1) Washington No. 2 (2) Golden Park • Columbus, GA W 6–4 58–9 4–0

Ranking movements

Main article: 1996 NCAA Division I softball rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
NFCA/USA Today	2	3	2	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	1