What to know about the Wildcats
Record | Seed: 41-13, 12-10 PAC-12 | No. 11 seed
Key pitchers: Alyssa Denham (19-8, 1.88 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), Hanah Bowen (10-3, 2.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP)
Key hitters: Dejah Mulipola (.401 AVG, 21 HRs, 63 RBIs), Janelle Meoño (.439 AVG, 1 HRs, 9 RBIs)
Reason to be optimistic: Arizona’s bats have been hot all season, but it’s picked up in the NCAA Tournament. The team has posted at least 10 runs in three of its five postseason games, jacking 11 over the fence during the stretch to move to 94 home runs on the season, fifth-most in Division I and second in the Women’s College World Series to Oklahoma. Shortstop Jessie Harper has 15 home runs this season and 91 in her career, four behind Lauren Chamberlain for the all-time NCAA record. She’s been outdone on that front in 2021 by soon-to-be Olympian Dejah Mulipola (21 home runs) and freshman Sharlize Palacios (18 home runs). Needless to say, there’s a lot of talent on this roster that can change a game with one swing.
Concerns: On the side of the bracket with exceptionally strong pitching, Arizona might be the odd team out. The Wildcats are by no means poor performers in the circle, featuring two All-PAC-12 second team pitchers , but they certainly don’t boast the recognized talent that Alabama (Montana Fouts, SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year), UCLA (Rachel Garcia, two-time USA Softball National Player of the Year), or Florida State (Kathryn Sandercock, All-ACC first team) has pitching. They’ve leaned that the hard way with a 1-3 record against the Bruins and 1-2 record against the Seminoles this season, with the Wildcats posting more than two runs in just one of those games.
Inside Softball 