# 1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team

The 1997 Arizona Wildcats softball team represented the University of Arizona in the 1997 NCAA Division I softball season. The Wildcats were coached by Mike Candrea, who led his twelfth season. The Wildcats finished with a record of 61–5. They played their home games at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished first with a 26–1 record.
The Wildcats were invited to the 1997 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 fifth NCAA Women's College World Series Championship.

## Schedule

Legend :
| | Arizona win |
| | Arizona loss |
| * | Non-Conference game |
1997 Arizona Wildcats Softball Game Log :
Regular season :
February :
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record |
| Feb 7 | Northwestern State* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 10–2 | 1–0 |
| Feb 7 | Northwestern State* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | 18–2$^5$ | W 2–0 |
| Feb 8 | UIC* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–2 | 3–0 |
| Feb 8 | UIC* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–1 | 4–0 |
| Feb 9 | No. 4 Washington* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 7–3 | 5–0 |
| Feb 14 | vs Texas* | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 6–2 | 6–0 |
| Feb 14 | vs No. 19 Nebraska* | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 15– $^5$ | 7–0 |
| Feb 15 | vs No. 13 UNLV* | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 5–2 | 8–0 |
| Feb 15 | vs UC Santa Barbara* | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 10–0$^5$ | 9–0 |
| Feb 16 | vs Utah State* | No. 1 | Tempe, AZ | W 8–0$^5$ | 10–0 |
| Feb 22 | vs Alabama* | No. 1 | Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA | W 9–0$^5$ | 11–0 |
| Feb 22 | at No. 7 Southwestern Louisiana* | No. 1 | Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA | W 4–1 | 12–0 |
| Feb 22 | vs Baylor* | No. 1 | Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA | W 6–2 | 13–0 |
| Feb 23 | vs Alabama* | No. 1 | Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA | W 13–0 | 14–0 |
| Feb 23 | vs Baylor* | No. 1 | Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA | W 10–0$^5$ | 15–0 |
March :
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | Pac-10 record |
| Mar 1 | Kent State* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 4–0 | 16–0 | |
| Mar 1 | DePaul* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–0 | 17–0 | |
| Mar 1 | LSU* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–4 | 18–0 | |
| Mar 2 | Kansas* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–1 | 19–0 | |
| Mar 2 | Colorado State* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 9–0 | 20–0 | |
| Mar 2 | Florida* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 10–0 | 21–0 | |
| Mar 8 | No. 12 California | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 4–3 | 22–0 | 1–0 |
| Mar 8 | No. 12 California | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 4–1 | 23–0 | 2–0 |
| Mar 9 | Stanford | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–2 | 24–0 | 3–0 |
| Mar 9 | Stanford | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 6–0 | 25–0 | 4–0 |
| Mar 20 | vs Ohio State* | No. 1 | Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA | W 15–6 | 26–0 | |
| Mar 20 | vs No. 12 Oklahoma State* | No. 1 | Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA | W 12–0$^5$ | 27–0 | |
| Mar 21 | vs No. 23 Hawaii* | No. 1 | Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA | W 6–5 | 28–0 | |
| Mar 21 | vs UNLV* | No. 1 | Titan Softball Complex • Fullerton, CA | W 17–0$^5$ | 29–0 | |
| Mar 22 | No. 24 Cal State Northridge* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 1–0$^5$ | 30–0 | |
| Mar 22 | Oregon State* | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | L 0–3 | 30–1 | |
| Mar 29 | at No. 3 UCLA | No. 1 | Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA | W 4–1 | 31–1 | 5–0 |
| Mar 29 | at No. 3 UCLA | No. 1 | Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA | L 1–5 | 31–2 | 5–1 |
April :
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | Pac-10 record |
| Apr 4 | No. 5 Washington | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 3–2 | 32–2 | 6–1 |
| Apr 4 | No. 5 Washington | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–2 | 33–2 | 7–1 |
| Apr 6 | at No. 2 Fresno State* | No. 1 | Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA | L 2–5 | 33–3 | |
| Apr 6 | at No. 2 Fresno State* | No. 1 | Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA | L 5–6 | 33–4 | |
| Apr 9 | at No. 10 Arizona State | No. 2 | Tempe, AZ | W 5–1 | 34–4 | 8–1 |
| Apr 9 | at No. 10 Arizona State | No. 2 | Tempe, AZ | W 10–1 | 35–4 | 9–1 |
| Apr 12 | at Oregon | No. 2 | Howe Field • Eugene, OR | W 5–0 | 36–4 | 10–1 |
| Apr 12 | at Oregon | No. 2 | Howe Field • Eugene, OR | W 12–1 | 37–4 | 11–1 |
| Apr 13 | at Oregon State | No. 2 | Corvallis, OR | W 6–2$^6$ | 38–4 | 12–1 |
| Apr 18 | No. 4 UCLA | No. 2 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–0 | 39–4 | 13–1 |
| Apr 18 | No. 4 UCLA | No. 2 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 10–6 | 40–4 | 14–1 |
| Apr 19 | No. 23 Cal State Northridge* | No. 2 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 4–3 | 41–4 | |
| Apr 19 | No. 23 Cal State Northridge* | No. 2 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 16–6$^5$ | 42–4 | |
| Apr 23 | No. 12 Arizona State | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 8–4 | 43–4 | 15–1 |
| Apr 23 | No. 12 Arizona State | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–2 | 44–4 | 16–1 |
| Apr 26 | at No. 24 California | No. 1 | Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA | W 10–4 | 45–4 | 17–1 |
| Apr 26 | at No. 24 California | No. 1 | Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA | W 11–0 | 46–4 | 18–1 |
| Apr 27 | at Stanford | No. 1 | Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Stanford, CA | W 5–1 | 47–4 | 19–1 |
| Apr 27 | at Stanford | No. 1 | Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Stanford, CA | W 3–0 | 48–4 | 20–1 |
May :
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | Pac-10 record |
| May 2 | Oregon | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 5–3 | 49–4 | 21–1 |
| May 2 | Oregon | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 9–1 | 50–4 | 22–1 |
| May 3 | Oregon State | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–1$^5$ | 51–4 | 23–1 |
| May 3 | Oregon State | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–1$^5$ | 52–4 | 24–1 |
| May 10 | at No. 6 Washington | No. 1 | Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA | W 9–1 | 53–4 | 25–1 |
| May 10 | at No. 6 Washington | No. 1 | Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA | W 4–3 | 54–4 | 26–1 |
Post-season :
NCAA Tucson Regional :
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | NCAAT record |
| May 16 | Rider | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 11–2 | 55–4 | 1–0 |
| May 17 | Nebraska | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 2–0 | 56–4 | 2–0 |
| May 18 | Nebraska | No. 1 | Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ | W 5–1 | 57–4 | 3–0 |
NCAA Women's College World Series :
| Date | Opponent | Rank (Seed) | Site/stadium | Score | Overall record | WCWS Record |
| May 22 | (8) UMass | No. 1 (1) | ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK | W 2–1$^8$ | 58–4 | 1–0 |
| May 23 | (5) UCLA | No. 1 (1) | ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK | W 2–0$^{14}$ | 59–4 | 2–0 |
| May 25 | (4) Fresno State | No. 1 (1) | ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK | L 0–3 | 59–5 | 2–1 |
| May 25 | (4) Fresno State | No. 1 (1) | ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK | W 6–2 | 60–5 | 3–1 |
| May 26 | (5) UCLA | No. 1 (1) | ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK | W 10–2$^5$ | 61–5 | 4–1 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Final |
| NFCA/USA Today | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |