Arizona softball will host five teams in the three-day, 15-game Arizona Fall Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium.
“Anytime we get a chance to play at this time of year it is very significant for us just to kind of see where we’re at,” head coach Mike Candrea said.
On Friday, Arizona will play New Mexico at 6 p.m, then on Saturday the Wildcats will play South Mountain Community College at 5:30 p.m. and Central Arizona College at 7:30 p.m. The UA closes out the Arizona Fall Classic with Cypress College at 3 p.m. and Pima Community College at 5 p.m.
The Lobos are the lone NCAA team Arizona plays in the fall exhibition season.
“I think that will be a good contest for us,” Candrea said. “Just getting a chance to play and getting to see our kids in game action is, I think, huge for us.”
“Since we’re so young, we have a lot of young players,” junior pitcher Shelby Babcock said. “It’s good to just start getting together and working together and having games to do something.”
The five games offer the Arizona coaches a chance to evaluate the freshmen.
“This time of year I’m trying to see what the freshmen can do,” Candrea said. “We’re going to play to win, but also we’re going to play a lot of people. I feel pretty good where we’re at with this group, they’re doing a good job, they’re working hard.”
Volunteer assistant coach Mark Blair was an assistant coach at Pima from 2010-2012.
After the Fall Classic, the Wildcats will host the National Pro Fastpitch All-Star team and Candrea said they will “get a bit more specific at that time.”
“This weekend’s a matter of getting people the at bats we need,” Candrea said.
Last weekend the Wildcats played two games, including a 9-0 win over Yavapai College and a 1-0 win over Eastern Arizona College.
“We did well,” Babcock said. “We could have hit a little bit better. I thought our defense was on fire actually.”
The times are estimates based on the length of games and the weather. Admission is free and seating is first come, first served.
2012 ARIZONA FALL CLASSIC FULL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
11:30 a.m. New Mexico vs. Central Arizona
1:30 p.m. Pima College vs. Central Arizona
3:30 p.m. Pima College vs. South Mountain College
6:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. New Mexico
8:00 p.m. Cypress vs. South Mountain College
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
11:00 a.m. Pima College vs. New Mexico
1:00 p.m. Cypress vs. Central Arizona
3:00 p.m. Cypress vs. New Mexico
5:30 p.m. ARIZONA vs. South Mountain College
7:30 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Central Arizona
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14
9:00 a.m. New Mexico vs. South Mountain College
11:00 a.m. Central Arizona vs. South Mountain College
1:00 p.m. Pima College vs. Cypress
3:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Cypress
5:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Pima College
