Sports Update Articles
Coach keeps team for 1 hour, 45 minutes after game
By John Ryan Casey
If the Arizona baseball team wants to remain in the hunt for the Pacific 10 Conference title, it's going to need to find some run support, and it's going to need to find it fast. For the second straight day a Trojan starter cut through the Arizona lineup early in the game and the Wildcat offense never found its groove to support strong starting pitching as Arizona dropped its first series of the year at home with a 4-2 to USC loss Monday.
Arizona 7, Pacific 0
By Ari Wasserman
Although softball is a game of inches, it was a 200-foot home run that made the difference for Arizona in the NCAA Regional at Hillenbrand Stadium Sunday.
In the bottom of the second inning, Arizona freshman left fielder K'Lee Arredondo hit a line drive two-run home run to right field that barely cleared the wall, propelling the Wildcats to a 7-0 win over Pacific and a ticket to the NCAA super regionals next weekend.
Baseball drops series-opener in Tempe
By John Ryan Casey
TEMPE - Looking for sole possession of the Pacific 10 Conference crown, ASU jumped all over the Arizona baseball team early and never looked back, clinching its first conference championship in seven years. The No. 7 Sun Devils (42-12, 18-4 Pac-10) did nearly everything they had to ensure the crown was theirs. When No. 13 Arizona (39-14, 14-8) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, ASU responded by tagging UA starter Ryan Perry for three runs in the bottom half of the inning. "We had a rough first inning," UA head coach Andy Lopez said. "That's not the way you want to start off."
By Ari Wasserman
Been there, done that. The top-seeded Arizona softball team will officially begin the defense of their 2006 NCAA title - their seventh - as they kick of play in the Women's College World Series against No. 8 seed Baylor at 8 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Arizona 2, Baylor 1
By Ari Wasserman
It may have taken longer than usual, but they got the job done. All it took was one swing of the bat from senior shortstop Kristie Fox. The top-seeded Arizona softball team advanced to the winner's bracket of the Women's College World Series after Fox hit a solo walk-off line drive home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, projecting the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over Baylor on Thursday at Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
By Ari Wasserman
April 14 is a day Arizona women's golf head coach Greg Allen said he would never forget. It was the day Esther Choe- one of the nation's most coveted female golf recruits- called him and broke the news that she would forgo her eligibility at Arizona to turn pro.
Team makes it to NCAA Championships for 21st straight year
By Lance Madden
One can never be quite sure who will be the team's leader, but for the last 21 years, one thing can always be sure of the team itself. The No. 24 Arizona men's golf team has advanced to the NCAA Championships in Williamsburg, Va. after placing sixth at the 2007 NCAA West Regional at Karsten Golf Course in Tempe.
Arizona Cactus Classic
By Lance Madden
"Um, excuse me," a little boy said sheepishly. Brendon Lavender stopped and turned around. The boy ran down 14 steps and stopped when he got to Lavender. The two had a 10-second conversation, then Lavender extended his hand out, waist high, so that the boy could shake it before running back up the steps to tell his friends what just happened.
Baseball awaits postseason fate
By John Ryan Casey
TEMPE - With its chances at hosting a regional quickly fading in the rearview mirror, the Arizona baseball team put together a huge two-out rally to stave off a sweep against ASU and keep hope alive that it might open the postseason at home next weekend.
Still, Friday's 14-5 win on the final day of the regular season could be too little, too late for the No. 13 Wildcats (40-15, 15-9 Pacific 10 Conference), who dropped the first two games of their series with the No. 7 Sun Devils (43-13, 19-5).
Lowe slams into wall, Cats rally from 5-0 deficit
By Ari Wasserman
The top-seeded Arizona softball team entered the super regional round of the Saturday expecting a tough series against Cal State Fullerton. But what the Wildcats didn't expect to see was a first inning that would yield five runs to the Titans and a nose injury to Caitlin Lowe - their three-time All-American senior center fielder - that would force her to leave for the remainder of the game after slamming into the center field wall.
May 26-May 27
Arizona's super regional matchup with Cal State Fullerton will be played this Saturday and Sunday in Tucson at Hillenbrand Stadium, the NCAA announced Sunday. The first game begins Saturday at 5 p.m. (MST) and will be televised on ESPN. The rest of the best-of-three game series will continue Sunday on ESPNU with game two starting at noon, and an "if necessary" game will be played at 2:30, should the the first two games be split.
Baseball's arms try to quiet ASU's bats
By John Ryan Casey
ASU has something the Arizona baseball team wants. Both teams are virtual locks for the postseason, both teams could be hosting a regional next week and both teams are currently ranked in the top 15 nationally. But it's the No. 7 Sun Devils who currently hold a share of the Pacific 10 Conference title.
Banister's walk-off homer stops losing streak on Senior Day
By Lance Madden
They made the most of their last game of the regular season, going right down to the end. And then some.
The No. 3 Arizona softball team avoided its third straight home loss with a win over Washington, 5-4 Saturday after first baseman Sam Banister pulled a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall in the bottom of the eighth inning.
UA hasn't hosted since 1992
By John Ryan Casey
Look no further than Andy Lopez's 2005 Arizona baseball team as evidence that not hosting a regional can sink any ship in the postseason. Whether it's using that rationale or not, the UA athletic department is expected to put in a bid Thursday to become one of 16 regional hosts June 1-4 for the 64-team postseason tournament that concludes with the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. "Would I like to be home?" said Lopez, letting out a laugh. "Let me put it this way, I've never been home (during regionals) and not ended up in Omaha."
OSU keyholders of baseball championship
By John Ryan Casey
Though a long-shot to win the conference, Oregon State holds the key to the Pacific 10 Conference baseball championship. The Beavers, who have won the conference the last two years running, are six games behind first-place ASU. But after a three-game set with the Sun Devils this weekend, OSU hosts second-place UCLA to finish the season. As a result, third-place Arizona (36-13, 11-7 Pac-10), currently three games back of ASU, has quietly become Beaver baseball fans. "Would I like some help?" said UA head coach Andy Lopez. "Yeah, I'd like a lot of help."
By John Ryan Casey
All week in practice, the focus was on the offense - or lack thereof it. But Friday night, Wildcat ace Preston Guilmet was once again in the spotlight. The sophomore pitched his fifth complete game and third shutout of the season as the No. 14 Arizona baseball team blanked Washington 7-0 in front of 1,254 fans at Sancet Stadium. "That's what Preston does, it what he's been doing," said catcher Dwight Childs. "It's just Preston."
By John Ryan Casey
What struggling offense? The No. 14 Arizona baseball team consistently found its stroke for the second straight night and UA spot starter David Coulon turned in six solid innings as the Wildcats beat Washington 13-4 at Sancet Stadium Saturday night. "We had a good game. No ifs, ands or buts. We just played good baseball tonight," said UA head coach Andy Lopez.
By John Ryan Casey
Sloppy or not, the Arizona baseball team kept pace in the conference race - and Bill Rhinehart led the way. The Wildcats' 17-8 win over Washington Sunday completed a sweep of the Huskies and allowed second-place Arizona (39-13, 14-7 Pacific 10 Conference) to remain three games behind conference-leading ASU (41-12, 17-4), which finished off a sweep of Oregon State Sunday. "We couldn't let (Washington) get a step ahead of us, so we had to keep jumping on them with the runs and getting hits," first baseman C.J. Ziegler said.
By Lance Madden
She was on fire, but her team doused the flames.
Second baseman Chelsie Mesa collected the first four of five hits for the No. 3 Arizona softball team on Friday, as the team lost its second game in as many days after dropping a 7-4 decision to No. 14 UCLA on Thursday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
By John Ryan Casey
Brian Anderson. Chris Duncan. Scott Hairston. Ian Kinsler.
A short list of names with one common thread: all four attended Tucson's Canyon del Oro High School, and all four currently play, or have played, in the major leagues.
Arizona baseball's T.J. Steele, C.J. Ziegler and Mike Weldon - all CDO graduates who head into this weekend's Pacific 10 Conference series with USC as key parts to the Wildcat program - would like to add their names to that list.
Ace hurls 9 innings for 4th time this season
By John Ryan Casey
It was just another outing for Preston Guilmet. But "another outing" for the Wildcat ace has come to be synonymous with "gem." The right-hander struck out nine batters in his fourth complete-game win of the year, surrendering just two runs on nine hits as the No.
By John Ryan Casey
It was too little, too late for the Arizona baseball team. Despite a late surge from the No. 14 Wildcats, USC used a four-run sixth inning to even the Pacific 10 Conference series with a 7-5 win Sunday night and set up a rubber match Monday at noon. "We came out pretty poor on our part," said UA second baseman Colt Sedbrook, who was 0-for-3.
Mowatt's no-no lifts Wildcats
By Ari Wasserman
Just like a bully in the neighborhood schoolyard, Arizona softball's Taryne Mowatt was punching people out left and right. Behind the starting pitcher's no-hitter - the third in Arizona's postseason history - the Wildcats (41-12-1) run-ruled Howard 9-0 in the NCAA Regional opener Friday in front of 1,810 at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Mesa jumpstarts Arizona offense
By Ari Wasserman
Although his brother's wedding date was set for Saturday, Arizona softball head coach Mike Candrea decided to stay with his second family. That decision turned out to be a good one as the top-seeded Wildcats knocked off Mississippi State 8-0 in the winner's bracket to advance to the regional title game tomorrow at 12 at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Coach upset with umpire's strike zone
By John Ryan Casey
TEMPE - For seven innings, the Arizona baseball team dug itself a hole.
Even though the No. 13 Wildcats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the third inning, No. 7 ASU scored eight unanswered runs to mount a six run lead. And even a five-run ladder in the eighth that got Arizona to that edge of that hole and within a run wasn't enough as the Sun Devils hung on for an 8-7 win over the Wildcats at Packard Stadium.
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