It’s a hot series. Two former Arizona softball players will return to Hillenbrand as Arizona State Sun Devils. One former Sun Devils is sure to be in the luxury suite watching the Wildcat program he built while another will be in the Arizona dugout coaching the Wildcats’ offense. It was supposed to happen in historic heat.
The National Weather Service says that the normal date for the first 100 degree day in Tucson is May 24. The earliest it has ever hit that threshold was April 11, 2025. This year,
it will be even earlier.
Tucson broke the 100 mark on Thursday, March 19. The same is expected on Friday, March 20 when the three-game series between the No. 20 Sun Devils and the No. 13 Wildcats will start. Another three-digit day is in the forecast for Saturday’s game before the “relief” of the high 90s returns on Sunday for the final game of the series. The temperatures are roughly 20 degrees higher than normal.
Fans had been asking if the games would be rescheduled, especially the Saturday game that was scheduled for the hottest part of the day. While football games in Tucson are typically scheduled in the evenings during the hottest part of the season, that had rarely been the case for outdoor women’s sports, so it seemed unlikely.
Arizona’s soccer team regularly plays games around noon on Sundays in August, although they had some earlier games in 2025. The heat has brought EMT services to Mulcahy Soccer Stadium for fans suffering heat-related illnesses in recent years. The players are given a hydration break in the middle of each half when the temperatures reach a certain point, but the games are played as scheduled.
One of the reasons the shade was put over the infield seats at Hillenbrand Stadium was the extreme heat late in the season. Media members remember well the days before the climate controlled press box. Back then, computers would often shut down due to extreme temperatures. Fans who sit in Candrea’s Corner are unshaded and staring into the sun in the afternoon to this day.
Arizona’s players were ready for it.
“It gets pretty hot back in Iowa, where I’m from, and we played in the summertime, so I’m used to the heat,” said senior pitcher Jalen Adams.
Fortunately, she and her teammates no longer have to be ready for 103 degrees. The program announced on Thursday afternoon that Saturday’s game would be pushed back to 6 p.m. MST due to the extreme heat warnings. With the hottest time of day usually occurring between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., that should allow some relief. It’s still going to be toasty.
Up Next for Arizona Softball
Who: ASU Sun Devils (22-7, 2-4) @ No. 13 Arizona Wildcats (21-7, 4-2)
When: Friday, Mar. 2o @ 6 p.m. MST; Saturday Mar. 21 @ 6 p.m. MST; Sunday, Mar. 22 @ 12 p.m. MST
Where: Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Streaming: ESPN+ (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Radio: 1400 AM (KTUC)
Stats: Arizona Live Stats (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Things figure to be hot on the field, too. ASU comes to town with two former Wildcats on its roster. Lefthanded pitcher Aissa Silva and catcher Emily Schepp transferred there after last year.
“It’s going to be like, full circle just seeing them again,” said Arizona catcher Sydney Stewart. “It’s obviously different because they’re going to be on the other team, but I’m just really excited to see them.”
There is cross pollination on the coaching staffs, too. The Sun Devils have former UA assistant coach Josh Bloomer on staff. He spent just one year in Tucson, though.
On the third base side, Wildcat hitting coach Amber Freeman is a former ASU great. She has helped several Wildcats make huge strides with their offensive games since coming aboard after Bloomer departed. Helping Stewart develop her power may have had the biggest offensive impact, but it doesn’t stop there. Lowe’s just happy she’s in Tucson.
“She ended up in the right colors,” Lowe said. “I mean, she’s very proud to be a Sun Devil alum, and at the same time, she is exactly where her feet are, and very happy here.”
Mike Candrea, the architect of UA greatness and Lowe’s mentor, also graduated from ASU.
“Nobody talks about that, though,” Lowe joked. “It’s like this dark time that I don’t know if he claims it anymore.”
The most important thing is coming out on top in a series that matches two top 25 teams for the first time since 2023. The Wildcats went into that series ranked 17th by the NFCA. The Sun Devils were 22nd.
That series took place in Tempe but Arizona dominated. The Wildcats outscored ASU 23-4 on the way to a 2-1 series win. They shut out the Sun Devils in the first two games, one of which was an 11-0 run-rule victory. They dropped the final game 4-3.
“Rivalry weekend comes with heightened emotions and challenges, and at the same time, it’s so much fun to compete in rivalry weekend,” Lowe said. “I know the crowd will be rocking. Hopefully they get hydrated and ready to go and just really hoping that we can execute on some things we missed out on last weekend.”
In the rankings
Arizona and Arizona State will play this series as ranked opponents for the first time in three years. Here’s how the two teams figure in the four polls and RPI:
NFCA: No. 13 Arizona Wildcats, No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils
USA Softball: No. 11 Arizona Wildcats, RV Arizona State Sun Devils (leads “others receiving votes” list)
D1 Softball: No. 12 Arizona Wildcats, No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils
Softball America: No. 15 Arizona Wildcats, unranked Arizona State Sun Devils
RPI: No. 19 Arizona Wildcats, No. 36 Arizona State Sun Devils
