The Arizona Wildcats finally upgraded their fall softball schedule last season by including an NAIA team among the junior college teams that typically fill the slate. This year, head coach Caitlin Lowe took that one step further. Not only will the Wildcats face an NAIA school, but they will also hold their first Red-Blue game and go on the road to play another Division I team.
The highlight of the fall schedule will be a road game at GCU. While other programs often play nearby Division I competitors,
it has not been a feature of Arizona fall ball in the past.
Prior to last year, the program filled its home schedule with Arizona juco teams and it was played entirely at Hillenbrand Stadium. While that was convenient for fans, it did not give players a realistic view of what the competition would be like once the regular season rolled around. On Nov. 1, the players and fans will get that view.
The Wildcats will get another game against DI competition by playing themselves in a Red-Blue scrimmage. Men’s basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics have a preseason intrasquad scrimmage in front of fans every year. Softball and women’s basketball typically don’t hold the event. Softball is breaking that unfortunate habit on Oct. 10 to lead off the fall season.
Arizona Softball Fall Schedule
Oct. 10 @ 6:30 p.m. MST Red-Blue Scrimmage (Hillenbrand)
Oct. 17 @ 5:15 p.m. MST Benedictine University Mesa (Hillenbrand)
Oct. 17 @ 7 p.m. MST Chandler-Gilbert (Hillenbrand)
Oct. 24 @ 5:15 p.m. MST Central Arizona (Hillenbrand)
Oct. 24 @ 7 p.m. MST Phoenix College (Hillenbrand)
Nov. 1 @ 2 p.m. MST GCU (GCU Softball Stadium)
Nov. 7 @ 6 p.m. MST Pima (Hillenbrand)
In addition to the DI experience, Arizona will once again bring NAIA school Benedictine University-Mesa to Hillenbrand. That game will be the first fall competition against an outside opponent. It will be played on Oct. 17.
The Redhawks took an early lead against the Wildcats in last year’s meeting. Arizona eventually came back to win 8-2, but it was a full regulation game. It was far more competitive than UA’s fall games typically are.
The rest of Arizona’s fall schedule consists of the traditional juco competition. The Wildcats play Chandler-Gilbert as part of a doubleheader with Benedictine on Oct. 17. On Oct. 24, they bring in Central Arizona and Phoenix College. Fall ball wraps up with the local game between Arizona and Pima College on Nov. 7.
Arizona returns nine players from last year, including five who started at least 33 games. That group includes All-American catcher Sydney Stewart and All-Big 12 honorees Regan Shockey and Jenna Sniffen.
The Wildcats brought in a group of four freshmen, highlighted by corner infielder Sina Talataina and pitcher Rylie Holder. The other six additions came through the transfer portal and include Big East Player of the Year Grace Jenkins, All-Big 12 honoree Sereniti Trice, and All-Big Ten honoree Jalen Adams. Two of the six transfers are pitchers.
