While the rest of the Pac-12 Conference closes out its season this weekend, the Arizona Wildcats will be spectators.
Due to uneven conference scheduling, the UA concluded its regular season schedule a week earlier than everyone else. All that’s left to do now is wait for Selection Sunday.
The Wildcats (48-7, 18-6) have no reason to worry about that, either. The team is on track to host both the NCAA regional round and, should Arizona advance, the Super Regional round. That hasn’t happened at Hillenbrand Stadium since 2011.
The UA is currently ranked No. 5 in the RPI poll, a measure closely considered by the NCAA selection committee when picking national seeds and hosts. As of Saturday, the committee had Arizona rated the No. 3 team in the nation, and there’s good reason to believe the Wildcats will be ranked no lower than that come Selection Sunday.
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At minimum, the Wildcats are a lock to host the Regional round, which is something Arizona has done 20 times in school history. Nineteen times, the team has advanced to the Super Regionals.
“We like playing here, most certainly,” coach Mike Candrea said. “This is our home, and we love to have our fan base here. We feel like it’s worth a run or two playing here. You can sleep in your own bed. There’s a lot of positive things about it.”
Added senior shortstop Mo Mercado: “At home, we clearly play consistent, and that’s definitely a strength for us, as for any school, hosting, having your own fans and having all the support, not being yelled at and having other team’s fans. It’s awesome.”
Arizona can make a case for the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, though Florida — currently atop the national polls — seems to be the favorite. The Wildcats are a good bet to be ranked second or third.
Arizona was the top overall seed in 2007 and rolled to a Women’s College World Series championship — its most recent.
Here’s a closer look at Arizona’s résumé, and how it stacks up with other teams fighting for a top seed and right to host the first two rounds of the tournament:
Arizona (48-7, 18-6 Pac-12)
RPI: 5
USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll: 5
Key Pac-12 series wins (with RPI rankings): No. 2 Oregon, No. 6 Washington (sweep), No. 20 ASU, No. 24 California (sweep)
Nonconference wins: No. 10 Baylor, No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 18 BYU, No. 33 Texas
Key losses: No. 7 Florida State, No. 4 UCLA (2 of 3), No. 16 Utah (2 of 3)
Record vs. RPI top 25: 15-7
Record vs. RPI top 10: 7-4
Still to play: None
Note: The Pac-12 does not have a conference tournament.
Florida (50-5, 20-3 SEC)
RPI: 1
USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll: 1
Key SEC series wins: No. 3 Auburn, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 17 Kentucky, No. 22 South Carolina (sweep)
Nonconference wins: No. 4 UCLA, No. 7 Florida State (split two games), No. 21 Michigan, No. 24 California
Key losses: No. 177 Maryland
Record vs. RPI top 25: 19-4
Record vs. RPI top 10: 6-3
Still to play: SEC tournament
Auburn (45-9, 17-7 SEC)
RPI: 3
USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll: 7
Key SEC series wins: No. 14 Alabama, No. 15 LSU, No. 22 South Carolina, No. 23 Ole Miss, No. 25 Georgia
Nonconference wins: No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 18 BYU, No. 35 Ohio State
Key losses: No. 1 Florida (2 of 3), No. 6 Washington
Record vs. RPI top 25: 13-8
Record vs. RPI top 10: 1-3
Still to play: SEC tournament
Florida State (48-6-1, 24-0 ACC)
RPI: 7
USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll: 4
Key ACC series wins: No. 34 North Carolina (sweep), No. 36 Notre Dame (sweep)
Nonconference wins: No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Arizona, No. 26 Marshall
Key losses: No. 1 Florida (split two games), No. 2 Oregon (sweep), No. 8 Texas A&M
Record vs. RPI top 25: 4-6-1
Record vs. RPI top 10: 3-5
Still to play: ACC tournament
Inside pitch
- Arizona pitcher Danielle O’Toole and third baseman Katiyana Mauga were named two of the 10 finalists for USA Softball’s player of the year award. The top three finalists will be announced May 24, and the winner will be unveiled May 30 before the start of the WCWS in Oklahoma City.
- The UA has already added “2017” to the outfield wall at Hillenbrand to commemorate the team’s Pac-12 title. The Wildcats clinched at UCLA in their final regular season game over the weekend.
- Thursday morning, all eight members of Arizona’s senior class will walk at the UA’s student-athlete convocation taking place in McKale Center.
