Perfect 10: Finch leads impressive list of softball greats

Something like “NCAA softball records, brought to you by the Arizona Wildcats.”

Consider these records held by Wildcats:

Jenny Dalton — most runs scored in a season and career, and most career RBIs.

Alison McCutcheon — most hits in a season and career.

Laura Espinoza — most home runs, RBIs and total bases in a season.

Jennie Finch — most consecutive wins, and highest season winning percentage

Nancy Evans — best career winning percentage.

On top of that, the Wildcats have seven of the top 11 single-season run scorers in history, three of the top five hit totals, two of the top three home run totals, seven of the top eight RBI totals, two of the top five career hit totals, two of the top three career runs totals, three of the top four career home run totals, four of the five best career RBI totals and, well, you get the point.

The Wildcats had one NCAA batting champion, eight runs champions, five hit champions, nine home run champions and nine RBI champions. Arizona has a preposterous 95 NFCA All-America citations in school history to go with the eight national titles.

Yeah, so, try narrowing that list of great Wildcats down to 10.

Amy Chellevold and Leah O’Brien, with seven All-America selections and four first-team All-Conference selections between them, didn’t make the cut. Taryne Mowatt, who won 42 games in one season? Nope.

Leah Braatz, NCAA’s second all-time run producer and a four-time All-American, didn’t make the top five. Susie Parra, a Honda Award winner, Pac-10 Player of the year and the NCAA’s career winning percentage leader, didn’t either.

The No. 1 player in program history has to be Finch, a great college player and quite possibly the biggest star in the history of the sport.

Finch arrived as a highly touted recruit from La Mirada, Calif.

She lived up to the hype. In 2001, Finch went 32-0 with an 0.54 ERA and guided the Wildcats to a national championship.

Finch twice won the Honda Award, twice won Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, has an NCAA record with 60 straight wins from 2001 to 2002 and is in the top 10 all-time in five single-season pitching categories and six career marks.

Oh, and she could hit, too — Finch hit 16 home runs in both 2000 and 2002, her 50 career long balls is 13th-most in school history.

On top of that, Finch was a three-time first-team all-Pac-10 and All-America selection. After her UA career was done, Finch went on to win a gold and silver medal in the Olympics, and in 2008, Time Magazine described her as the most famous softball player ever.

Here’s the list:

10 Leah Braatz, C

Years at UA: 1994-98

Career stats: 297 hits, 59 doubles, 85 home runs, 322 RBIs, 250 runs scored, .991 career fielding percentage

Notable achievements:

• Four-time first-team All-American
• 1997 and 1998 NCAA home run and RBI champ
• Four-time all-conference selection
• 1998 Honda Award finalist
• 1994 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year
• Two-time Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year

9Debby Day, P

Years at UA: 1991-92

Career stats: 62-13 record, 0.44 ERA, 41 shutouts, six no-hitters

Notable achievements:

• Two-time All-American
• Two-time all-conference selection
• UA career record-holder in ERA

8Susie Parra, P

Years at UA: 1991-94

Career stats: 101-9 record, 0.63 ERA, 874 strikeouts in 780 innings pitched, 61 shutouts, eight no-hitters

Notable achievements:

• 1994 Honda Award winner and 1993 finalist
• 1994 Pac-10 Player of the Year
• Three-time All-American
• Three-time all-conference
• UA season records: ERA (1st, 3rd, 9th), wins (9th)
• UA career records: ERA (2nd), wins (6th), strikeouts (5th) innings pitched (6th), shutouts (3rd), no-hitters (2nd)

7Caitlin Lowe, OF

Years at UA: 2004-07

Career stats: .446 average, 351 hits, 12 triples, 242 runs, 156 steals

Notable achievements:

• Two-time Honda Award finalist
• 2004 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year
• 2005 USA Softball National Player of the Year finalist
• 2005 Pac-10 Player of the Year
• 2007 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
• 2007 Adidas Golden Shoe Award
• Four-time first-team All-American
• UA career leader, stolen bases

6Alicia Hollowell, p

Years at UA: 2003-06

Career stats: 144-23 record, 0.87 ERA, 1,768 strikeouts in 1,122 innings pitched, 16 no-hitters

Notable achievements:

• 2004 Honda Award finalist
• Two-time USA Softball National Player of the Year finalist
• 2004 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year
• 2003 NCAA wins champ
• UA career record-holder, wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, shutouts and no-hitters

5Alison Johnsen McCutcheon, OF

Years at UA: 1995-98

Career stats: .466 batting average, 405 hits, 49 doubles, 22 triples, 289 runs scored, 148 stolen bases

Notable achievements:

• Two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year
• 1997 Honda Award finalist
• 1997 and 1998 NCAA runs leader
• 1998 NCAA stolen bases leader
• Three-time first team All-American
• Three-time all-conference
• UA career record-holder, batting average, hits, triples

4Nancy Evans, P

Years at UA: 1994-98

Career stats: 51 doubles,

112 walks, 124-8 record, 835⅔ in-

nings pitched, 53 shutouts, five no-hitters

Notable achievements:

• 1997 Honda Award finalist
• 1998 Honda Award winner
• 1998 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee
• NCAA career win percentage leader

3Laura Espinoza, sS

Years at UA: 1992-95

Career stats: 52 doubles, 85 home runs, 314 RBIs

Notable achievements:

• 1994 College Sports Player of the Year
• 1995 Fastpitch World Player of the Year
• 1995 Pac-10 Player of the Year
• 1995 Honda Award finalist
• 1994 and 1995 NCAA home run and RBIs champ
• NCAA record-holder, RBIs in a season

2Jenny Dalton, 2b

Years at UA: 1993-96

Career stats: .412 average, 51 doubles, 76 home runs, 328 RBIs, 293 runs

Notable achievements:

• 1996 Honda Award winner
• 1996 Pac-10 Player of the Year
• NCAA season and career runs leader
• 1996 home runs and RBIs champ
• Three-time first-team All-American
• Four-time first-team All-Pac-12 pick
• UA record-holder, runs and walks in a season
• UA record-holder, RBIs, walks and runs in a career

1Jennie Finch, P

Years at UA: 1999-2002

Career stats: 119-16 record, 1.09 ERA, 1,028 strikeouts in 876º innings pitched, 64 shutouts, eight no-hitters, 50 home runs

Honorable mention: Amy Chellevold (1992-95), Leah O’Brien (1993-95, 1997), Carrie Dolan (1994-97), Taryne Mowatt (2005-08), Toni Mascarenas (1998-2001), Becky Lemke (1998-2001), Lauren Bauer (1998-2001), Lovie Jung (2002-03)