Arizona 2012 Softball World Series Capsule

Arizona Wildcats
Pac-12 (35-17, 12-12)

 
Arizona failed to make the WCWS in 2011. That was just the second time since 1984 that the Wildcats did not make the trip to Oklahoma City. And this may be the third time. Arizona has had a tough season in the Pac-12 and things need to turn around quickly if this group wants to make it back to the World Series.

Big Wins: 4/5 vs Washington (2-0), 4/14 vs California (8-3), 4/29 vs Oregon (5-4)
Bad Losses: 2/10 vs Nebraska (10-11), 3/21 vs New Mexico State (5-9), 3/30 vs Stanford (1-4)
Coach: Mike Candrea (27 seasons at Arizona)

Why They Can Surprise:
Coach Mike Candrea expected some better bats this year and he has gotten it from players like Shelby Pendley, Lini Koria and Brigette Del Ponte. Those three are loaded with power and are a threat to go deep at any time. Jessica Spigner, Chelsea Goodacre and Kristen Arriola are solid power hitters as well. Freshman Hallie Wilson has developed into a fine contact hitter and fellow freshman Chelsea Suitos is an underappreciated hitter on the Wildcats. While the bats are strong, it may be the defense that makes this team different from the 2011 version. Arizona’s defense really failed them last season, but that has not been the case in 2012. The Arizona defense is back where they belong, among the best in the nation.

Why They Can Disappoint:
Despite the better defense behind star pitcher Kenzie Fowler, she has again failed to live up to the expectations she set for herself following a great freshman campaign back in 2010. Fowler will continue to tally plenty of strikeouts, but she can give up quite a few runs as well. After posting an ERA of 1.76 in 2011, and that was somewhat disappointing, Fowler is hovering around the 3.00 ERA mark in 2012. The competition has been tough and Fowler is more than capable of having some great outings. She also has the leadership skills to pull her team together and lead them back to national prominence. Sophomore Shelby Babcock is the other Wildcat pitcher. She has actually pitched more innings than Fowler, but base runners tend to be more plentiful when Babcock is on the mound. No matter who is in the circle, the success of Arizona will come down to stopping the opposing offense.

Key Field Players:
Hallie Wilson, Freshman, OF, .355 BA, 26 RB
Lini Koria, Senior, C/IF, .328 BA, 16 HR, 33 RBI
Shelby Pendley, Freshman, SS, .346 BA, 18 HR, 53 RBI
Chelsea Suitos, Freshman, SS, .317 BA, 10 RBI
Brigette Del Ponte, Junior, 3B, .301 BA, 14 HR, 51 RBI
Karissa Buchanan, Senior, OF, .330 BA, 5 RBI, 19 SB
Jessica Spigner, Senior, 3B, .257 BA, 8 HR, 33 RBI

Key Pitchers:
Shelby Babcock, Sophomore, Pitcher, 3.02 ERA, 19-9 W/L, 20 CG, 176.1 IP, 147 SO
Kenzie Fowler, Junior, Pitcher, 2.78 ERA, 14-8 W/L, 15 CG, 143.1 IP, 172 SO

By the Numbers:
Batting Average: .297 (41, 7)
Earned Run Average: 3.01 (115, 5)
Fielding Percentage: .978 (4, 2)
Scoring Offense: 5.82 (16, 6)
Home Runs per Game: 1.41 (8, 4)
Doubles per Game: 1.16 (105, 8)
Triples per Game: 0.02 (272, 9)
Stolen Bases per Game: 0.96 (117, 7)
Slugging Percentage: .505 (12, 4)
Double Plays per Game: 0.27 (140, 9)

 
Recent Postseason Appearances:

*all team stats through 5/6

 
See All Softball Postseason Capsules