Mike Candrea watches the NCAA tournament selection show from his home Sunday night. Photo by Anthony Gimino, TucsonCitizen.com

The Arizona softball team, after an uneven season and facing a difficult path to the Women’s College World Series, will enter the NCAA tournament with plenty of questions.

Coach Mike Candrea wants his players to consider only one.

“Why not us?”

Arizona is seeded 13th in the postseason and will be host a four-team, double-elimination regional at Hillenbrand Stadium beginning Friday.

WAC regular season champion Hawaii is expected to provide the toughest competition for Arizona. Notre Dame will take on Hawaii at 2:30 p.m. Friday, followed by Arizona vs. North Dakota State at 5 p.m. ESPNU will telecast all the regional games from Tucson.

If Arizona advances to the Super Regional, it likely will have to travel at play at fourth-seeded Oklahoma, the team that eliminated the Wildcats in this round of last year’s tournament. The Sooners still have pitching star Keilani Ricketts.

But back to that question: Why not us?

Said senior outfield Karissa Buchanan: “It’s a great question.”

Candrea, always searching for a postseason theme, came across that one last week after assistant coach Stacy Iveson showed the team ESPN’s “30 for 30″ special on the 2004 Boston Red Sox, which rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the New York Yankees.

Pitcher Curt Schilling helped lead the “Why not us?” rallying cry for those Red Sox, which went on to win the World Series under manager Terry Francona, a former Arizona Wildcat star outfielder.

After the team watched the video last Wednesday, Candrea arranged for Francona to walk through the clubhouse door.

“It was awesome,” Buchanan said.

“Watching him on the video and then seeing him walk through the door, it was like, ‘Wow.’ We were all surprised. It was really cool.”

Francona, who has relocated to Tucson following his dismissal from the Red Sox after last season, talked to the softball team for about 30 minutes.

“It was basically about respect the game you’re playing, whether it’s baseball or softball,” said Francona, who had two daughters play softball at North Carolina.

“You’re there for your teammates and you all have to be going in the same direction. You’re not pointing fingers. … I let them ask questions, and it was fun for me, too.”

Arizona finished the regular season at 35-17 overall and 12-12 in the Pac-12, tied for fourth. The team batting average of .298 is only seventh among the nine teams in the league. The team ERA of 2.95 is only fifth.

There is seemingly less reason to believe in these Wildcats entering the postseason than any UA squad since before Arizona won its first of eight national titles in 1991.

“One of the challenges we’ve had all year is getting our players, in my eyes, to really believe they can get it done,” Candrea said.

“I think they faked it pretty good at times, but I want kids who are going to go out there and compete, lay it all on the table. I think the big thing about this game is you have to care a lot about it.

“Right now, today, this team cares a little bit more about this game than they did two weeks ago. And, so, I’m optimistic that you’re going to see their best effort put forward.”

So, Candrea will continue to ask: Why not us?

“Do we have some dents in our armor? Do we go into postseason where I’m feeling really good about everything? Probably not? But it is what it is right now, and we’ll do our part to bring that all together and maybe get some kids to overachieve and get back to that competitive mode.”

NCAA REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game 1 — Friday, 2:30 p.m.: Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
Game 2 — Friday, 5 p.m., Arizona vs. North Dakota State
Game 3 — Saturday, 3 p.m.: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 4 — Saturday, 5:30 p.m.: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser
Game 5 — Saturday, 8 p.m.: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner
Game 6 — Sunday, 2:30 p.m.: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner
Game 7 — Sunday, 5 p.m.: Repeat Game 6, if necessary

The Arizona Wildcats softball team awaits its postseason destination and opponents, which will be announced on a selection show, beginning at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

Arizona finished the regular season Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 walk-off victory over Oregon State, with junior third baseman Brigette Del Ponte blasting a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

The Cats finished the season with a 35-17 record, 12-12 in the Pac-12.

By taking two of three from the Beavers to end the regular season, Arizona hopes it did enough to be one of 16 hosts for NCAA regionals, which begin at the end of the week.

“I know one thing about this team,” coach Mike Candrea said. “They know they can come from behind.”

Arizona did that Saturday.

Oregon State took a 1-0 lead on a fourth-inning home run from Lea Cavestany, while the Cats, for the second game in a row, had a difficult time mustering anything off pitcher Marina Demore, who shut out Arizona on Friday night.

Arizona first baseman Jessica Spigner provided the needed shot in the arm for UA, lining a one-out homer in the sixth to tie the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, outfielder Karissa Buchanan beat out a chopper to third — her fourth hit of the game — and then Del Ponte followed with the game-ending homer.

“Pretty awesome day,” said senior catcher Lini Koria. “Just ending on a weekend like that is going to get us on a roll.”

Sophomore pitcher Shelby Babcock (19-9) allowed only five hits, striking one nine and walking one.

“I was really pleased with Babcock’s performance to give us a chance to win that game,” Candrea said. “That was huge for us.”

Related: Marriage proposal highlights Arizona softball’s Senior Day

Arizona Wildcats senior Nicole Bryan didn’t know where to go, where to stand, what to do.

It was Senior Day at Hillenbrand Stadium, always a big deal around the program, often teary, with seniors surrounded by family, introduced to the crowd with the public address announcer reading a deliberately sappy script about the player’s career.

It’s an Arizona tradition.

Bryan’s introductions, capped with a hug from coach Mike Candrea, had just finished near home plate Saturday after the Cats’ 3-1 walk-off victory over Oregon State.

For as thrilling as that game was, for as emotional as Senior Day is, Bryan’s memorable afternoon had just begun.

“I was standing next to Coach and he was like, ‘Wait here, wait here,’” Bryan said.

“I was like, ‘I thought were taking a picture. Where am I supposed to be standing. I don’t know what to do.”

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Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea, a dogged New York Yankees fan who has a room in his house dedicated to Mickey Mantle memorabilia, needed the help of a former Boston Red Sox manager this week.

He said assistant coach Stacy Iveson wanted to show the team “Four Days in October” — ESPN’s 30 for 30 special about the 2004 Red Sox, which won four consecutive games in the American League Championship Series after being down 0-3 to the Yankees.

(This is something Iveson also used as motivation when she was head coach at Yavapai Community College last season.)

Candrea took the idea a step further and said, “Why don’t we bring in Terry Francona to talk to the team?”

And so he did.

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Larry Ray

Arizona Wildcats softball director of operations Alicia Hollowell has moved into a coaching role while assistant coach Larry Ray is away from the team for “personal issues,” coach Mike Candrea said Thursday night.

Regarding Ray’s absence, Candrea said following a 12-4 victory over Oregon State: “The only thing I can say is he’s just dealing with some personal issues.”

That the Wildcats took the steps to have Hollowell cleared to become one of three on-field coaches suggests Ray will be out longer than just one game.

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James Whitford holds back coach Sean Miller from an official during last season's game against San Diego State. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

James Whitford, who has been an assistant to Sean Miller for the past seven seasons — including three with the Arizona Wildcats — is reportedly a strong candidate to take over at Miami University.

For a while, Whitford has been mentioned as a possible replacement for 70-year-old Charlie Coles, who retired after 16 seasons with the RedHawks of the Mid-American Conference.

Things may be heating up, as a line near the bottom of this story from Wednesday suggests Miami is “believed to be on the verge of hiring Arizona assistant James Whitford as its next men’s basketball coach.”

Whitford was with Miller at Xavier for four seasons at Xavier before following him to Tucson. Whitford was elevated to associate head coach after last season, when Miller’s brother, Archie, left to take over the program at Dayton. (Here is his UA bio.)

Having staff continuity is often a good thing, but so, too, is having assistant coaches good enough to be in demand.

Miller last season replaced Archie with Joe Pasternack, the former head coach at New Orleans who had ample West Coast experience as an assistant at Cal.

Mike Candrea is closing in on 1,300 victories at Arizona. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea was back on the job Thursday, his sense of humor intact.

“I’m on the right side of the grass,” he said with a grin. “So things are good.”

Having been told there’s nothing wrong with his heart after being hospitalized for two nights because of chest pain, Candrea was able to smile while taking seriously the stress-related symptoms and lifestyle choices that apparently led to the scare.

“Definitely, a little wake-up call,” he said.

“Sometimes when you’re grinding and you’re lacking a little sleep and not eating well and not drinking enough water … all that stuff kind of combines.

“I always talk about not taking any day for granted and living each day like it’s your last, and when you’re sitting there and you have a lot of people worried, including yourself, you wonder, ‘Have I overdone it.’ It makes you think a little bit.”

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Brigette Del Ponte

Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea, who had been hospitalized for two days after complaining about chest pain, sent a text to his players and staff on Tuesday morning.

Most importantly, it said he was OK, resting comfortably, able to go home.

And then Candrea, apropos of someone who just had a health scare, left a message for his team to take into its home game against San Diego State:

“Play for the moment.”

The Wildcats — buoyed by Candrea’s positive health news and playing to win one for their absent coach — defeated San Diego State 8-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule game in front of 2,360 at Hillenbrand Stadium on Tuesday night.

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Mike Candrea's team has five home games this week. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea passed a cardiac stress test Monday afternoon at University Medical Center a day after being hospitalized with chest pain and stress-related symptoms, assistant coach Larry Ray said.

He was set to undergo another test Monday night and could be released Tuesday morning, if all goes well, according to a UA official.

Ray said the team is preparing to be without Candrea for a two-game series against San Diego State that begins Tuesday at Hillenbrand Stadium at 7 p.m. The teams also play Wednesday at 3 p.m.

The Wildcats begin a three-game home set against Stanford on Friday.

“We’re hoping he’s back for the Stanford series,” Ray said. “If not, it’s still game on.”

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Mike Candrea has been the Arizona softball head coach since 1986, winning eight national titles. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea was being transported to Tucson’s University Medical Center on Sunday night for further observation after being hospitalized with chest pain in the Phoenix area, assistant coach Larry Ray said.

Candrea was expected to remain at UMC at least overnight.

Candrea left Arizona’s game against Arizona State in Tempe and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital Sunday afternoon.

“He was experiencing some dizziness and some chest pain,” Ray said in a phone interview at about 7:30 p.m.

“They think it was stress-related symptoms. Right now, that’s about all I know.”

Ray, who had been getting updates from Candrea’s wife, Tina, said the hospital staff performed an EKG exam on Candrea, which showed no problems.

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