Andy Lopez's team was 39-21 last season.

Suggesting a big spring on the diamond for Arizona, the Wildcats baseball team is ranked No. 5 in the preseason, while the softball team is ranked eighth in the country in polls released Tuesday.

Baseball America tabbed Arizona fifth, behind No. 1 Florida, Stanford, South Carolina and Arkansas. Coach Andy Lopez is hoping to ride a strong pitching staff, led by junior Kurt Heyer (8-5, 2.41 ERA), to a home postseason berth at the team’s new digs, Hi Corbett Field.

Mike Candrea’s softball team is trying to get back to the Women’s College World Series after losing in the Super Regionals last year.

Based on the No. 8 ranking from the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll, the Wildcats will be good enough to get back to Oklahoma City.

Much will depend on junior pitcher Kenzie Fowler, who was 26-8 with a 1.76 ERA last season after leading Arizona to the championship round of the World Series in 2010.

Defending champ Arizona State starts at No. 1 in the poll.

As usual, the Pac-12 is well represented. Cal is third, Stanford 10th, Oregon 11th, UCLA 13th and Washington 14th.

Kenzie Fowler finished last season with a 26-9 record. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Arizona Wildcats pitcher Kenzie Fowler is in the running for a spot on the United States national team that will compete in the Women’s World Championship this summer.

Former Arizona third baseman Jenae Leles is one of 12 players who already have been chosen to the team, which will include infielder Molly Johnson, a Sabino High graduate. Both were on the national team last year.

There are still five spots at stake, with 11 players having accepted invitations to try out. They include Fowler and Arizona State sophomore pitcher Dallas Escobedo.

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From left, Arizona freshmen Chelsea Goodacre, Shelby Pendley and Hallie Wilson were teammates on the U.S. junior national team. Photo from ASA Softball

Two Arizona Wildcats softball players helped the United States win the Junior Women’s World Championship on Saturday.

The U.S. team defeated Japan 4-1 in the gold medal game in Cape Town, South Africa.

Arizona freshman Hallie Wilson played centerfield and hit leadoff for Team USA — roles she is expected to fill this season for the Wildcats — and hit .440 for the event (12 of 25).

Wilson had a double, a triple, two home runs and stole two bases. She also walked eight times, giving her an on-base percentage of .571.

Cather Chelsea Goodacre mostly played in reserve. She was 4 of 10 with a home run, scoring four runs. She also stole a base.

Arizona freshman shortstop Shelby Pendley, who also made the U.S. junior team (19 and under), could not play because of an ACL injury suffered while playing in an exhibition game in the summer.

Team USA went 7-0 in pool play before defeating Australia 7-4 in the quarterfinal round. The U.S. team lost to Japan 9-0 in the semifinals, but worked its way to the gold medal game by beating Chinese Taipei in the bronze medal game.

The Americans were powered in the final game by a grand slam by Cheyanne Tarango (University of Tennessee) and the complete game of Lauren Haeger (Glendale Deer Valley High School, University of Florida).

Arizona State sophomore pitcher Dallas Escobedo went 4-0 in the tournament with a 2.37 ERA.

Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea signed seven players earlier this week, including one who he said reminds him of a “young Nancy Evans.”

That would be pitcher Nancy Bowling from Royal High in Simi Valley, Calif. She has been committed to Arizona since before her sophomore season.

“She’s very competitive,” Candrea said.

Like Evans, the national player of the year in 1998, Bowling is a top athlete who also is a threat with the bat. Bowling hit .500 as a junior in high school, had a 0.49 ERA, and she has played at the top level of travel-ball competition.

Candrea said he likes the versatility in this class, with shortstop-type athletes who can play other positions.

“I’m excited,” he said. “They look good on paper. We’ll see what they do when they get here.”

The addition of Estela Pinon from Yavapai College will give Arizona a more-comfortable number of pitchers on staff for the 2013 season. She and Bowling will join Kenzie Fowler and Shelby Babcock in 2013.

Here is Arizona’s signing class, via a UA news release:

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Mike Candrea is more comfortable with a small roster. 2009 Tucson Citizen photo

As promised, Arizona Wildcats softball coach Mike Candrea made significant cuts to the roster after fall practice, paring his team to 15 players.

Among the cuts were four players who were on the roster last season — senior first baseman Alicia Banks, sophomore infielder Ashlee Brawley, junior outfielder Becca Tikey and catcher Shannon Tinlsey.

Among those, Brawley, a walk-on from Cienega High School, saw the most playing time. She appeared in 23 games, starting 15 at shortstop, where starter Chelsea Suitos missed almost the entire season because of injury. Brawley batted .270.

“This is something that we built up to. Everybody knew,” Candrea said of his plan to shorten his roster. “We talked about it at the end of last season. We had it on our calendars — the day it was going to happen.

“I’m very sensitive to it, obviously. You don’t like to do that. … There were some hard decisions, but there was a lot that went into it. It wasn’t something that was just done like that,” Candrea added, snapping his fingers.

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Mike Candrea says he will have more live competition in the fall as he sorts out his roster. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

The Arizona Wildcats softball team begins its fall schedule Sunday afternoon amid fierce competition for roster spots.

Coach Mike Candrea told the team after last season — in which the Wildcats failed to advance to the Women’s College World Series for the first time under Candrea since the 1987 season — that he would carry a smaller roster this season.

He had 20 players last season, generally preferring a smaller core of players, which makes it easier to define roles, manage practice reps and find a collective team personality.

He won’t put a final number on it, but he will make cuts after fall practice ends. Arizona has 24 players — including three walk-ons — for its game Sunday against Pima Community College at Hillenbrand Stadium at 2 p.m.

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From left: Arizona freshmen Chelsea Goodacre, Shelby Pendley and Hallie Wilson were teammates on the U.S. junior national team. Photo from USA Softball

As Arizona Wildcats softball signee Shelby Pendley rounded third base, she had a bad feeling.

“I was like, if that ball was hit where I think it was, there is no way I’m making it home,” she said.

It was July 1, and Pendley was playing for the U.S. Junior Women’s national team in Bowie, Md. It was the last of six summer exhibition games against Team USA. It was the last inning. It was down to the last out.

And then came the play that might cost the Arizona Wildcats their potential starting shortstop in 2012.

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Former Arizona Wildcats softball player Matte Haack, who decided to transfer after last season, has chosen to play at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Our Gannett partner, the Lafayette Advertiser, reported the news last week.

Haack, who has two seasons of eligibility with the Ragin’ Cajuns, was a backup infielder last season, hitting .130 in 23 at-bats.

Playing time figured to be equally scarce for Haack next season.

“I wanted what would make her happy,” Arizona coach Mike Candrea told the Advertiser. “She’s a good kid and a hard worker. There were no issues with her attitude, her effort or anything like that. It was just a matter of her not getting enough playing time.

“We discussed it and I didn’t know how much playing time she would get. We decided that if she’s going to do it, this was the time to do it. Sometimes things just don’t work out. It happens. Rather than sitting somewhere for four years and not being happy, sometimes it’s better to transfer.”

Haack’s freshman year highlights in 2010 included a game-tying ninth-inning home run against Hofstra in NCAA regional play.

Alicia Hollowell was a member of Team USA from 2005 to 2008, and was an alternate on the 2008 Olympic team. Photo by Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona All-American Alicia Hollowell, who has spent the past two seasons coaching at UC-Davis, is returning to the Wildcats in a non-coaching role.

She will join the program Aug. 8 in a newly created director of operations role, head coach Mike Candrea announced Thursday.

“Alicia gives us another resource and great mind in getting our team ready to compete,” Candrea said in a news release.

“We’re fortunate to have her back. She won’t have coaching responsibilities, but her expertise in the video area will free us up to do more coaching. This is a position I’ve wanted for many, many years.”

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Teresa Wilson

The offseason of change continues for the Arizona softball team, as pitching coach Teresa Wilson has resigned to pursue a head-coaching position, the school announced Friday.

(On Thursday, head coach Mike Candrea talked to TucsonCitizen.com about his new slugging transfer from Tennessee, the departure of a backup infielder and his intention to have a smaller roster in 2012.)

Wilson was at Arizona for three years, helping the team navigate to the championship round of the Women’s College World Series behind freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler in 2010.

But offseason changes to Fowler’s pitching motion — designed in part to eliminate the illegal pitch calls that dogged her at the World Series — didn’t stick. Fowler reverted to her previous motion and was pitching well before suffering a late-season concussion that cost her playing time and conditioning at the critical part of the year.

Wilson has been a head coach for 21 years — at Oregon, Minnesota, Washington and Texas Tech.

“I’m more than pleased to have been part of Arizona softball for three seasons, but I’d like to return to having my own program,” Wilson said in a news release.

Said Candrea: “Teresa has been a great asset to our program. Her passion, knowledge of the game and work ethic have been second to none.”

Candrea said he expects to have a replacement by the end of July.