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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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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