By
Brett Erickson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Considering both programs' championship histories, the Arizona-UCLA softball rivalry could be as big as you'll find anywhere in the country.
In any sport.
Since the 1986 College World Series, either UA or UCLA has appeared in every championship game. In that time, the Wildcats (1991, '93, '94, '96 and '97) and Bruins ('88, '89, '90, '92 and '99) have each won five national titles and combined to produce more than 40 first team All-Americans.
UCLA also won softball championships in '82, '84 and '85.
"In basketball, people talk about Duke-North Carolina, and in softball you're looking at UCLA and Arizona," UA head coach Mike Candrea said.
This season is no different for the two powerhouses, which face each other for the first time this season Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles. UCLA sits atop the USA Today/NFCA top-25 rankings with its 37-1 record, while the Wildcats (38-2) are ranked second in the country.
"It's something I've always watched on TV and heard about, so I'm pretty excited," UA freshman Jenny Gladding said.
The rivalry between the schools blossomed in 1991. Arizona, which had advanced to the CWS but finished no higher than third the previous three seasons, defeated UCLA, 5-1, to claim its first softball title.
The following season, the Bruins defeated the Wildcats, 2-0, in the title game to reclaim its hold on the country. Arizona, though, proved that its emergence under Candrea was not a fluke, and rebounded to beat the Bruins, 1-0, in the 1993 championship contest.
"I think in the '90s, Arizona turned a corner where they really started to play great softball and became the team to beat," UCLA head coach Sue Enquist said.
Since that game, the schools have split two other championship tilts, with UCLA winning in 1995 and UA taking the title in 1997 in a five-inning, mercy-rule game.
"I think we've had a really good competitive situation because we've faced one another in some really important games," Candrea said.
Part of the reason both programs have remained at the forefront of Division I softball is the stability of the coaches. Candrea has been at the helm of the UA team since 1986, while Enquist has been a Bruins assistant coach, co-head coach or head coach since 1980.
This is her fifth season as the team's sole head coach.
When the two teams hook up Saturday at Easton Stadium in Westwood, both coaches expect the same high level of competition that they've seen in the past decade. UCLA does have the revenge factor working for it - Arizona swept the Bruins in three games last season.
"Obviously, that's going to be a motivational factor for them," Candrea said.
Both teams made the most of their non-conference schedules this season by piling up some impressive statistics against weaker teams. Arizona enters Saturday's game hitting .386, while the Bruins are batting .363 as a team.
The one area where the Wildcats have a distinct edge is the long ball. UA has hit 87 home runs this season compared to UCLA's 40.
Enquist knows about Arizona's offense, but is equally impressed with UA's ability to put together a complete game.
"They can run, they can hit, and they're doing a great job in the circle," she said. "They're hungry after their finish last year. If you combine all those together, you've got one tough team."
The "finish" Enquist referred to was the Wildcats' loss to Oklahoma in the semifinal game of last season's CWS. The Sooners went on to defeat the Bruins for their first softball title.
Arizona, though, has stored the Oklahoma loss in its "to be forgotten" file.
"This is what college softball is all about - Arizona versus UCLA," UA senior Erika Hanson said.
Despite the intense competition surrounding UA-UCLA games, players and coaches from both teams maintain a high level of respect for their opponent.
"I wouldn't call it hate, but we're out to do our job and get it done," Gladding said. "We don't want to just win, we want a mercy rule."
Enquist agreed, saying she has a lot of respect for the Wildcats and Candrea.
"I know that nobody wants to beat UCLA more than Mike Candrea, and Mike Candrea knows that nobody wants to beat Arizona more than Sue Enquist," she said. "But when the game is over, he always has a handshake."
