By
Brett Erickson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Alumni game to bring together current, ex-Wildcats
The UA softball team opens its season a week from today in Tampa, Fla., but before the Wildcats can focus on Florida Atlantic, they've got some familiar faces to contend with.
Many of the legends that played at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium will return to Tucson this weekend as past and current Wildcats face off in the biennial Alumni Game. Game time is 3:30 tomorrow with a home run contest getting underway at 3:10.
"It's an opportunity for our kids to get a chance to see some of the people who have really set the foundation for our program," UA head coach Mike Candrea said.
Among those returning are two of UA's Player of the Year winners - second baseman Jenny Dalton Hill (1996) and pitcher Nancy Evans (98). Dalton Hill was a three-time All-American during her four years at Arizona, while Evans, now an assistant coach with the Wildcats, earned the same honor twice.
Other All-Americans returning for the game are Leah O'Brien Amico, Amy Chellevold and Debby Day.
For current UA players, the game provides an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the players who made Arizona the winningest program in the 1990s. The Wildcats claimed five national championships in the decade, wining in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997
"It's just really fun to see the legends come back and get to play against them and be on the same field," junior pitcher Jennie Finch said. "It's really an honor."
While the game is an exhibition and does not count toward Arizona's record, players plan on approaching the game with the same competitive spirit they would for a regular season contest.
"It's a lot of fun, but at the same time we want to win (and) they want to win, so it's just like a normal game," senior third baseman Toni Mascarenas said.
Candrea agreed that the game can be used as more than a simple exhibition.
"It's a special time, and we're out there to try to play a good game and get something out of it, but on the other hand it's going to be a fun time to bridge that gap and have (the current players) understand tradition," he said. "It's a huge vehicle for us to make sure we always keep that tradition going."
The game also might give Candrea a chance to determine a regular season starter in right field, the only position he said is still up for grabs.
The leading candidate is senior Erika Hanson, who played 55 games last season when the Wildcats finished third in the country. Also competing for the position are freshmen Kim Balkan and Mackenzie Vandergeest.
Also on tap this weekend for the alumni is a trip to tomorrow's Arizona-Texas men's basketball game. During halftime, several of the program's letter winners and the 1991 NCAA Championship team will be honored in a special ceremony.
