ERIC M. JUKELEVICS/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA freshman infielder Rebekah Quiroz outruns a throw to first base earlier this month against Long Beach State at Hillenbrand Stadium. The Wildcats begin Pacific 10 Conference tomorrow against Arizona State in Tempe.

Six ranked teams await Arizona in conference play

East Coast bias is something West Coast teams frequently complain about when it comes to college football and basketball rankings.

When it comes to collegiate softball, though, many would complain that it's the other way around.

With seven of eight Pacific 10 Conference schools ranked in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25, the Pac-10 has established itself as the premier conference in the nation.

Last season, seven teams made it to postseason play, and four advanced to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

This weekend marks the beginning of the real season for No. 2 Arizona, as they travel to Tempe to take on in-state rival No. 6 Arizona State.

The two-game set in Tempe kicks off a grueling 21-game conference schedule in which Arizona will face its toughest competition of the year.

The Pac-10 schedule is structured so that each team plays the other schools three times, either twice at home and once on the road or vice versa.

This season, Arizona will play 10 games at home and 11 on the road, meaning that defending the conference title will be no small task.

Here is a team-by-team look at Arizona's competition in the nation's toughest softball conference:

No. 6 Arizona State (30-7)

Series dates: tomorrow & Saturday @ Tempe, April 30 @ Hillenbrand Stadium

Outlook: The Sun Devils already have one win under their belt against the Wildcats at the Kia Classic in Fullerton, Calif. That game did not count in the official conference standings, meaning Arizona got a free look at its rivals from Tempe. Sophomore Phelan Wright is hitting .480 for the Sun Devils with six home runs. Senior Erica Beach, a Phoenix-area native, leads the way in the circle with a 1.11 ERA and an 18-4 mark. She also leads the staff with 106 strikeouts.

No. 12 Washington (29-8)

Series dates: April 5 @ Hillenbrand Stadium, May 11 (Doubleheader) @ Seattle

Outlook: The Huskies have the daunting task of starting Pac-10 play at UCLA, and it won't get any easier from there. With just one senior on the roster, Washington is a team that will be very dangerous in the years to come. Freshman second baseman Steph Nicholson was a high school teammate of Arizona's Candace Abrams and Rebekah Quiroz at Flowing Wells High School here in Tucson. Freshman pitcher Ashley Boek has been a pleasant surprise for the Huskies this year with an 11-1 record.

No. 1 UCLA (32-3)

Series dates: April 6 & 7 @ Hillenbrand Stadium, May 10 @ Los Angeles

Outlook: The Bruins are loaded as always and considered by most to be the favorite to win the national title. This team is hungry after dropping last year's championship to the Wildcats, and anything short of a national title would be a failure for this team. Senior Stacey Nuveman is hitting .554, and junior Natasha Watley is batting .535 to give the Bruins a formidable one-two punch at the plate. UCLA has a pretty strong one-two punch in the circle, too. Senior Amanda Freed is 15-1 with a 0.42 ERA and sophomore Keira Goerl is 15-2 with a 0.32 ERA.

No. 14 Oregon State (26-9)

Series dates: April 12 @ Corvallis, April 27 & 28 @ Hillenbrand Stadium

Outlook: Arizona outscored the Beavers 13-1 last year in three victories, and OSU won't find it any easier to pick up victories this year. The Beavers have scored only 130 runs and are hitting just .280 as a team despite their strong record. Junior Clare Burnum is hitting .352 for OSU and is tied for the team lead with 23 runs scored. Sophomore pitcher Monica Hoffman leads the staff with a 0.87 ERA and a record of 8-4.

Oregon (16-9)

Series dates: April 13 & 14 @ Eugene, April 26 @ Hillenbrand Stadium

Outlook: The Ducks are the only Pac-10 team to grace the Top 25 rankings and are the perennial doormat of the conference. Last year the Ducks piled up a 1-20 conference record, winning their lone game of the year against Arizona State. Junior Andrea Vidlund is the team's bright spot, hitting .429 with a team-high seven home runs. Sophomore Anissa Meashintubby leads the pitching staff with a 1.92 ERA and 48 strikeouts.

No. 3 Stanford (27-3)

Series dates: April 19 @ Palo Alto, May 4 & 5 @ Hillenbrand Stadium

Outlook: The Cardinal are looking to make it back to the WCWS again this year and certainly have the team to do so. Stanford was the last team to beat Arizona at Hillenbrand, and the Wildcats will have to be careful this year or it may happen again. Senior Sarah Beeson is hitting .446 for Stanford and has a team-high 27 RBIs. Junior Tori Nyberg is a workhorse in the circle, having appeared in 21 of her team's 30 games. She leads the pitching staff with an 0.84 ERA and a 17-1 record.

No. 8 California (33-10)

Series dates: April 20 & 21 @ Hillenbrand Stadium, May 3 @ Berkley

Outlook: The Golden Bears have played more games than any other Pac-10 team, meaning if anybody is tired going into conference play, it's them. Cal's most dangerous hitter is junior Veronica Nelson. The slugger is hitting .329 with seven home runs - but that doesn't tell the whole story. Opposing pitchers are so scared of her power that they have walked her a team-high 63 times. Senior Jocelyn Forest is the Bears' best pitcher with a 0.83 ERA and 211 strikeouts. She has appeared in 22 games and has a 14-6 mark.