JON HELGASON/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona senior pitcher Jennie Finch winds up for a pitch last month against Boston College at Hillenbrand Stadium. Finch became UA's all-time strikeout leader last weekend against California.

No soup for you: Despite finishing its season-long road trip with a 6-2 record, top-ranked Arizona lost consecutive games for the first time in just over two years last weekend at California. And there was not much the Wildcats' dominant pitching duo of Jennie Finch and Jenny Gladding could do about it, either.

Averaging over six runs per game, the usually robust Arizona offense pushed across just 10 runs in its final five games of the trip, which the Wildcats finished 3-2.

Finch throwing flames: Even when senior Jennie Finch drops a decision in the circle - which has only happened four times in the last three seasons - she continues to rewrite Arizona's record book.

In a 5-2 loss to California on Saturday, Finch recorded five Ks to become UA's all-time strikeout queen with 921. She entered the contest tied with Becky Lemke, who established the record of 916 last season.

With 259 strikeouts this season, Finch is on pace to surpass Lemke's single-season mark of 314. The two-time first-team All-American also set UA's single-game strikeout record with 19 Ks during last week's extra-inning victory over Oklahoma.

Finch now owns 107 career victories, trailing only assistant coach Nancy Evans, who finished her astonishing career with a 124-8 record - the best winning percentage in NCAA history.

Grand ole Hillenbrand: Judging by the team's mortal 15-6 record away from Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium this season, the Wildcats' return to Tucson this weekend could not have come at a better time.

Tied with UCLA atop the Pac-10 conference standings, Arizona will kick off a Pac-10 season-long seven-game homestand on Friday against Oregon.

After having its record 70-game home winning streak snapped during a one-run loss to UCLA in their last game at home, the Wildcats will look to begin another one this weekend. Arizona brings a 303-18 all-time record in nine-plus seasons at Hillenbrand into the homestand.

Bring on the hippies: When Arizona faces the Oregon schools this weekend, they will meet a pair of struggling squads that own a combined 5-19 record in the Pac-10 Conference this season.

Both teams enter the weekend having posted just 2-12 records against the Wildcats over the last five seasons.