KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat The 2002 UA softball freshmen - (clockwise from top left) Crystal Farley, Jackie Coburn, Courtney Fossatli, Allyson Von Liechtenstein, Carrie Hagen, Marissa Marzan, Rebekah Quiroz and Candace Abrams - are expected to fill the void left by eight graduated seniors for the defending national champion Wildcats.

After flaunting their talents during six exhibition games over the last week, the eight Wildcat freshmen were given a rare opportunity to reveal a more candid side beyond the playing diamond at yesterday's softball media day.

The graduation of eight seniors - including five all-Americans - from a team fresh off its sixth national championship, would typically generate some serious concern.

Yet, a large part of the reason the words "rebuilding" and "inexperienced" have not been aimed at the 2002 Wildcat softball team is a talented incoming freshman class.

Five new Wildcats come to Tucson from neighboring California - outfielder Crystal Farley, outfielder Courtney Fossatti, outfielder Carrie Hagen, pitcher Marissa Marzan (redshirting this season) and outfielder Allyson Von Liechtenstein. Three of the freshmen fulfilled their dream of playing in their home state - third baseman Jackie Coburn, outfielder Candace Abrams and infielder Rebekah Quiroz. Both Abrams and Quiroz are Tucson natives, while Coburn hails from Phoenix.

The highly touted group - seven of whom are also academic freshmen - have been thrown into the spotlight rather quickly and, if yesterday's media frenzy is any indication, each one of them appears ready to embrace the challenges ahead.

How exactly can seven girls that played high school softball just a year ago seem so at ease about contributing immediately on the defending national champions? So far, the biggest support in helping to make the transition has come from each other.

"There are so many of us (freshmen). We have more people to relate to," Coburn said. "We're like our own little sorority."

Fossatti agreed.

"There's still a lot of pressure that comes with being freshmen, but I think that since there's so many of us, (the pressure is) not as great," Fossatti said.

With an opening-day starting lineup that will boast four first-year players, the heavily recruited freshmen will have to provide an immediate impact to keep UA atop the collegiate softball world.

Before arriving in Tucson, the entire class had a variety of options from which to choose when figuring out where to continue their softball careers. All of the freshmen received offers from other prestigious programs such as Fresno State and Oklahoma.

In the end, though, the decision to play in the desert was not that difficult.

"A lot of it had to do with coach Candrea and the tradition here," Fossatti said.

That tradition includes six Pacific 10 Conference championships and six national championships since 1991. In building the Wildcats into the nation's elite program, Candrea has amassed a winning percentage of .835 - the second highest percentage among active Division I collegiate coaches.

The head coach appears rather confident that his incoming class of 2002 will only help to maintain the level of winning that he has established.

"They've worked very hard and they're fun to be around," Candrea said. "They're very coachable, and they want to make an impact on the program.

"All of them will have their opportunities this year to step up and contribute."

While the Arizona softball team is all business on the field, off the field, the women are full of laughter and practice strange habits.

When asked who on the team had unusual superstitions, seven fingers pointed directly at Fossatti.

Since her freshman year in high school, Fossatti has been in the habit of kissing her bat, glove, helmet and even her stuffed monkey.

When it comes to the monkey, her teammates don't let her go without ridicule.

"We pull pranks on her and steal it from her," said Abrams, the only redshirt from a year ago. "We hung it from a rope in the middle of the restaurant, we put it in the windshield wipers - we torture it."

The girls quickly added that Fossatti freaks out when her monkey disappears.

In addition to having their share of laughs off the field, the young Wildcats are serious about their schooling.

All of them said it is difficult to balance school with softball.

The players often don't get home until 9 or 10 at night and still have to do their homework and eat dinner.

Many of them said eating healthy is also a challenge they face. Because of their demanding schedules, most of the players find it hard to find the time to sit down and have a good meal.

This group of Wildcats may be young and fun off the field, but on it,there's no messing around.

All of them said they would be disappointed if they left Arizona without a national title.

Tomorrow they start down that road.