KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Assistant coach Jennie Finch addresses a packed crowd at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium after having her jersey retired prior to Arizona's win over No. 2 UCLA on Friday. Finch was a two-time Player of the Year while pitching for the Wildcats and led the Wildcats to the 2001 National Title.

Finch's famous no. 27 jersey put to rest on Hillenbrand wall

The legendary Jennie Finch, a two-time National Player of the Year and two-time Honda Award Winner, took her place among greatness Saturday night.

The teary-eyed Finch took the microphone in front of a packed house at UA's Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium as she watched the No. 27 uniform she made famous get put to rest in retirement.

"I tried to tell myself not to get emotional, but my mom started crying so it's always tough," Finch said. "It's amazing. So many softball players have made Arizona softball what it is."

The ceremony began with Finch throwing out the first pitch to her former partner and UA's current catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest. After a long speech that detailed the numerous accomplishments the UA volunteer assistant coach has accumulated throughout her four years at Arizona, her name and No. 27 jersey was revealed on the outfield wall.

"It was a great moment," UA head coach Mike Candrea said. "What she's done for the Arizona program and for softball, I'm just proud to be a part of her life. And for it to be in front of a full house, it was a great night."

The ceremony was just a small reminder of the four years Finch had in an Arizona uniform, where she holds an NCAA record with 60 consecutive wins in 2002.

During that season, the Pacific-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year led the Wildcats to the NCAA Women's College World Series, where they finished second with a 6-0 loss to California.

Finch was named to the WCWS All-Tournament Team, was a first-team All-Pac-10 and All-Pacific Region member and a two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week.

In 2001, Finch capped off her flawless 32-0 season with a World Series title, where she was named as the series' Most Outstanding Player.

As a sophomore, Finch was a first-team All-Pac-10 Player and first team All-American, posting a 29-2 record with a 0.79 ERA while compiling a .327 batting average that included 16 home runs.

In her first year at the collegiate level, Finch received an honorable All-Pac-10 mention and was named the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player, posting a 3-0 record that included a no-hitter.

While her accomplishments are best known in an Arizona uniform, Finch received international success as a 2002 Member of the World Championship Team and a 2001 member of the USA Blue Team, winning a gold medal at the Pan Am Qualifier in Venezuela.

It was there that the UA pitching ace posted a perfect 2-0 record, including a perfect game against Guatemala.

Although her greatest success has been in the red and blue, Finch turned heads earlier this season ÷ not from the mound but for her looks.

Finch was named by the ESPN Web site voters as this year's Hottest Female Athlete, defeating Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova by a landslide in a head-to-head battle. But for the UA fans who filled Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium the last four years, there will always be a reminder of Finch's 60-game winning streak, her 32-0 record as a junior and the World Series title she helped bring home to Tucson in 2001. And if they do happen to forget, all they have to do is take a look at the outfield wall.