KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Summer Wildcat UA Alumna and current National Pro Fastpitch All-Star Erika Hanson, signs pictures for young softball fans during a promotional "Meet and Greet" last night at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix.

PHOENIX ö The major softball league's touring all-stars are coming to Tucson this week, bringing with them a plethora of a UA talent, that will be shown off when four ex-Wildcats face off against a team with three former UA players.

Catcher and outfielder Lindsey Collins, shortstop and third baseman Allison Andrade, outfielder Lauren Bauer and outfielder and first baseman Erika Hanson, all seniors for the 2001 Arizona squad that won the UA's last national championship, are touring the nation as part of National Pro Fastpitch's All-Star team.

The NPF all-stars will face the Arizona all-stars at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hillenbrand stadium. The Arizona all-stars will feature former UA players Nancy Evans, Alison McCutcheon and Lisha Ribellia.

Tucson is one of the last cities on the tour's route.

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"It's actually exceeded our expectations. It has just been great how we have been received," Hanson said. "It is different everywhere we go. In California, it is like ÎOh, fast pitch softball pro-league: great,' while in Milwaukee and Minnesota, ÎIt is a new thing.'"

The all-stars have gone 10-2 with Andrade batting .318, Bauer .353, Collins .400 and Hanson .179.

"It is going really good, seeing all the ballparks and reaching out to kids, particularly young girls," Andrade said.

National Pro Fastpitch, the only pro women's fastpitch softball league, will relaunch next summer; it had existed previously in other names, this time as an official development partner of Major League Baseball, meaning that the all-star team is supported by MLB and its teams. The all-stars have already been to Minnepolis, San Francisco, Denver, Miami, Detroit and Atlanta.

"They've (MLB) certainly opened the door for us, given us unprecedented access," Bauer said.

After Tucson, the NPF all-stars will head to Chicago to take part in MLB all-star game festivities and then to Cincinnati, Boston and Houston.

"Going to all these stadiums is awesome," Collins said.In each city, the all-stars get to meet fans and sign autographs.

"I love going to Major League Baseball games, it is exciting to talk to people and see them excited," Bauer said.

NPF, which will have games on ESPN and ESPN2 next summer, expects the MLB partnership will push it over the hump.

"Major League Baseball has just been great in how they've been showing our sport," Hanson said.

When NPF relaunches, Tucson will have an expansion team, owned by Champion Sports Promotions, which hosts an annual softball tournament, the Tucson Invitational Games. Hi Corbett Field has been suggested as a site for the Tucson team to play.

In each one of their question and answers for their NPF bios, all four former Wildcats said Hillenbrand was their favorite place to play.

"It is the best place for me to play," Collins said. "I can't wait to see all our fans again. It is the ultimate place to play the rest of my life."

When the team arrived in Phoenix, for the Diamondbacks' 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies Tuesday night, Bauer started thinking about returning to Tucson, thinking it will "be something special.

"I'm very excited to see everyone again," Hanson said.

The tour stop in Tucson, known for its enthusiastic softball fans, will be unlike any of the previous ones, Andrade said.

"It won't compare at all. Hillenbrand will always be my favorite place to play," Andrade said.