For those who have yet to buy tickets to see the UA softball team take on the Olympic team: You can still go, but you won't be sitting.
The game is sold out, but there will be standing room available beginning at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, 2 1/2 hours before the game.
The USA Softball team is somewhat of a UA alumni game in itself, with alums Jennie Finch, Nicole Giordano, Lovieanne Jung, and Leah O'Brien-Amico playing for the Americans, and UA head coach Mike Candrea taking a year of leave from the Wildcats to coach the Olympic team.
"It's going to be really fun. It will be good for Tucson," said UA third baseman Jackie Coburn. "It's going to be interesting, I will have to say. It will be a good time."
Although many of the current UA players have played with or against some on the Olympic team - and the UA has freshmen that the Olympic players may not have seen before - Coburn doesn't think anyone will have a leg up in today's contest.
"Our freshmen are amazing, and it is going to help," she said. "But we don't have the advantage, either one of us."
Acting UA head coach Larry Ray said Wednesday he is planning on starting sophomore pitcher Alicia Hollowell. Finch will likely get the start for Team USA, pitting two of the best pitchers in UA history against each other.
Play it again: Hollowell wins Pac-10 award
Hollowell was named Pacific 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week - again. In the six weeks the award has been given out this season, Hollowell has won it four times. Last week was the first time in three weeks that Hollowell had not received it.
This week, however, the Pac-10 is not the only one taking notice. Hollowell was named the USA Softball National Player of the Week for her efforts in the Kia Classic March 17-21 in Fullerton, Calif.
Hollowell pitched in the Wildcats' first five games in the tournament, only sitting out the championship game against Washington. In 35 innings, she gave up just two runs on 14 hits. She struck out 68 of the 116 batters she faced over the weekend and walked seven.
Against No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette, Hollowell fanned 18 and was a seventh-inning single shy of her second perfect game of the season.
Despite loss, Wildcats still No. 1 in newest polls
Despite suffering their first loss of the season to then-No.9 Washington last weekend in the Kia Classic, the Wildcats retained their No. 1 ranking in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association polls. UCLA dropped to No. 2 two weeks ago in both polls following a loss to No. 16 Oregon State. The Bruins were idle last week.
The Wildcats got off to their best start in the history of the program by opening the season 34-0.
Larry Ray wins 200th game as collegiate head coach
Ray won his 200th collegiate game as a head coach with a 9-1 victory over Oklahoma March 19 in the Kia Classic. Between the UA this season and the five seasons (four of competition) he spent starting a program at Florida, Ray's record is 203-107.
"It's nice, but I really don't look at those types of things," Ray said. "As long as we are doing the things we need to do to be successful, that's what I care about."