The Pac-10 may be the Conference of Champions ÷ particularly in softball ÷ but the conference has a funny habit of crowning what could be the wrong champions.

No. 7 Washington (26-7, 2-0 Pacific 10 Conference) handed No. 1 Arizona (38-1, 2-0) its lone loss to an NCAA team this year, but could take something more valuable. The Wildcats had their home game with the Huskies rained out over the weekend and, at the end of the conference season, must travel to Seattle for a doubleheader to make up the game.

The series lands on the weekend before the NCAA Regionals are announced. The Regionals start Thursday.

In the league's 16-year history, there have been six times when the second-place team could have caught the eventual champion if the full schedule was played: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2000.

In four of those cases ÷ 1988, 1993, 1996 and 2000 ÷ Arizona lost the title. The Wildcats lost it twice to the Huskies ÷ in 2000 by a half game after missing a game, and in 1996, when the UA lost by a half-game after Washington won.

In 1993, the UA missed 10 games while UCLA missed two. The Wildcats lost the title to the Bruins by six games.

The Pac-10 said the rained-out games from this weekend "will only be made up if they determine the conference title." Acting Wildcat head coach Larry Ray said the UA will not make up the game unless it has to.

3 Cats up for Player of Year honors

Sophomore leftfielder Autumn Champion, sophomore pitcher Alicia Hollowell and freshman centerfielder Caitlin Lowe were all named finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year, announced earlier this week. Twenty-five finalists were named overall.

Senior Florida pitcher Jenny Gladding would have been a finalist, but was taken off the list because she suffered a season-ending injury last week. Gladding transferred to UF after two years at the UA.