The second round of Pac-10 softball and a seven-game home stand begin today at Hillenbrand Stadium, where the first-place Wildcats will host the last-place Sun Devils.
The top-ranked Wildcats (45-2, 9-1 Pacific 10 Conference) take on the Sun Devils (31-23, 1-9) at 7 p.m. in a rare midweek contest. Both teams had their respective firsts in the conference on Sunday: The UA had its first conference loss of the season at the hands of No.13 Oregon, while ASU earned its first Pac-10 victory Sunday over No. 16 Oregon State.
"We're always ready to get back onto the field after a loss. You don't want to have that taste in your mouth," said acting head coach Larry Ray.
The last time the Wildcats faced their rivals, the UA swept ASU in Tempe April 9-10, shutting them out 6-0 and 8-0, respectively.
ASU hasn't defeated the Wildcats in Pac-10 play since April 21, 2000, at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, where the Sun Devils won 3-1. Their last victory against the Wildcats came outside of league play at the Kia Classic in 2002, when ASU shut out Arizona 3-0.
Despite the UA's historical success, it has just a slight edge in the all-time series with the Sun Devils, 85-72.
Junior third baseman Jackie Coburn said ASU is a good team to face after the Oregon loss, but knows what is at stake for both teams.
"It gets us going again. They're coming off a win and they've got nothing to lose, and we have everything to lose," Coburn said.
Ray said sophomore pitcher Alicia Hollowell will get the start against ASU, but said he would like to give her a break if the Wildcats get a lead early in the game. The Wildcats face California and Stanford this weekend, so keeping Hollowell fresh for those contests would be ideal, Ray said.
He does not want to take her out too early, however.
"All these teams (in the Pac-10) are so explosive. If you take it easy or drop your guard, anything can happen," Ray said.
Sophomore utility player Shelly Schultz, who has jump-started the Wildcat offense many times this season, was noticeably absent from the lineup against the Oregon schools.
Schultz injured her knee two weekends ago when she slid into second base and collided with a California player. Ray said it's unlikely she will play in today's game or this weekend. Ray said he believes Schultz will be out a couple more weeks, and hopes she will be able to come back for the start of the postseason.
Coburn, a Phoenix native, said the ASU game is important to her but doesn't rank much higher than a matchup with any other Pac-10 team.
"I just think it is more important to win," she said.