CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Freshman infielder Cortney Nix dives back into second base during UA's 11-0 rout against the University of New Mexico Sunday during the Arizona Pepsi Softball Classic.

The softball season is still young, and so is much of the Wildcats' talent - but the nation is watching them.

Sophomore pitcher Alicia Hollowell, senior catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest and freshman outfielder Caitlin Lowe - who has just five collegiate games under her belt - have been put on the "watch list" for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. There are 40 total players on the list, 15 from the Pacific 10 Conference.

"They are three outstanding players," said head coach Larry Ray. "This is Mackenzie's fourth year. We're hoping she has her best year ever. She has the capability of carrying this team on her back."

This list is preliminary, with the first list of actual finalists being announced April 6. There will be 25 finalists on the first list, 10 finalists on April 28 and three finalists on May 11. The Player of the Year will be announced at Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Movin' on up

Hollowell and Vandergeest are also climbing their way up the charts in the UA softball record books. Hollowell reached the 400-strikeout mark last week, and by the end of the tournament, had recorded 441 strikeouts. She did not allow a single run in 21.1 innings last weekend. Hollowell, a sophomore, reached the mark in 52 games and is currently No. 5 in UA history.

Vandergeest had eight RBI's in the games last week to move her up to seventh all-time at the UA, right behind Olympic team member Jennie Finch.

Perfect starts

Lowe was not the only first-year player to make her presence known this weekend in the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic. Fellow freshmen Cortney Nix, Annalyn Hollingsworth and Kristie Fox had hits in their first at-bats, as did junior college transfer Samantha Quintero, a senior.

Nix, Hollingsworth and Quintero got their first at-bat in the finals of the tournament last weekend, when the team played New Mexico for the second time, winning 11-5 in five innings. Fox, a starter, got her first hits, back to back in the second inning of the tourney-opening 12-0 win over the Lobos.

"It's great that we got enough runs so I was able to use everyone off the bench," Ray said. "It must be the greatest feeling in the world for them."

In the rankings

Arizona remained No. 3 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, where it was in the preseason poll, seven points behind No. 2 Cal (4-0).

All eight Pac-10 teams are ranked. UCLA (4-0) remained No. 1 in the poll, Washington (4-1) remained No. 5, Stanford (3-1) jumped from No. 12 to No. 10, Oregon (2-2) fell from No. 13 to No. 20, Oregon State (9-2) moved from No. 23 to No. 22 and Arizona State (5-3) fell from No. 19 to No. 23.

Texas (5-0) and Texas A & M, whom the UA play this weekend, remained No. 11 and jumped from No. 17 to No. 15, respectively.