Wins have come fairly easy to the No. 2 Wildcat softball team thus far, but that will likely change this weekend in a Phoenix tournament featuring some of the best teams in the country.
The Fiesta Bowl Tournament fields 18 teams - six that are ranked in the top 25 and two others that received votes. The Wildcats will face six teams by playing two games apiece today, tomorrow and Sunday.
Up first for the UA is No. 18 Texas A&M, which is 3-0 after a win over North Texas and two against Stephen F. Austin. The Wildcats faced the Aggies in the same tournament last season, shutting them out 6-0. They saw the Aggies again in the NCAA Regionals in Tucson and won both games 3-0 and 10-5.
Later today, the Wildcats take on the 5-0 Texas State Bobcats. Arizona faces Dayton for its first game on Valentine's Day. The biggest game of the day and of the entire tournament will be the showdown between Arizona and No. 10 Texas - a huge measuring stick for the Wildcats in the young season.
The Longhorns are 5-0, but are without star pitcher Cat Osterman, who is training with the USA Olympic team. Osterman was an All-American and national player of the year in 2003.
"The field is pretty strong," said head coach Larry Ray. "Texas will be a little different ball club without Cat Osterman. We kind of owe them one from last year. We're looking at Texas A&M first, though."
In their last game of the Fiesta Bowl Tournament last season, the Wildcats - No. 2 at the time as well - faced No. 12 Texas, falling 2-1.
On Sunday, the UA will see a 4-3 Nevada team, along with Western Michigan, which has yet to see action this season. Going into the Fiesta Bowl Tournament, the Wildcats have a 5-0 record, all from the games played in the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic in Tucson. Arizona outscored its opponents 42-3 in the tournament.