Tom Knauer Staff Writer

When the pencils go down and the tortillas fly up in May, will the spring of 2005 be remembered as the best in the history of Arizona athletics?

Probably not. The idea, in fact, is blasphemous. Even I couldn't get the phrase typed out without recalling memories of championships past (2001, 1997, et al.).

But forget about that for a moment. As we welcome March, the litmus test for most Arizona spring sports, more than a few teams have us given reason to wonder: Is history ready to be made?

Men's basketball

Despite Saturday's clunker against Washington, Arizona deserves plenty of enthusiasm for the postseason.

In mid-January, the Wildcats were coming off a baffling loss to Stanford and a so-so recovery against Southern California.

Senior center Channing Frye had yet to have a 30-point game in his career, and junior forward Hassan Adams seemed to be counting the days until the NBA draft.

Then along came Salim.

The senior guard Stoudamire, reluctant heir to the program's sharpshooter throne, poured in 32 points against UCLA on Jan. 15.

The outburst sparked a one-man scoring frenzy, putting the self-described humble hero in the midst of national player of the year talks and Arizona back into the national spotlight.

The Wildcats have won 10 of 12 since defeating the Bruins, and with a passable

performance Saturday against ASU - who may be seeking revenge for its football team falling in Tucson in November - Arizona keeps a shot at the Pacific 10 Conference title.

More important, though, is the NCAA Tournament starting March 15.

Somehow, pounding conference foes (Oregon, Oregon State) as higher-ranked teams fall once, twice, even three times in a row (yes, I mean Kansas, ESPN's ambassador for the West) doesn't make for national respect in the polls or affect Saturday's television schedule.

So, count on the Wildcats getting a 3 seed for the Big Dance.

Will that be enough for a Final Four berth? It should, if Arizona can get its mind where its muscle is.

But, as shown at times by Frye, Stoudamire and many of the athletes who have spent time on head coach Lute Olson's bench the last four years, potential and success can walk opposing baselines.

Baseball

Enough with the doubt, the mindless speculation of events neither within my control nor worth my degradation. How about an afternoon at the ballpark?

Not since the late '80s has so much excitement surrounded the Arizona baseball team. Head coach Andy Lopez has a team that made its first College World Series in almost two decades last season ranked among the nation's elite and already with two wins over the rival Sun Devils.

The story here is pop. Prior to the Wildcats' series against University of California Riverside last weekend, Arizona had scored at least nine runs in 9-of-11 games, thanks mostly to a hard-hitting junior trio.

First baseman Jordan Brown, outfielder Trevor Crowe and catcher Nick Hundley are all hitting better than .400 this season, with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs and 21 walks combined to 17 strikeouts.

The challenge for these Wildcats is not at the plate but in the rotation, where earned run averages are slowly but surely rising.

With No. 2 University of Texas on tap Friday, inspirational performances like that of sophomore Sean Rierson, who missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery but pitched 5 1/3 solid innings in Sunday's 5-4 win over Riverside, must be delivered.

Softball

To make a long story short, No. 1 Arizona has not shown much in a key stretch meant to prove whether the Wildcats have recovered from two heartbreaking losses in the NCAA Regional round in May.

To be fair, rain has cancelled more than a few games on the schedule, not allowing the team to develop much consistency (at least, more than is usually expected from an undefeated club).

Yet, when the weather has been there, the team's veterans have not.

The Wildcats' leading hitters, center fielder Caitlin Lowe and shortstop Kristie Fox, are both sophomores. And though Arizona has a tradition of watching players excel early and turn in spectacular careers by the end - a trend Lowe and Fox seem sure to continue - the extent to which the Wildcats depend on their young stars bears wonder.

The key for the Wildcats is to pounce on teams early - starting with, say, Eastern Michigan this weekend - and not letting up until the mercy bell sounds. The team averages 4.8 runs a game, hardly acceptable for a program that holds many of the nation's all-time hitting records.

If Arizona can even out its weaknesses, it has a shot at its first national title since 2001. The four-year drought is the Wildcats' longest since winning their first national championship in 1991.

Count me in to see if they, along with a few friends, can make for a few more tenants on National Champion Drive this summer.