Junior second baseman Shelley Schultz has been suspended indefinitely from the No. 2 Arizona softball team after being charged last month with abandoning her two dogs in her former home, coaches said yesterday.

Schultz did not join the Wildcats on their road trip to Oregon last weekend, and her status for the rest of the season is unclear, said Arizona softball assistant coach Larry Ray.

"As of right now, the official statement from the athletic department is that she is suspended until further notice," Ray said of Schultz. [Read article]

Arizona softball head coach Mike Candrea was named the 2004 United States Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year, the UA athletics department announced yesterday.

Taking a yearlong leave of absence from the Wildcats, Candrea led the women's national team to its third consecutive gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in August.

The team went undefeated in nine games, outscoring opponents 51-1 and breaking 18 international records in what is considered one of the most dominating performances in Olympic history. [Read article]

After a four-game hiatus, No. 9 Arizona's conference-leading offense returned to form in weekend victories over No. 25 Southern California.

The Wildcats (29-15, 12-3 Pacific 10 Conference) smashed out a single-inning, season-high 13 runs in the third inning during Sunday's 18-4 victory, a day after returning to the win column with a 7-2 win Saturday.

The 13 runs bested Arizona's total over their four-game losing streak by five, as the Wildcats struggled in consecutive losses to UC Irvine, a loss at Sacramento State and a shutout at the hands of USC ace Ian Kennedy, who shared National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball. [Read article]

Hot off the recruiting trail, Arizona assistant men's basketball coach Josh Pastner sat down with the Wildcat to discuss potential recruits, the wealth of talent in Houston and the NBA draft.

Wildcat: What is the situation with Aaron Johnson, who led the Big Ten in rebounding and is rumored to be transferring from Penn State to Arizona?

Pastner: There is still a lot that can happen. If he was going to come here, it would just be on a walk-on status, no scholarship. He would be coming in, the last one on the team, having to work his way up the ladder. [Read article]