Lone returning draftee set for senior season with babyfaced squad

In the wake of the Arizona baseball team's wholesale roster change-out, there has been at least one constant source of reliability for the Wildcats - senior infielder Brad Boyer.

Boyer, who was drafted in the 14th round by the Seattle Mariners in June's Major League Baseball draft, decided to return to Tucson for his senior season while former teammates Trevor Crowe, Nick Hundley, Jordan Brown, John Meloan, Kevin Guyette and Chris Frey all left early after being drafted. [Read article]

Wildcats gunning for 7th national title despite shorthanded roster

Of all the factors that contributed to the No. 5 Arizona softball team's 45-12 record last season - the program's worst since 1987 - the most important one may have been the least obvious on the field.

In the midst of a season that threw a few shovel loads of dirt on the Wildcats' reputation for power - 33 team home runs, its fewest since 1992 - some players said the clubhouse took on a disturbing hierarchy. [Read article]

Junior's sudden-death victory lifts Wildcats to second-place finish

After a four-hole sudden-death playoff, junior golfer Henry Liaw was crowned the winner of the Ping-Arizona Intercollegiate, defeating ASU's Alejandro Canizares for the individual top spot.

Liaw took the tournament crown away from Canizares with an eagle on the fourth playoff hole that sealed the win.

"This will go a long way for his confidence, now he can say he is just as good as all the top players," said men's golf assistant coach John Knauer. [Read article]

Last year the Arizona baseball team enjoyed its most successful regular season since its glory days.

With a dynamic offense that led the Pacific 10 Conference in nearly every offensive category, two aces at the top of the rotation, one of the conference's best closers and a player's manager, there was only one thing the 2005 version of Arizona baseball was missing: fans, students in particular.

While students have rioted for basketball tickets and pack the bleachers to watch a losing Division I football program, students seem to forget about the national pastime, the other major professional sport that happens to have a squad on campus. [Read article]

After sitting out most of practice last week due to a sore hip, Arizona gymnastics junior Aubrey Taylor won the first all-around title of her career against California Friday and become the Pacific 10 Conference Gymnast of the Week.

Her all-around score of 39.175 helped propel her to the honor for the week of Jan. 24-30.

Taylor set or matched career highs in all four events she competed in, including scoring a 9.900 on the uneven bars for the second time this season. [Read article]

After all was said and done with the 2005 edition of college baseball, and it was ASU - not Arizona - that punched its tickets to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series, Arizona head coach Andy Lopez wondered what was next.

Rumors had him linked to a number of schools around the country, including Oklahoma and most prominently Texas A&M.

"I want our fans to understand how large of a role that they can play in helping the program to reach a higher level," he said in a prepared statement at the time. "By working together we can make Omaha and the College World Series a regular June destination for us all." [Read article]

As she slogged through the most mortal six weeks of her career, Alicia Hollowell realized dominance had a price.

After setting the program record for most wins in a season in 2003 and 2004, the Arizona softball team's senior ace hit a wall in Pacific 10 Conference play as a junior last spring, losing more games in 18 appearances - six - than in either of her first two seasons.

"Playing in the Pac-10, that's going to happen," she said. "My freshman year I got away with a lot of stuff because I was new. Sophomore year, I got a little better. But last year, things caught up with me, and now I got to turn it around this season." [Read article]

Hoping to return to their championship level of play, the No. 5 Arizona softball team will be relying on the freshman infielders to step up when their season opens Feb. 10 in Tempe.

While most of the team will come back for the 2006 season, the infield returns only junior shortstop Kristie Fox and sophomore catcher Callista Balko.

"It's (Fox's) third year, and she's able to help them know what to expect," Arizona assistant coach Larry Ray said. [Read article]