UA softball head coach Mike Candrea returns to the field at Hillenbrand Stadium this weekend for Arizona's annual fall tournament.

The Wildcats play host to a six-team, 15-game exhibition fall tournament today through Sunday. The Wildcats will play five games.

One of the opponents, Pima Community College will play host to five of the games on its campus field early on Friday and Sunday. All Arizona games will be played at Hillenbrand.

Candrea, who took a year away from most of his UA duties to lead the U.S. Olympic softball team to a gold medal in Athens, Greece, last summer, returns to action with the Wildcats.

UA returns two-time first-team All-Americans in junior pitcher Alicia Hollowell and junior outfielder Autumn Champion, plus last year's freshman phenom, centerfielder Caitlin Lowe, who also earned first-team All-America honors. Junior outfielder Courtney Fossatti, a 2003 second-team All-American who missed 2004 while redshirting with an ankle injury, also will be back this season along with slugging third baseman Jackie Coburn and 2004 regulars Kristie Fox at shortstop, Shelly Schultz in the infield and Crystal Farley, Allyson Von Liechtenstein and Candace Abrams in the outfield.

Candrea and staff bring in three freshman scholarship recruits for 2005 - catcher/infielder Callista Balko of Tucson Canyon del Oro High School, infielder/outfielder Adrienne Acton of Marana, Ariz., High School and pitcher/infielder Taryne Mowatt of Corona, Calif., Santiago High School.

Champion will miss fall tournament play while continuing rehabilitation for a knee injury that forced her out of the lineup during the Cats' first-round NCAA victory over Centenary last May.

"I'm very glad to be back working with the 2005 Arizona team," Candrea said. "It was an incredible experience to work closely with Team USA in its long preparation and in the Games, but I'm eager to get on with it at Hillenbrand Stadium. We'll have a good team that will be ready to play," he said.