CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore shortstop Kristie Fox fields a grounder during Arizona's 8-0 win over Phoenix College in the first game of an exhibition double-header Saturday at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats will be hosting the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic today and Tomorrow, which will include Oklahoma State and Kansas.

Candrea back for UA's first home tournament

In the high-stakes game of collegiate softball, UA head coach Mike Candrea knows his team's time for playing around is over.

"Now we're playing for keeps," he said.

The No. 2 Arizona softball team opens its 2005 season at 3 p.m. today at Hillenbrand Stadium against Tulsa in the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic.

The three-day tournament is the first of six to start the year for the Wildcats, who also compete this weekend against Kansas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and New Mexico State.

If the past is any indication, Arizona will clean up at the tournament.

Last year's squad swept its five opponents 42-8, with three games going only five innings because of a run rule.

Senior outfielder Shelley Schultz said blowouts are on this season's agenda.

"Offense-wise, I think we're all up there," she said. "I think everyone's going to have their time in the limelight."

Candrea chose a more conservative forecast for the weekend.

"As long as I score one more than the opponent, I don't care," he said.

The tournament provides the first chance for Arizona to avenge its two losses in the NCAA Regional round in May, which left the team out of the Women's College World Series for the first time since 1988, despite winning 55 regular-season games, including two of three over eventual national champion UCLA.

Candrea said the weekend's matchups favor a fast start toward redemption.

"I'm not worried about any of them," he said. "They're all worthy opponents."

The Wildcats begin the season without the services of All-American outfielder Autumn Champion, who missed last week's practice because of a death in the family and a knee injury, Candrea said. The junior had a team-high .489 batting average last season and led Arizona with 85 hits.

Candrea said his options abound for replacing Champion for the near future.

"We've got some depth in the outfield," he said. "You'll see (junior Courtney) Fossatti out there, (senior) Allyson Von Liechtenstein, (freshman) Adrienne Acton, (senior) Candice (Abrams)."

"There's more to this team than one person," he said. "We have to find who our best nine are."

Junior pitcher Alicia Hollowell is expected to get the majority of the starts in the Pepsi Classic, though Candrea said freshman Taryne Mowatt, who struck out seven in four innings Saturday in the second game of an exhibition doubleheader, may see some time on the mound.

"She could possibly pitch a couple (games)," he said.

How the team finishes this weekend could affect more than just the first week of the schedule. After a strong Classic in 2004, the Wildcats won 34 straight games to open the season before falling to Washington March 21.

Schultz said that at this point, the team is less focused on the means than the end.

"I'd rather win the last games of the season than the first," she said.

For a team that abruptly lost its footing a few months ago, consistency is the new name of the game.

"You don't win championships in February," Candrea said.