Arizona softball travels to Wash. to close year

And now that UCLA has been placed on probabtion, one would think Saturday's games at No. 3 Washington may now prove to be no more than a tuneup.

Not so.

"The big thing right now is getting the kids ready for Washington," Arizon head coach Mike Candrea said.

Because Washington will almost certainly be ready for the Wildcats.

The two teams have met three times this season, with UA coming out on top each time. The top-ranked Wildcats also defeated the Huskies in last year's NCAA championship game. But, the last time the two teams met in Seattle, the Wildcats were swept.

But if Mike Candrea's attitude about statistics carries over into the area of standings, that may all be a moot point.

"We just have to concentrate," Arizona senior pitcher Carrie Dolan said. "The coaches' mentality is for us not to know about things like that."

That means centerfielder Alison Johnsen is unaware of her hefty .560 batting average. Nancy Evans may be unaware that she is 29-1.

One can bet, though, that the UW has been fully briefed. But even that may not matter.

"If our team is clicking," Dolan said. "We can't lose."

With a record of 52-4 overall and 24-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference, one can deduce that the Wildcats have been "clicking" most of the year. The team sports a .385 batting average, which would be an NCAA record if it were to hold the rest of the season.

Regional sites and pairings will be announced this weekend as well.

If the Wildcats are chosen to host, the playoffs begin next Friday at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium. The College World Series will take place the week after in Oklahoma City.