By Scottie Bricker
Arizona Daily Wildcat
May 13, 1998

Softball team going for third consecutive title

As has become the custom of perennial national power Arizona, the pursuit of an NCAA softball title is a forgone conclusion.

The Wildcats (61-3) continued that trend this season. They head into postseason ranked No. 1 in the country once again and are poised to repeat as national champions for the third straight season.

"All each of us wants is to win the national title," senior pitcher Nancy Evans said. "The awards we get are nice and all, but without a title something will still be missing."

UA clinched its second consecutive Pacific 10 Conference title behind the pitching of Evans and the trusty hitting of a talented senior group as well as a young crop of highly-touted freshmen.

All-American Alison McCutcheon set an all-time mark for career hits this season with 388, eclipsing current assistant coach Amy Chellevold's mark set in the early-to-mid '90s. McCutcheon is currently hitting .495, tops in the nation.

McCutcheon's classmate, All-American catcher Leah Braatz, hit 23 home runs en route to leading her team in home runs, RBI, walks and slugging percentage.

Evans has continued her dominance in the circle, winning 29 of the 30 games she has started, helping her establish a UA career mark for wins with 116.

The freshmen have made key contributions to the title run, especially the trio of Nicole Giordano, Toni Mascarenas and Becky Lemke.

Giordano and Mascarenas have been lethal at the plate, combining to hit .416 in the second and third spots in the batting order.

Lemke, despite struggling in the early season, has amassed an impressive 21-2 record in the circle as the staff's No. 2 pitcher.

Arizona hosts an NCAA Regional this weekend at Hillenbrand Stadium with Niagara, Pacific and Hawaii coming to town. If UA wins it will compete for its third-straight national title at the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., May 21-25.