Balancing the old with the new

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat (clockwise) Seniors Tiana Hejduk (18), Leah Braatz-Cochrane (31), Leticia Pineda (7), Nancy Evans (13), and Alison Johnsen (6) are ready to lead the UA softball team to another National Championship.

The octet of talented but youthful players will bring a new sense of energy to an experienced squad in search of its third-straight national championship.

They will also provide head coach Mike Candrea, last year's National Coach of the Year, with a test of keeping his youngsters focused on the task of winning games.

"This is going to be a very fun year for us with all the new faces we have on this team," Candrea said. "The girls are so talented and young and they have to learn they are going to make mistakes."

Any other team in the country in almost any sport might consider it a rebuilding year to have half the roster filled by first-year players.

Senior pitcher Nancy Evans, a first-team All-America selection last year, said the balance of youth and experience will only help this team learn how to get better.

"The new players on the team bring so much energy and they remind us seniors what it was like to be a freshman," she said. "On the other hand, we (the seniors) know what it takes to win."

Center fielder and leadoff hitter Alison Johnsen, whose .457 career batting average is the fourth-best in NCAA history, said the freshmen will learn from the lessons their elder statesmen can teach them.

"The freshmen have a lot to adjust to in the college game," Johnsen, a senior, said. "They can really benefit from our experience."

Johnsen and Evans, along with fellow seniors Leah Braatz, Leticia Pineda and Tiana Hejduk, bring a well-decorated list of honors and accomplishments to this group. But, according to the team, there is still one more title to be won.

"We talk about it all the time," Johnsen said. "But most of what we talk about is just reminiscing about past years and the high points and low points of the season. We are just real excited about what this year has in store."

The task in front of Arizona is daunting and will not be achieved with ease.

"Repeating is more and more of a challenge each year," assistant coach Stacy Hill said. "But winning never gets old because each season is unique. Coach (Candrea) always stresses the importance of not dwelling on the past. From day one in the fall, this season is what is most important."

The challenge of repeating is one the Wildcats have handled well, winning five of the last seven national titles in 1991, '93, '94, '96 and '97. They also made title game appearances in '95 and '92, losing to UCLA in both games.