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Arizona softball head coach Caitlin Lowe said that last season she felt that it did her team good to be on the road during the postseason. That was still in her mind when she put together this season’s schedule. Arizona will not play at Hillenbrand Stadium again until Mar. 1 when the Wildcats take on Cal State Bakersfield. This week, they will play in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational in Florida.
“To be honest, I think we did our best bonding last year in the three weeks we were on the road,” Lowe said. “So, it was about getting on the road early. We like opening here, get those first games under our belts, but then we just wanted to be challenged in the beginning and see what that looks like and see what the whole picture looks like. And I was very impressed with our freshmen, the way they stepped in here, and it’s seeing how they respond to people cheering against them, to being on the field that they’re not used to, all of the things. The weather not being great. Just a little bit of everything. So, throwing some adversity at them right away and seeing how they respond I think is important.
As they head to Clearwater, the Wildcats are set to take on a host of ranked teams. Many of those teams will be trying to rebound from unexpected losses. What did Lowe take from the surprises around the country?
“Anybody in the country can win on any given day,” Lowe said. “I think you got to bring your best every single day. And the talent’s just crazy around the country, and I don’t think there’s any breaks ever in anyone’s schedule. You got to be your best every single day and Clearwater is going to be a challenge for us to be our best every single inning of every single game.”
How did each team start the season, what do they bring to the table, and how can fans follow along?
No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (5-0) vs No. 6 Florida State (6-1)*
This season: While the Wildcats were opening with five run-rule victories in the Candrea Classic, the Seminoles had some challenges in the JoAnne Graf Classic in Tallahassee. They finished the weekend with two run-rule wins over Florida A&M, but they had some difficulties on the way.
FSU beat Lipscomb by scores of 3-0 and 4-1 to open the season, then fell to Longwood 5-4 on Feb. 11. They rebounded with an easy win over Purdue before getting some revenge against Longwood.
History: Arizona was placed in what was supposed to be FSU’s Super Regional last season. The Seminoles were knocked out at home by Mississippi State, which the Wildcats dismissed in the Starkville Super Regional on the way to the Women’s College World Series.
The two teams will be facing off for the 22nd time. Arizona has won 15 of the first 21 games, but FSU took the last two. The two teams last played each other in the 2021 WCWS when the Seminoles won 4-3.
When is the game?
The game will be played on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. MST.
Where is the game?
The game will be played at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
How can I watch the game on TV?
The game will air on ESPNU.
How can I stream the game?
The game will be streamed on Watch ESPN.
Texas A&M vs No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (5-0)
This season: The Aggies had a fairly easy opening weekend at the Texas A&M Invitational. Their closest game was the only one against a major conference opponent when they defeated Michigan State 4-0.
History: Arizona will be playing the Aggies for the first time since 2020, but the Wildcats will see some familiar faces. Former Arizona State coach Trisha Ford was hired by TAMU in the offseason.
The two teams have faced off 34 times stretching back to 1986. Arizona has won 22 of those games, but TAMU has taken the last three. The last one was a 7-6 affair on Feb. 20, 2020.
When is the game?
The game will be played on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 a.m. MST.
Where is the game?
The game will be played at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
How can I stream the game?
The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Mississippi State (3-2) vs No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (5-0)
This season: The Bulldogs ran into a rough patch on the final day of the Paradise Classic. After winning their first three games at the tournament, they dropped both games on Sat., Feb. 11. Iowa opened the day with a 2-0 victory over MSU, then Stony Brook followed that up with a 1-0 win. The losses caused MSU to drop out of the coaches poll. It isn’t ranked in the other three polls, either.
History: MSU was one of two unseeded teams that got to host a super regional last year after they dismissed No. 2 overall seed Florida State. Arizona sent No. 15 overall seed Missouri packing, so the two matched up in Starkville. After finishing tied for last in the Pac-12, the Wildcats punched their ticket to Oklahoma City with a sweep of the Bulldogs.
The 7-1 victory in Game 2 of the Starkville Super Regional was the last of five straight Wildcat victories over the Bulldogs. The two teams have only played six times.
When is the game?
The game will be played on Friday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. MST.
Where is the game?
The game will be played at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
How can I stream the game?
The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (5-0) vs No. 8 Virginia Tech Hokies (5-0)
This season: Virginia Tech is rebounding from a disappointing 2022 postseason in which the third-seeded Hokies fell to the No. 14 seed Florida Gators in three games at the Blacksburg Super Regional. They opened this season on the road with a relatively routine weekend against East Carolina, North Carolina Wilmington, and Purdue Ft. Wayne. All games were played in Wilmington, N.C.
History: While Arizona has a fairly lengthy history with many of the nation’s softball teams, that’s not true of Va Tech. The two teams have only played twice with each taking one victory. The Hokies won the last matchup 9-2 on Mar. 14, 2013.
When is the game?
The game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. MST.
Where is the game?
The game will be played at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
How can I stream the game?
The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Indiana Hoosiers (3-1) vs No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (5-0)
This season: The Hoosiers have already been tested this season. They have also already played in Clearwater. IU opened the season in Florida at the NFCA Leadoff Classic last week. One of its opponents was No. 21 Auburn, which handed IU its lone defeat in a 9-0 game. The Hoosiers had their game against Howard canceled, but they won the other three contests against Pittsburgh, Prairie View A&M, and South Alabama.
History: The Wildcats and Hoosiers will be playing for the seventh time. Arizona leads the series 5-1 and has won the last five. The two teams last played on Mar. 8, 2020 in a 6-1 Wildcat victory.
When is the game?
The game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. MST.
Where is the game?
The game will be played at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
How can I stream the game?
The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
*All rankings in this article come from the NFCA/USA Today coaches poll.
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