TUCSON, Arizona — After a one year absence, Arizona Softball is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 36th time. The Wildcats earned an at-large bid in the Fayetteville Regional.
"It's definitely a relief," said first baseman Carlie Scupin. "It's a big weight off of our shoulders, especially with what happened last year. We definitely don't take making the NCAA Tournament for granted. We put a lot of effort into it, so it was super exciting to hear our name called on Sunday."
"It was great to see their reaction," said head coach Caitlin Lowe. "I know everyone was waiting for their name to be called."
Lowe's team excels defensively. The Wildcats have the second best fielding percentage in the country, and the second best in program history. Shortstop Taylor Biehl is the Pac-12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
"I'm so proud of Taylor," said Lowe. "She floats under the radar, but not to us as we see it every day."
Arizona will play Villanova on Friday in a battle of Wildcat teams. They are likely to play an Arkansas team that they split two games with this season.
"I'm just excited for these matchups," said Lowe. "I'm excited to play more softball this time of year."
