Arizona hosts Southern Utah in a doubleheader in the Candrea Classic to open the 2026 season on Thursday. Arizona and Arizona State tied for third in the Big XII preseason poll. Centerfielder Regan Shockey and catcher/utility player Sydney Stewart were named to the Big XII preseason team.
The doubleheader will start at 2:30 PM Mountain Standard Time with game two scheduled for 4:30 MST. The Candrea Classic will continue from Friday through Sunday when Arizona hosts third ranked Oklahoma. Arizona is 17-2 all-time hosting the Candrea Classic.
Arizona is 16-0 all-time against Southern Utah. The Wildcats are 18th in the USA Softball/ESPN preseason poll and 17th in the NFCA preseason poll. Arizona was also picked third in the 2025 Big XII preseason poll and finished second during the regular season and in the conference tournament.
While Shockey and Stewart anchor the Arizona lineup, the Wildcats had to remake the pitching staff following multiple transfers. Pitcher Jalen Adams projects as the ace of the 2026 Arizona staff. In three years at Iowa, Adams was 45-34 with a 2.26 ERA in 102 appearances and 78 starts.
Opening up 2026 with the Candrea Classic!
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) February 4, 2026
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Deeper look at the Arizona pitching staff
Sophomore Sarah Wright is the only returning pitcher for Arizona in 2026 after throwing 4.1 innings in 2025. Classmate Jenar Berry comes to Arizona from Indiana after throwing 65 innings for Indiana in 2025 with a 4.39 earned run average. Freshman Rylie Holder is projected to come out of the bullpen.
Southern Utah finished with 18 wins and 27 losses in 2025. Arianna Ramirez is the Western Athletic Conference Co-Preseason Player of the Year for Southern Utah. Ramirez hit .380 with nine home runs and 38 runs batted in during the 2025 season.
Oklahoma returns 87.1 percent of their hits, 85.9 percent of their runs scored, 84.8 percent of their total bases, 83.6 percent of their RBIs and 82.6 percent of their 121 home runs. All-Americans Ella Parker, Kasisi Pickering, Gabbie Garcia and Abby Dalton return for Oklahoma in 2026.
Five returnees for Oklahoma, including the five above, had double-digit HRs in 2025. Arizona leads the all-time series against Oklahoma 28-20. The Sooners have won the last three against the Wildcats. That includes a 10-2 Oklahoma win over Arizona in the most recent game in 2022.