The 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats will be opening their 2016 campaign this week, aiming for their 30th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Mike Candrea will be hosting the annual Hillenbrand Invitational, which will bring Nebraska-Omaha, North Texas, Purdue, Southern Utah and Santa Barbara to Tucson. There will be a total of 16 games being played at Hillenbrand Stadium this weekend. Arizona has dominated when hosting the Hillenbrand Invitational, going 96-3 in the lifetime of the event. Their last loss came at the hands of Creighton, back in 2009.
Arizona will be relying on pitching and speed this season, with a handful of left-handed pitchers, which include freshman Taylor McQuillin and SDSU transfer Danielle O'Toole, on top of standout junior Michelle Floyd.