UA softball coach Mike Candrea plays in the game’s most difficult conference; six Pac-12 teams are in the preseason Top 25.
Nevertheless, he added to the difficulty by agreeing to play two games at No. 5 Alabama next month, and another neutral site game against No. 8 Tennessee. He will also play powerhouse Texas in Dallas.
“We need to get out of (Tucson) to play in the SEC, see bigger crowds,” he said last week. “Last year when we played in the Regionals at LSU, I thought our kids kind of had big eyes.”
The SEC now rivals the Pac-12 in overall ability.