Looking Back at the NCAA Champions: 1993 Arizona Wildcats

Photo courtesy Arizona Athletics

Fall practice has wrapped up around the country in Division I, which allows us to set our sights on the 2024 season that lies ahead.

Early focus will be centered on the University of Oklahoma as they begin the quest to become the first team in Division I history to win four consecutive national championships.

The Sooners tied UCLA (1988, 1989, 1990) as the only teams to ever win three consecutive titles when they defeated Florida State to claim the 2023 title.

Extra Inning Softball will be reviewing the 41 national champions that have previously hoisted the trophy.

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1993 Arizona Wildcats

The Venue: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, Okla.

The Head Coach: Mike Candrea

The Players (Women’s College World Series Roster): Susie Parra, Michelle Martinez, Susie Duarte, Valerie Zepeda, Krista Gomez, Renne Rosas, Lisa Guise, Amy Chellevold, Jody Miller-Pruitt, Jenny Dalton, Amanda Colvin, Leah O’Brien, Stacy Redondo, Jamie Heggen, Laura Espinoza

The Regular Season: Arizona compiled a 38-7 overall record and a 15-3 mark in the ultracompetitive Pac-10 Conference. Despite losing only three conference games, the Wildcats finished second to UCLA in the standings. In a sign of things to come, Arizona fielded a power-hitting lineup that led the nation in home runs with 36. Arizona posted a then school record .328 team batting average as Amy Chellevold and Leah O’Brien set a then program record with a .374 batting average. Susie Parra led the Wildcats in the circle with a 28-3 record and a 0.63 earned run average. The 1993 Wildcats featured five All-Americans in Jamie Heggen (1st Team), Parra (1st Team), Chellevold (2nd Team), Laura Espinoza (2nd Team) and Jody Miller-Pruitt (2nd Team).

The Regional/Super Regional: Tucson, Ariz., was the site of the NCAA Regional as the Wildcats welcomed their rival Arizona State. As it did in its 1991 national championship season, Arizona swept the Sun Devils to advance to the Women’s College World Series. The Wildcats edged Arizona State 1-0 in the opening game and then posted a 7-2 victory in game two to book their ticket to Oklahoma City, Okla. With the two victories, Arizona earned its sixth consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series.

The Field at the Women’s College World Series: Arizona, Cal State Northridge, Connecticut, Florida State, Long Beach State, Southwestern Louisiana, Oklahoma State, UCLA

The Wildcats at the Women’s College World Series: Arizona opened play at the WCWS against Long Beach State and the Wildcats offense was dominant against the 49’ers. The top five batters in the Wildcats lineup – Amy Chellevold, Jamie Heggen, Leah O’Brien, Laura Espinoza and Jody Miller-Pruitt – went a combined 11-for-19 with five RBIs and five runs scored. Susie Parra was equally as effective in the circle as she limited Long Beach State to five hits while striking out six in a 6-0 Arizona win. Parra and Kyla Hall of Southwestern Louisiana tangled in a pitcher’s duel in the Wildcats second game of the tournament. The Ragin’ Cajuns took a 1-0 lead, but the Wildcats tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh. Chellevold reached on a fielder’s choice, which allowed Krista Gomez to score tying the game at 1-1. Stacy Redondo and Chellevold opened the top of the 10th inning with singles and moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt. O’Brien then brought in the winning run with a sacrifice fly that scored Redondo. Parra was brilliant for the Wildcats in the circle as she went 10 innings, allowed just three hits and struck out 17 hitters. Arizona improved to 4-0 at the WCWS with a 1-0 walk-off victory over Oklahoma State. Lisa Guise led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Jenny Dalton. Miller-Pruitt delivered a double to plate Guise with the winning run for the Wildcats. Parra was once again outstanding for Arizona as she allowed three hits and struck out 13 batters in nine innings. Southwestern Louisiana faced the Wildcats in the fifth game for Arizona and also featured a rematch between Hall and Parra. Both pitchers were up to the task, but Southwestern Louisiana pushed across an unearned run in the fifth inning to secure a 1-0 victory. Despite the loss, Arizona secured a berth in the national championship game as Southwestern Louisiana and UCLA met to determine who the Wildcats would face.

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