In her first season as Arizona head coach, Caitlin Lowe's Wildcats had a surprise run to the Women's College World Series going 1-2 in Oklahoma City ending the years with a 5-2 loss to Texas, who went on to play in the championship series.

It was a busy off-season for the Wildcats, who landed a highly touted recruiting class highlighted by outfielder Dakota Kennedy and pitcher Sydney Somerndike. Plus, the Wildcats had key departures with star catcher Sharlize Palacios and outfielder Janelle Meono transfer to rival UCLA.

“It's a great opportunity for new faces to come in,” infielder Allie Skaggs said. “I think that's what we’ve seen this fall and we’re really embracing all the new girls to us so we’re loving it.”