Almost a year ago to the day that the Pac-12 Tournament was cancelled in Las Vegas signaling what would be the end of the 2019-20 season, Arizona is preparing to welcome fans back for games.
There will only be a limited number of Wildcats fans allowed into Hi Corbett Stadium on Thursday night – 1,600 fans will be allowed to attend – but it will add some normalcy to the stadium for the first time in a long time.
Arizona's baseball and softball teams will be the first on campus to allow fans back into their stadiums beginning with this week's series against Wichita State at Hi Corbett Field. The softball team is still on the road but will return home to Rita Hillenbrand Stadium on March 26 to host Oregon State at which time just over 400 fans will be permitted to attend the games.
Both programs are excited to see their fans once again no matter the number.
"We'll take it," UA baseball coach Jay Johnson said Wednesday about the decision to allow fans back at Hi Corbett. "Very excited about it. I think one of the things that makes Arizona and Arizona Baseball unique is the support we have. Since I've been here I've really viewed Tucson as a baseball town, we are lucky to be the main baseball attraction in Tucson, and they are very important to our success.
"We've won almost 80% of our home games over the five-plus years since I've been here, and I don't take their contribution lightly. Excited to see some familiar faces and get them back supporting us."
Johnson added that he is hopeful this is just the beginning of a phased-in approach that eventually allows for more fans to be added to the number allowed in every weekend. So far the Wildcats have only had families in attendance for one series after opening the season with no families or fans at Hi Corbett Field.
Recently renovated Rita Hillenbrand Stadium is naturally a more intimate venue since the field is smaller and allows for fans to be a bit closer to the action. That can certainly have its advantages for a team routinely competing against some of the top teams in the country. Longtime UA softball coach Mike Candrea has mentioned his hope for the return of fans to watch his team play in person quite a few times over the last year.
So, naturally, he is eager to get back home after his team's current swing through Florida and upcoming road trip to Washington.
"Our fans are what make Arizona Softball what it is," he said this week. "It's a great environment to play in, and when you don't have those fans the environment is different. I commend our team for dealing with everything that they've had to deal with during this pandemic to get to this point.
"So, I know they're very excited and I know I'm very excited to have our fans back in the seats."
By this point both teams have become accustomed to the limited attendance at their stadiums with both sports only recently allowing family and player guests to watch games in person. The baseball team is riding a nine-game winning streak right now so its plan is to approach this weekend the same as it has the last two.
"It was exciting once we heard that fans were allowed back in our games," UA second baseman Kobe Kato said heading into Thursday's game at Hi Corbett Field. "It's gonna be a great environment, but for us we're kind of thinking as if the fans are an external source. We're gonna try to keep it within us and play as if the crowd is not there like we've been doing before.
"But, it's still exciting to see our family, our friends and the people of Tucson being able to come out and watch us play."
First pitch for Arizona's series opener against Wichita State is set for 6 p.m. MST. UA will play three games over the next three days against the Shockers before finishing up the weekend with a matchup against Air Force on Sunday at 2 p.m. MST.
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