No. 9 Arizona host the Hillenbrand Invitational this weekend welcoming No. 7 Alabama, New Mexico, Cal State Fullerton, South Florida and Illinois-Chicago as the Wildcats officially unveil the revamped Rita Hillenbrand Stadium. Arizona had its first game in its updated stadium, a non-tournament game against UNM, rained out and cancelled Thursday evening meaning its opening game of the event Friday afternoon will be the first time UA will get to take the field at home this season

. The preseason nerves are finally out of the way for the Wildcats as they finished opening weekend in Tampa, Florida at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational with a 3-2 record. They beat USF, Illinois State, and then-No. 19 Michigan but lost to North Carolina State and then-No.5 Florida to open the season.

Head Coach Mike Candrea believes overall the team played well when it came to pitching and defense, but he said there is always room for improvement.

“We needed some production from the bottom half and so that’s going to be our venture here is to try and find some people in that bottom half that can turn that line up around,” the 34-year UA head coach said this week.

Arizona hit 11 home runs during the five-game weekend in Florida. Centerfielder Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza tops the list with the most homers hitting four in the first weekend of action putting her at the top of the Pac-12 Conference in that category in the early going. Catcher Dejah Mulipola finished with three home runs, followed by infielders Malia Martinez and Jessie Harper who hit two each.

Mulipola said this week that the team has been practicing more situational hitting such as scrimmaging more and live at bats, compared to years past, and she believes it has really helped her game as well as the rest of the team’s. She added that she would not classify herself as a home run hitter.

“I’m just trying to make hard contact so if it happens to go that way it’s really exciting but that’s not really my goal.” Mulipola said.

Although one of the most highly anticipated games this weekend is against the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide, the Wildcats see each of the five teams they will play as equal competition.

“You can’t underestimate anyone,” Mulipola said. “It doesn’t matter who they are, New Mexico, Alabama, top ten, top 100, you have to take everyone the same way.”

Arizona’s portion of the event is set to begin with two games Friday starting with a game against USF at 3:45 p.m. MST followed by another game at 6 p.m. against UIC. Saturday the Wildcats will face No. 7 Alabama at 3:45 p.m. followed by a contest against New Mexico with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

Sunday will be the final day of the three-day event with UA playing in the finale at 1 p.m. against Cal State Fullerton.