Alicia Kay Hollowell (born February 29, 1984) is a former four-time NCAA Division I All-American, right-handed softball pitcher from Suisun, California. She attended Fairfield High School from 1998-2002. She pitched for the Arizona Wildcats from 2003-2006, collecting 144 career wins (the fourth most in NCAA Division I history) and 1,768 strikeouts (the sixth most in NCAA Division I history). She currently holds the Arizona Wildcats records for career wins, strikeouts and strikeout ratio. Hollowell once held the NCAA Women's College World Series strikeout record, and won the 2006 NCAA Softball World Series title. She was drafted by the Arizona Heat in the National Pro Fastpitch but went on to play for the Akron Racers in 2007, leading them to the championship series before serving as an alternate for the Olympic softball team in 2008. For her collegiate career, Hollowell is one of five pitchers to win 100 games, strikeout 1,000 batters, keep a -1.00 ERA and average double digit strikeouts.
| “ | ...there have been a lot of strikeout pitchers for the Wildcats but she is the best among the best. | ” |
Contents |
Alicia holds the national high school record for most strikeouts in a single game with 61 in a 30-inning game against Woodland High School that started on May 25, was suspended, then concluded four days later on May 29; she took 364 pitches to accomplish the feat, five more than opposing pitcher Kelly Anderson, and gave up just 10 hits. (Her performance bettered DeeDee Weiman's previous record of 53 strikeouts in a 29-inning game between Cerritos Gahr High School and Lakewood St. Joseph High School in 1986; in that same game, Lisa Fernandez struck out 48 batters (the fourth best high school outing) for Lakewood.)
Hollowell also holds the Fairfield High School records for strikeouts in a career and strikeouts in a season. She earned the MVP Award all four years of her high school career, as well as being named First-Team All-State and All-Conference. She was also named the Gatorade State Player of the Year for 2001–2002, the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year for 2002, and the State Player of the Year for 2002.[1]
Finally, for Hollowell's career she currently ranks top-5 with national high school records in strikeouts (2,238, first place); season strikeouts (641 & 636 in 2000 and 2001); perfect games (14); no-hitters (43); shutouts (111) and ERA (0.08).
Hollowell pitched two no-hitters in her opening season, the first coming on February 8 vs. Wisconsin Badgers.[2] She also earned Pac 10 "Newcomer of The Year" along with all-conference honors and a First Team All American selection.[3][4][5]
Beginning on February 23 with a run-rule shutout of the New Mexico Lobos, Hollowell had the longest scoreless inning streak of her career over 55.2 innings pitched, 10 games (5 complete) and 9 wins.[6] The streak was snapped in 5-2 win vs. the Cal State Fullerton Titans on March 22.[7]
Hollowell led the team to a No. 1 seed at the World Series with her 38-3 win-loss record. In her debut at the Women's College World Series, Hollowell pitched all of Arizona's games and left with a 2-2 record, falling in the semifinals. In her third game against California Golden Bears she struck out 17 in a 3-2 loss, her best showing at the WCWS until 2006.[8] Hollowell was also a WCWS All-Tournament Team honoree.
Her season total of 394 strikeouts topped the school record of 366, set by Jennie Finch the previous season; her total of 40 wins also broke Nancy Evans' previous school rookie record of 36 and was the best total nationally in 2003.[1][9][10]
Holowell threw three no-hitters, including one perfect game, a 6–0 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on March 6. She struck out career best 20 of 21 batters faced to break Jennie Finch's single-game school record of 19 from April 17, 2002.[11] In doing so, she also set the NCAA second-most strikeout record for a regulation game. That season, Hollowell broke her own school records for strikeouts and wins with 508 and 41 respectively. Her strikeout ratio of 12.1 led the NCAA Division I.[12]
The perfect game was just the third in University of Arizona history, and the first since April 18, 1993; Hollowell was also only the second pitcher in UA history to throw a perfect game, as the preceding two had both been pitched by Susie Parra, in 1992 and 1993.
Alicia earned Pac 10 "Pitcher of the Week" honors 5 times, for the weeks of February 17-February 23, February 24-March 1, March 2-March 8, March 16-March 22 and May 11-May 16. Hollowell also repeated all-season honors including Pac-10 "Pitcher of The Year" and being one of three finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.[13][14][15][16]
Hollowell threw 8 no-hitters, 4 of them perfect games, in her first 15 starts of the 2005 season. She also passed Jennie Finch's school record of 1,028 career strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Baylor Bears on February 27.[17] On April 2, she won her 100th career game in a 4-2 victory over the California Golden Bears.[18]
Arizona and Hollowell made it back to the World Series but a title remained elusive. In game three, Cat Osterman and the Texas Longhorns waged an 11-inning battle where Hollowell was brought in to relieve starter Leslie Wolfe and the two combined for 30 strikeouts (a new WCWS record for combination strikeouts) before Arizona was sent home.[19] Tracy Compton and Lisa Ishikawa of UCLA and Northwestern respectively held the record at 28 from 1984.
Hollowell again earned all-season honors from both the Pac-10 and the NCAA.[20][21][22]
Hollowell won her 120th career NCAA Division I game on February 25, beating Ohio State Buckeyes to tie Britni Sneed LSU Tigers and Sarah Dawson ULM Warhawks for 6th place on the all-time Division I wins list; on February 26, she beat Long Beach State 49ers to pass Sneed and Dawson and take sole possession of 6th place.[23] She then beat the Baylor Bears in five innings on March 10 to record her 124th win and tie Nancy Evans' school record for fifth place on the all-time list.[24] Two days later, she beat Baylor again to pass Evans and take over 5th place. Her 125th victory also gave her the career wins record for the Arizona Wildcats.[25]
On April 14, Hollowell and Arizona State Sun Devils sophomore Katie Burkhart dueled for 10 innings, combining for the NCAA Division I single-game 4th most combined strikeouts at 15 and 22 respectively for a total of 37; Arizona lost 4-2.[26] The total now stands 5th all-time.
Hollowell recorded her 130th and 131st career wins on April 30, beating Washington 2-0 and 10-1 to tie and surpass Keira Goerl (UCLA Bruins) for 4th place on the all-time list as well as ownership of the Pac 10 career record.[27] She picked up her 140th career win, beating the Oregon State Beavers 3-2 in 9 innings on opening day at the Women's College World Series to pass Rhonda Wheatley for sole possession of third place for all-time wins.
In games two and four at the WCWS, Hollowell beat Cat Osterman 2–0 (the first time in her career) and Monica Abbott 6–0 behind a 14-strikeout, two-hit shutout that eliminated Tennessee.[28][29] The two pitchers and their teams defeated and eliminated the Wildcats the year prior at the World Series.
She won her 143rd career game by shutting out the Northwestern Wildcats 8-0 in Game One of the NCAA WCWS Championship on June 5.[30] She won her 144th career game in a second consecutive shutout against Northwestern, 5-0, to finish her college career by winning the 2006 NCAA World Series crown, along with the Most Outstanding Player award and another WCWS All-Tournament selection.[31][32] Hollowell struck out 13 batters (matching fellow Wildcat Parra's 7-inning 1994 championship record and setting it in the new format's deciding game) to reach a total of 64, crackingDebbie Doom's previous series record of 62 from 1982.[33][32] Hollowell would graduate with the distinction of being the first pitcher in the top-10 NCAA Division I strikeouts list to claim a national title; it was the 7th championship for the University of Arizona.
Hollowell earned her final all-season honors and was again a finalist for National Player of The Year to accompany 4 no-hitters.[34][35][36] Overall, Hollowell is fourth in wins, 6th in strikeouts, shutouts and strikeout ratio and 10th in winning percentage for an NCAA Division I career. She is tops for wins and strikeout ratio in the Pac-10 and owns at least three Arizona Wildcats records and ranks top-5 in numerous others for seasons and a career.
Hollowell was selected early in 2004 to the USA Elite Team and competed at Canada Cup, Champions Cup and the World University Games[37] in September. Altogether Hollowell collected 111 strikeouts, 0.96 ERA in 79.2 innings pitched. Her 62 K's at Canada Cup remains a team-high record. She also recorded a perfect game at University Games, at the time it was the second for any USA Team.
In 2005 Hollowell was named to the National USA Softball Team for the summer. She recorded 6 strikeouts in 3.2 innings, allowing no earned runs at the ISF World Cup of Softball. Team USA earned the silver medal.[37]
Again Hollowell made the roster after her senior season with the Wildcats and pitched 6 more strikeouts allowing no earned runs in 5-inning win at the World Cup. She brought home her first gold medal in late 2006.[37]
The 2007 season with Team USA, Hollowell did not play in any games but won both at World Cup and the Pan American Games. [37]
During the Bound 4 Beijing Tour, Hollowell held a 4-0 record with 42 strikeouts, 0.00 ERA in 23 innings and 8 appearances on the mound. She was later named an alternate for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[38]
Hollowell was drafted in the first round of the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft, the 5th overall pick by the now defunct Arizona Heat. Hollowell took time to finish her studies at Arizona and serve as a Undergraduate Assistant Coach before she eventually signed on with the Akron Racers for the 2007 season.[39]
Following her tryout at the USA National Women's Softball camp for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Hollowell made her professional debut on June 21, 2007 against the Rockford Thunder and fellow USA teammate and college rival Cat Osterman; she struck out 12 batters in the 7-inning win.[40] Posting a 6-5 record, 70 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched with 15 runs on 50 hits and 18 walks issued, Hollowell led her team to second place in the regular season standings and a spot at the Championship Series. The Racers lost both of their starting games, including one to championship runner-up Rockford Thunder.[41]
Hollowell has coached at two universities since 2007. That year, she was an assistant at Arizona. In August 2009, the University of California, Davis hired her as an assistant coach.[42]
Hollowell was named to ESPN Rise's All-Decade Team in 2009.
| YEAR | W | L | GP | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| 2003 | 40 | 5 | 48 | 44 | 38 | 22 | 1 | 297.0 | 138 | 44 | 40 | 74 | 394 | 0.94 |
| 2004 | 41 | 4 | 48 | 44 | 38 | 21 | 1 | 293.2 | 138 | 39 | 33 | 68 | 508 | 0.79 |
| 2005 | 31 | 9 | 48 | 38 | 34 | 18 | 3 | 279.0 | 143 | 54 | 35 | 51 | 446 | 0.88 |
| 2006 | 32 | 5 | 41 | 39 | 36 | 20 | 1 | 252.1 | 133 | 40 | 32 | 39 | 420 | 0.89 |
| TOTALS | 144 | 23 | 185 | 165 | 146 | 81 | 6 | 1122.0 | 552 | 177 | 140 | 232 | 1768 | 0.87 |
| YEAR | W | L | GP | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| 2004 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 79.2 | 33 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 111 | 0.96 |
| 2005 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 |
| 2008 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 0.00 |
| TOTALS | 13 | 4 | 25 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 111.1 | 45 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 165 | 0.44 |
| YEAR | W | L | GS | CG | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| 2007 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 70.1 | 50 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 70 | 1.20 |