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Caitlin Lowe

Caitlin Faith Lowe-Nagy (born February 6, 1985) is the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats softball team. Lowe is a former collegiate four-time first team All-American and medal winning Olympian. She played college softball for Arizona and led her team in back-to-back Women's College World Series championships in 2006 and 2007. She won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Lowe played with National Pro Fastpitch's USSSA Pride for six seasons, winning three titles and being named 2012 Player of the Year, before officially retiring in 2015.

Caitlin Lowe
Playing outfield in Altamonte Springs February 2008
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamArizona
ConferenceBig 12
Biographical details
Born (1985-02-06) February 6, 1985 (age 39)
Tustin, California
Alma materUniversity of Arizona
Playing career
2004–2007Arizona
2009–2014USSSA Pride
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2014Arizona (vol. asst.)
2015–2017Arizona (asst.)
2018–2021Arizona (associate)
2022–PresentArizona
Head coaching record
Overall78–48 (.619)
Medal record
Women's softball
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing Team competition
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team competition
World Cup of Softball
First place 2007 Oklahoma City Team competition

She is one of select players in NCAA Division I history to have accumulated over 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases while batting .400 in her career. Recently, she was only one of 3 named by both the fan vote and experts to the Greatest College Softball Team All-Time, in the outfield.[1]

Early years

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At Foothill High School in North Tustin, California, Caitlin was selected as an All-American four years in a row, and helped lead her team to state and national championships in 2000. In addition, she led the school to league championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. In 2001, she received the All-League and Foothill High School MVP Awards and in 2003, she received the Orange County "Player of the Year" Award.[2]

Arizona Wildcats

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For her freshman season at the University of Arizona, Lowe earned First Team All-American status and was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year and was a top-10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.[3][4][5] She jumped into top-10 rankings in Wildcat history for her run and stolen base totals and posted career highs in doubles and base on balls; Lowe also led the conference in stolen bases.

The sophomore continued her success by earning all-season honors from both the NFCA and the Pac-10, including being named conference Player of the Year.[6][7][8] Her career best season batting average still ranks second all-time and her hits total top-10 at Arizona (both topped the conference year), leading to a finalist spot for the Honda and USA Softball National Collegiate Player of The Year.[9] She also set career highs in home runs, triples and slugging percentage.

On February 26, she hit a career high four hits against the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters in a 7–0 win.[10] The next month on March 27, Lowe would drive in four RBIs for another career high over Louisiana–Lafayette.[11]

Lowe was named 2006 First Team All-American and Pac-10 for a third consecutive year.[12][13][14] She posted another top-10 school record for her 33 stolen bases and was caught just twice that year while also achieving a high in RBIs and again leading the conference for stolen bases.

From February 25 through March 18, Lowe achieved a 15 consecutive game hit streak. She batted .510 (26/51) and had 12 RBIs, a home run, four triples and two doubles to accompany a slugging percentage of over .750%, eventually ended by Cat Osterman on March 19.[15] Starting in a doubleheader sweep of the Oregon Ducks on May 12, Lowe stole two bags in the games to begin a consecutive stolen bases streak that would reach into her senior season.[16]

The Wildcats made it into the Women's College World Series as the No. 2 seed and eventually trumped the Northwestern Wildcats in the finals, outscoring them a combined 13–0 over the two-game series; Lowe scored four of those runs. Lowe went 2/4 in the June 6 finale and was named to the All-Tournament Team scoring a then new series record 8 runs.[17]

For a final season Lowe was named All-American, all-conference and newly bestowed with the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year award.[18][19][20] She also stole a career high, school season second best and Pac-10 leading 49 bags, being caught just once. Her resumed streak of consecutive stolen bases concluded on May 19 when the one time she was thrown out was by Chelsea Bramlett of Mississippi State Bulldogs.[21] To that point, Lowe had amassed 47 consecutive stolen bases and 54 overall for the NCAA ninth best streak all-time.[22]

Lowe and the Wildcats returned to defend their title at the 2007 WCWS. After riding the arm of tournament MVP Taryne Mowatt and escaping elimination through four games (three straight), Lowe won another National Championship defeating the Tennessee Lady Vols 5–0 on June 6. Lowe ended her career with a perfect day at the plate going 4/4 off USA Softball Collegiate Player of The Year Monica Abbott.[23] She was named All-Tournament hitting .345 with two RBIs and three doubles.

Lowe is the Wildcat's career leader in stolen bases, second in batting average and top-10 in hits, triples and runs.[24] She ranks top-10 for all the same marks in the since renamed Pac-12, minus the triples.[25] At Arizona, she was known for her welcoming and volunteering nature and helped other student athletes become acclimated to college through Arizona’s Peer Athletic Leaders (PAL). Her senior year, Caitlin was awarded the inaugural Lowe's Senior CLASS Softball Award, which acknowledges personal qualities that define a complete student athlete, such as excellence in the classroom, character and community, as well as success in athletic competition.[26] Lowe is one of only six Wildcat players to be named an NFCA All-American in each of her four years with the program and joined Leah Braatz (1994, 95, 97, 98) as the only player in Arizona history to be awarded first-team All-America all four years.[27]

Team USA

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Caitlin began her national career in 2004 as a member of the USA Schutt Elite Team at the Canada and Champions Cups, where she scored a team-high 16 runs. In 2005, Caitlin joined the United States National Team and helped the team earn silver medals in the Japan and World Cups. She was one of the youngest members of the 2006 World Championship team. Caitlin also helped the team win the World Cup in 2006 and 2007, where she posted a team high 6 hits with three runs scored. She earned a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American games, and that season tied for the most hits, a team high with two triples and scored 21 runs, the second best on the team. That year, Caitlin's impressive base running and speed also earned her a perfect 9 stolen bases in 9 attempts.

Caitlin Lowe has been a member of the U.S. Women's National Softball Team since 2005. USA Softball Head Coach Mike Candrea says, "She's all out all the time and plays the game like a giant."[28]

Leading up the 2008 Olympics, Lowe hit .455 on the Bound 4 Beijing Tour and was tied leading the team in triples, second in stolen bases and had a perfect fielding percentage. At the Games, Lowe began her tournament with a 3/4 effort in a run-rule of Venezuela, including hitting the first-ever inside-the-park home run in Games history.[29] On August 20, Lowe and Team USA went extra innings in the semifinals vs. Japan and she hit the RBI single to take the lead before scoring on Crystl Bustos' winning three-run homer.[30] She had two hits in the gold medal game but made the last out in the 3–1 loss.[31] Lowe was tied in at-bats for the tournament and hit .357 overall.

National Pro Fastpitch

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Lowe played her first two seasons in limited action but was later named All-NPF from 2012 to 2014, including nabbing the Player of The Year and Diamond Spikes Awards in 2012.[32][33][34] In 2012, she also led the league in batting average with a career best and set a personal best with four hits on August 25 vs. the Akron Racers.[35] She had a hit in the championship finale, though her team was bested by the Chicago Bandits.[36] The Pride also made it to the Cowles Cup Championship every other year of her career, winning titles in 2010, 2013–2014, Lowe playing in all except 2009–2010.[37][38][39] On August 8, 2013, Lowe set another career high with 3 RBIs in a victory over the NY NJ Comets.[40] She played her last season setting a career high in doubles. She also had a career best 22 consecutive game hit streak from July 13–August 16: .408 (31/76) with 7 RBIs and 7 doubles, slugging .500%.[41]

Lowe announced her retirement as a player after the 2014 season. Subsequently, the Pride announced the Lowe would be inducted into the USSSA Hall of Fame, and that her jersey number 26 would be retired.[42]

Coaching career

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On June 7, 2021, Lowe was named the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats softball program, following the retirement of former head coach Mike Candrea. Lowe spent the last nine seasons under Candrea following a professional career with the USSSA Pride. Lowe served as the program's director of operations in 2013 and then the volunteer assistant coach in 2014, before joining the coaching staff full time in 2015. She served as the team's associate head coach from 2018 to 2021.[43][44]

Head coaching record

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The following lists Lowe-Nagy's record as a head coach at the NCAA level.

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Arizona Wildcats (Pacific-12 Conference) (2022–2024)
2022 Arizona 39–22 8–16 T–7th Women's College World Series
2023 Arizona 29–25 6–18 8th
2024 Arizona 37–18–1 13-11 5th NCAA Super Regionals
Arizona: 105–65–1 (.617) 27–45 (.375)
Arizona Wildcats (Big 12 Conference) (2024–present)
2025 Arizona
Arizona: 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–)
Total: 103–63–1 (.620)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Personal life

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She graduated from the University of Arizona in the fall of 2007 with a degree in psychology and a minor in communications. Lowe comes from an athletic family. She is the daughter of Dave and Dawn Lowe and has a brother Tanner and three sisters Whitney, Paige, and McKenna Lowe. Paige and McKenna are part of the Oregon State University softball team.

Four-time Wildcat All-American Caitlin Lowe returned and joined Arizona's coaching staff as the team's volunteer assistant coach in 2013 after serving as the program's director of operations in 2012. Lowe will be working with the slappers, the outfielders and base running.[27] Lowe retired officially from softball in 2015.[45]

In 2015, Lowe married Paul Nagy who is the assistant soccer coach at the University of Arizona.[46] Lowe and Nagy have two children together, Harper and Beckham.[47]

Statistics

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Arizona Wildcats
YEAR G AB R H BA RBI HR 3B 2B TB SLG BB SO SB SBA
2004 61 190 76 83 .437 25 4 1 9 106 .558% 29 20 47 50
2005 57 196 57 100 .510 25 5 4 2 125 .637% 20 20 27 30
2006 56 186 52 79 .424 27 2 4 8 101 .543% 17 21 33 35
2007 64 215 57 89 .414 24 1 3 5 103 .479% 15 25 49 50
TOTALS 238 787 242 351 .446 101 12 12 24 435 .552% 81 86 156 165
Team USA
YEAR AB R H BA RBI HR 3B 2B TB SLG BB SO SB SBA
2008 239 91 106 .443 47 7 6 12 151 .632% 16 19 17 19
USSSA Pride (NPF)
YEAR AB R H BA RBI HR 3B 2B TB SLG BB SO SB
2009 46 6 10 .217 3 0 0 0 0 .217% 2 10 3
2010 38 9 14 .368 5 0 0 3 17 .447% 1 5 1
2011 105 17 31 .295 4 0 0 3 34 .324% 5 13 6
2012 130 36 59 .454 11 0 1 6 67 .515% 12 14 14
2013 180 40 60 .333 23 0 0 5 65 .361% 13 25 17
2014 155 31 55 .355 15 0 0 10 63 .406% 6 16 6
TOTALS 654 139 229 .350 61 0 1 27 256 .391% 39 83 47

Awards & Championships

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Year Team Championship/Medal
2001–2003 Foothills High School National Champion
2000 All-CIF Second Team
2001 Foothill High School Softball Team MVP
2001 All-League MVP
2002 ASA U-18 Gordon's Panthers Gold Runner-Up
2001–2003 League Championship Champion
2003 Orange County Player of the Year
2003 All-League First Team
2003 All-County First Team
2003 All-State First Team
2003 All-CIF First Team
2003 All-American First Team
2003 USA Softball Player of the Week
2003 All Pac First Team
2003 Pacific Region First Team
2003 Pac 10 Newcomer of the Year
2003 USA Softball Top 10 Finalist for Player of the Year
2004 USA Schutt Elite Team Canada Cup
2004 USA Schutt Elite Team Champions Cup
2004 USA Softball Top 3 Finalist for Player of the Year
2004 All-PAC 10 First Team
2004 All Pacific Regions Honors
2004 All-American First Team
2004 World Cup Silver Medalist
2005 Japan Cup Silver Medalist
2005 All-PAC 10 First Team
2005 All Pacific Regions Honors
2005 USA Softball Top 10 Finalist for Player of the Year
2005 All-American First Team
2005 All-Women's College World Series Team Selection
2006 NCAA National Championship Champion
2007 All-American First Team
2007 All-PAC 10 First Team
2007 PAC-10 Conference Player of the Year
2007 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
2007 NCAA National Championship Champion
2007 Canada Cup Champion
2007 World Cup Champion
2007 Pan-American Games Champion
2008 Olympics Silver Medalist

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Lauren Chamberlain, Jessica Mendoza Voted to ESPN's Greatest All-Time College Softball Team". Espn.com. June 10, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "Player Bio: Caitlin Lowe – ARIZONA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  3. ^ "2004 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  4. ^ "Four Cats Earn All-America Honors". Arizonawildcats.com. May 27, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  5. ^ "Alicia Hollowell And Caitlin Lowe Named Pac-10 Pitcher And Player of The Year". Arizonawildcats.com. May 19, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  6. ^ "2005 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  7. ^ "Three Cats Earn All-America Honors". Arizonawildcats.com. June 2, 2005. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Lowe Earns League Co-Player of The Year Honor". Arizonawildcats.com. May 18, 2005. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "Lowe A Finalist For Player of The Year". Arizonawildcats.com. May 31, 2005. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  10. ^ "Hollowell No-Hits Louisiana Tech At Waco Softball Tournament". Arizonawildcats.com. February 27, 2005. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  11. ^ "Arizona Softball's Bats Smash Rajin' Cajuns". Arizonawildcats.com. March 28, 2005. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Americans". Nfca.org. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Lowe, Fox And Hollowell: All-Americans Again". Arizonawildcats.com. May 31, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Four Cats Named All-Pac-10, All-Region". Arizonawildcats.com. May 17, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  15. ^ "No. 1 Arizona Falls To No. 4 Texas, 1-0, in Nine Innings". Arizonawildcats.com. March 19, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  16. ^ "Cats Sweep Ducks in Twin-Bill". Arizonawildcats.com. May 12, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  17. ^ "National Champions!". Arizonawildcats.com. June 7, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "2007 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  19. ^ "Lowe, Mowatt Named All-Americans". Arizonawildcats.com. May 31, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  20. ^ "Cats Rake in All-Pac-10 Honors". Arizonawildcats.com. May 16, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  21. ^ "Softball Advances To Regional Final With 8-0 Win". Arizonawildcats.com. May 20, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  22. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). Ncaa.org. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  23. ^ "Cats Whip Vols For Eighth NCAA Title". Arizonawildcats.com. June 6, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  24. ^ "Arizona Softball Record Book" (PDF). Arizonawildcats.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  25. ^ "Pac-12 Conference 2020 Softball Media Guide". E-digitaleditions.com. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  26. ^ "SOFTBALL LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD WINNER". May 28, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  27. ^ a b "Caitlin Lowe". University of Arizona. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  28. ^ "Axiom Sports & Entertainment". Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  29. ^ "Game One US vs Venezuela". Teamusa.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  30. ^ "Game Eight US vs Japan". Teamusa.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  31. ^ "Gold Medal Game". Teamusa.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  32. ^ "2012 NPF Awards Banquet". Profastpitch.com. August 23, 2012. Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  33. ^ "2013 NPF Awards Banquet Honors Season Performances". Profastpitch.com. August 21, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ "2014 NPF Awards Banquet Honors Season Performances". Profastpitch.com. August 19, 2014. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^ "Pride battles back to defeat Racers in Game 5 and return to Championship Series Final, 9-7". Profastpitch.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  36. ^ "Chicago Bandits vs USSSA Pride: 2-1". Pointstreak.com. August 25, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  37. ^ "USSSA Florida Pride Win 2010 NPF Cowles Cup". Profastpitch.com. August 29, 2010. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  38. ^ "USSSA Pride Wins 2013 NPF Championship". Profastpitch.com. August 24, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  39. ^ "USSSA Pride Defeats The Akron Racers, 8–3, To Win Their Second Consecutive Cowles Cup". Profastpitch.com. August 23, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  40. ^ "Pride Defeat Comets 4-2, Sarah Pauly Gets 10 K's". Profastpitch.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  41. ^ "Caitlin Lowe Summer 2014". 805stats.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  42. ^ Jami Lobpries (June 5, 2015). "Caitlin Lowe's Legacy Continues with USSSA". USSSAPride.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  43. ^ "Arizona Announces Caitlin Lowe as Next Head Softball Coach". June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  44. ^ Star, Arizona Daily (June 7, 2021). "Former Arizona standout Caitlin Lowe will succeed Mike Candrea as Wildcats' softball coach". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  45. ^ "Caitlin Lowe's Quiet Goodbye To The NPF". Usssapride.com. February 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  46. ^ Star, Greg Hansen Arizona Daily (December 19, 2015). "UA assistant coaches Caitlin Lowe, Paul Nagy marry". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  47. ^ "Caitlin Lowe - Softball Coach". University of Arizona Athletics. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
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