Passing the bat: Arizona's Jessie Harper learning from Wildcats star Katiyana Mauga

That’s OK.

It doesn’t seem like the freshman national leader in home runs, a first-team all-conference selection, is uncomfortable with anything. But these are the facts: When she arrived at Arizona from Stevenson Ranch, California, she was overwhelmed by the atmosphere of college life, of playing in front of raucous, sell-out crowds at Hillenbrand Stadium. That’s an adjustment for any freshman.

Harper knew she wouldn’t play shortstop, her natural position; that spot was taken by senior Mo Mercado, a likely All-American. Harper instead moved to first base.

“I took it as a new challenge,” she said. “I accepted it.”

Harper has found some comfort in being, well, uncomfortable. There were some midseason struggles — every freshman deals with them — but Harper has already emerged as a college star, a first-team all-conference selection and one of Arizona’s most consistent, powerful bats at the heart of its potent lineup. No. 2-seeded Arizona plays New Mexico State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in its first game of the Tucson Regional.

Harper is hitting .354 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs as a freshman. Harper attributes much of her success to playing with, and learning from, teammate Katiyana Mauga. It was Mauga who burst onto the scene three years ago as a freshman, hitting .363 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs.

“Just being able to hit behind Kati and watch her play,” Harper said, “that’s been amazing.”

Mauga, the UA’s all-time career home runs leader, is helping to groom the Wildcats’ next great power hitter.

When Harper has struggled at times — like after a 1-for-9 stretch at Utah and a 1-for-8 streak against Oregon — Mauga has sought her out, with unsolicited advice.

It helps.

“I think Kati has such a smart softball IQ, as Coach always says, but I’ll be hitting one day and struggling, and she can tell I’m struggling. She pulls me aside and says, ‘Hey, this is what you need to fix. That’s all you really need to do,’ ” Harper said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, thanks.’

“She can pick out all the little things.”

Mauga says she sees a lot of herself in Harper.

“I think that she reminds me of how I was, especially swinging-wise; we definitely both would always get frustrated, especially if we’re not producing for the team or personally,” Mauga said. “I think seeing her grow and take on a big leadership on this team, especially being a freshman and coming in with eight seniors, she impresses me by just coming in and stepping up.”

Mauga’s consistency is what helped her become the most prolific home run hitter in Arizona history, this year’s Pac-12 Co-Player of the Year and the first player in NCAA history to hit 20 home runs every season.

Mauga’s patience at the plate has improved with each year. In her first two seasons, she struck out 66 times and was walked 65 times. In the two years since, she has struck out only 38 times with 81 walks.

“I think she’s matured, got a little bit smarter as a hitter,” UA coach Mike Candrea said. “She’s quicker at making adjustments than she was as a freshman and sophomore.”

Harper added: “Seeing how she is patient at the plate and she knows she’s going to go up there and might get thrown a lot of balls but she just has to wait for that one pitch. I think her ability to be selective is what I’ve learned from her.”

Harper is already growing in that regard. She has struck out just 18 times in 164 at bats but has walked just eight times.

Harper wasn’t looked at as a power-hitting prospect at the level of Mauga coming out of high school, even if she’s become one in college. As a senior at West Ranch High School, she hit 11 home runs with 22 total in her high school career. She showed some flashes as a senior, hitting six home runs in the last 10 games of her career, and adding six more in the PGF National Tournament.

Candrea, who has compared Harper to former UA star Leah O’Brien, attributes the jump to the different level of training in college, and Harper agrees.

“Just being here, the hours are different, you’re here every single day,” Harper said, also citing the frequency of batting practice, live hitting against UA’s pitchers, using the expertise of hitting coach Caitlin Lowe and, most of all, learning from her teammates, including Mercado.

Plus, it helps to have Mauga around.

“Jessie is a young one so I’m just trying to help her out and get her ready for the next three years coming on, even though we’re not done yet,” said Mauga, who plans to pursue coaching when her playing career ends. “It’s definitely going to get harder for the next three years, especially when pitchers know you already, they’ve faced you, and you’re playing the same teams over and over.

“I think just trying to get her to understand and help her to not try to overthink everything, and try to just play her game.”