Arizona pitcher Miranda Stoddard pushes back corporate life for a final year or two in the circle

UA graduate student pitcher/infielder Miranda Stoddard left her job as an ESG (environmental, social and governance) analyst to get back into softball. She went from working with companies to help them adhere to environmental mandates to trying to paint the corner and striking out Huskies.

She has another year of eligibility remaining after this season.

“I just realized distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Stoddard said. “I missed competing and knowing that this time in my life that I can compete at this level and play softball is so limited, and so why not take advantage of the opportunity?”

No. 25 Arizona (20-7-1, 3-3 Pac-12) heads to Berkeley, Californina, to face No. 19 California (22-7, 1-5) in a three-game series starting Friday afternoon.

Stoddard transferred to Arizona after three seasons at Kentucky. At UK, she played third base and pitcher, going 11-4 record with a 3.56 ERA in more than 141 innings pitched. She also hit .240 with 13 doubles and 18 home runs for those Wildcats.

UA head coach Caitlin Lowe said she wasn’t worried about rust on Stoddard’s game after a year away from the sport, even after a rough fall. Lowe gave her “a lot of credit” for the work she put in to get back.

“I think she had a ton of rust in the fall, and she worked through a lot,” Lowe said. “She took her bumps in the fall and knew she wasn’t where she was supposed to be, but she kinda let that dictate how she worked all throughout January to get ready for February.

“She became a different pitcher once February rolled around, and she got some games under her belt,” Lowe added. “Innings under her belt and then just good conditioning and strength back, so I think with that the confidence grew too.”

This season Stoddard (2-4) has a 2.82 ERA, three saves, 30 strikeouts over 72 innings and an opponent’s batting average of .242.

“It’s been kinda surreal but it’s been really fun,” Stoddard said. “I’m obviously older and hopefully more mature than I was at 18 (laughs) and so I just have a new perspective on it and I’m able to enjoy it through all the same challenges and trials that I was experiencing before but with just a new found appreciation for the sport and for the competition and friendship that it provides.”

Stoddard’s dad, Jeff, swam and played water polo at Air Force before graduating from Cal.

“So it’s fun to be around these places and people that mean a lot to me out here and to be able to see some new schools and some new competition,” Miranda Stoddard said. “It’s been a big factor in making this experience different and so much more fun, just being close to fun even if I’m not literally at home — the palm trees (laughs).”

Also, three of her uncles were college athletes: Steve Stoddard played water polo at the Air Force, Eric Ory played football at Oregon State and Troy Ory played football at Long Beach State.

Stoddard, who is from Anaheim, California, said it was fun growing up in such an athletic family.

“Athletics were always like a super big part of just everything,” Stoddard said. “I think my second birthday I got a tee for my birthday. It’s just always been something that we’ve enjoyed as a family.

“That’s always been something that we have enjoyed ... just competing at a high level,” she added. “It’s taught my whole family a lot of lessons.”

Stoddard got the save in Sunday’s 2-0 upset of then-No. 8 Washington after starting the game. She pitched 4⅔ innings, giving up three hits, one walk and zero runs after the Huskies run-ruled Arizona in the first two games of the series.

Sophomore Aissa Silva got the win on Sunday.

“I obviously was a little bit nervous just because there’s a runner on at that point, so the tying run is at the plate. But we had been successful — Aissa and I had been successful all game,” Stoddard said about coming into get the save. “So just continuing to stick to my plan and keep the ball in the ballpark and let my team do their thing.”