Arizona softball: 15 Wildcats to watch in '24, from Biringer to Scupin, Skaggs and Stoddard

UA star seniors Allie Skaggs and Carlie Scupin, who helped lead the team last season, were both named to the 2024 USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List.

Along with Skaggs and Scupin, there are more than a handful of players added to Wildcats fans’ watch list for the season.

Here are 15 to watch in 2024:

Blaise Biringer

Position: Infield

Year: Senior

Notable: Starting every game at third base last season, the third-year Wildcat Biringer improved from her first season in Tucson, posting the second-best average (.365) on the team and leading the UA with 19-multi-hit games in 2023, earning her NFCA All-West honors. The senior third baseman said the UA not being preseason ranked gives the team more of a chip on its shoulder.

Olivia DiNardo

Position: Catcher/first base

Year: Sophomore

Notable: Coming onto the scene last year as just a freshman, DiNardo was Arizona’s primary designated player and backup catcher during the season where she helped lead the Wildcats in average, batting .382, as well as a .990 fielding percentage, earning her All Pac-12 Freshman honors. With the departure of Izzy Pacho, DiNardo, who started in 20 games behind the plate last season, looks poised to take on the starting catcher role in 2024.

Jasmine Perezchica

Position: Outfield

Year: Senior

Notable: Starting every game in center field last season, Perezchica finished with a perfect fielding percentage with 65 putouts and one assist. The La Quinta, California, native was also a force offensively, recording the third-best average (.361), the fourth-most walks on the team, and going a perfect 5 for 5 on stolen bases. As the Wildcats’ leadoff batter for 31 games, Perezchica had a .482 on-base percentage. Lowe said that Perezchica can play anywhere in the outfield. The senior outfielder, who has had a top-3 batting average on the team, will be a crucial part of the team in her final season in Tucson.

Allie Skaggs

Position: Utility

Year: Senior

Notable: This past season, Skaggs led the UA in home runs with 14 and led the conference in RBIs with 68. Defensively, she did not commit an error, helping earn her the Rawlings Gold Glove award and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The Louisville native will aim to make even further strides in what will be last season. Skaggs’ goals will not be as much statistically-based, but rather team-oriented, as she noted wanting to win and enjoying her last season in an Arizona uniform with her teammates.

Devyn Netz

Position: Pitcher/infield

Year: Senior

Notable: Netz had a breakout year this past season for the UA, finishing with the second-most home runs (13) and the second-most RBIs on the team. The senior’s pitching numbers dipped in her first year as the sole ace pitcher last season with a 4.99 ERA, but was still effective with 135 strikeouts in 30 starts. In three seasons, Netz has posted a 34-23 record as a UA’s starter. Lowe mentioned during media day that the California native will not be available for batting or pitching to start the season as she is dealing with an injury.

Carlie Scupin

Position: Infield

Year: Senior

Notable: After a season that saw her lead the team with a 1.200 OPS, 745 slugging percentage, and a perfect fielding percentage, Scupin was named to the 2024 Preseason All-Pac-12 team. The senior first baseman missed 18 games last year due to a broken forearm but is expected back at full capacity. In her last full season in 2022, the Tucson native started all 61 games at first base and finished with the second-best average on the team (.369).

Dakota Kennedy

Position: Outfield

Year: Sophomore

Notable: In just her freshman season, Kennedy played lights out, especially in conference play, leading the team with 28 hits, a .775 slugging percentage and a .394 average against Pac-12 opponents, helping earn her First Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors. Kennedy will again be one of the Wildcats’ top sluggers for the upcoming season, with more accolades and contributions seeming to be on deck.

Logan Cole

Position: Infield

Year: Sophomore

Notable: Starting in 15 games, 13 of which at shortstop last season, Cole was not only able to get collegiate experience, but also able to contribute for the UA, piling in two hits in three games. She also registered two RBIs in the same game against Cal. The Salpointe Catholic graduate should expect to see more action in her second season, with a sophomore surge potentially being in the cards given her first-year strides.

Paige Dimler

Position: Outfield

Year: Junior

Notable: In her second season at Arizona last year, Dimler showed flashes, logging five multi-hit and multi-RBI games. In the first game of a doubleheader against New Mexico State last season, Dimler hit two home runs. The Vista, California, native started in 40 out of her 49 appearances at right field and should once again expect to get the starting nod there this season.

Ali Blanchard

Position: Pitcher

Year: Graduate

Notable: Appearing in 16 games and starting in eight last season, Blanchard posted a 6-3 record as a starter, including one save with a 6.65 ERA. The sophomore from Lincoln, Rhode Island, also pinch-ran for the UA in 19 games last season, when she scored 11 runs. The graduate will once again bring a plethora of experience after four years of playing college softball, which could help out the newcomers on the pitching staff.

Tayler Biehl

Position: Infield

Year: Sophomore

Notable: A member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, Biehl saw a ton of action all over the field in her first season, starting 40 out of 49 games, 17 of which at outfield, 14 at first base, nine at shortstop and six at third base. The California native illustrated consistency in her batting during her freshman campaign, logging two hits seven times, and two RBIs on three occasions. She showcased her athleticism throughout the season, stealing 6 out of 7 bases, including two in the same game.

Brooke Mannon

Position: Pitcher

Year: Freshman

Notable: Hailing from West Jefferson, Ohio, the 2023 Ohio Gatorday Player of the Year Mannon came to Tucson as the No. 17 recruit in the country, according to Extra Inning Softball. The 5-foot-10 freshman also played soccer and volleyball, as well as an all-conference basketball player at West Jefferson High School. With fewer pitchers available to start the season, Mannon has an opportunity to find herself in the rotation and garner experience early. Lowe said that Mannon has done great work with new pitching coach Christian Conrad in the circle.

Regan Shockey

Position: Utility

Year: Freshman

Notable: Coming in as the No. 18 recruit in the nation, according to Extra Inning Softball, Shockey will have a little bit of a head start after initially being coached by UA softball alum Tony Mascarenas during their Alliance National Championship run. Lowe said that Shockey has hit leadoff for the team all fall and has done a good job so far in the outfield. She added that seeing a freshman embracing that role early has been “fantastic.”

Aissa Silva

Position: Pitcher

Year: Sophomore

Notable: Starting nine games in the circle, Silva went 2-3 with one shutout this past season in 23 appearances in her freshman year. This season should see more opportunity for the sophomore Tucsonan, who may receive more appearances in the circle. Training under Conrad, who has been said to have already helped members of the pitching staff throughout the fall, could be key for lowering her ERA and getting more wins to her name.

Miranda Stoddard

Position: Pitcher/infield

Year: Graduate

Notable: After three years at Kentucky, Stoddard decided to take her talents to the West. At UK, she had an 11-4 record in the circle and averaged a 3.56 ERA. The Anaheim native is also effective with the bat as well, hitting 18 home runs throughout her three seasons in Lexington. Stoddard, one of the UA’s most experienced players, is poised to be a contributing player in the UA’s rotation in the circle and could see some time in the infield this season.