Kaiah Altmeyer has always “known what i’m capable of doing.”
This past weekend, she got the opportunity to illustrate just that, earning the first Pac-12 Player of the Week award of her career in the process.
One of the No. 20 Arizona softball team’s most ‘consistent’ players this season, the sophomore Altmeyer had arguably her best overall series in a three-game sweep over Arizona State, going 5 for 8 with six RBIs and two home runs. That included her first-ever walk-off home run over the Sun Devils last Friday.
“She doesn’t have selfish at-bats at all. She goes in there, she knows what she wants, she knows what the team needs, and she just has a plan,” freshman outfielder Regan Shockey said of Altmeyer. “She sticks to it. And I think that’s really admirable because it’s really hard to get into deep counts with a good Pac-12 pitcher so she does a really good job with that.”
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Not only shining at the plate, Altmeyer also displayed a clutch play on the defensive end as well, robbing ASU’s Alesia Denby of a home run in the top of the seventh inning on Sunday to keep the Sun Devils’ lead, at that time, at just two runs; Arizona would win it on another walk-off with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
On a weekend that saw her go 5 for 8 at the plate with two home runs and six RBIs — including a walk-off solo shot Friday night — Arizona outfielder Kaiah Altmeyer robbed a would-be ASU home run in the top of the seventh Sunday to help the Wildcats to a 9-8 victory and three-game sweep of the Sun Devils.
Altmeyer attributed her timing on plays like that to practicing catching tennis balls at the wall during practice.
“I just feel like once I kind of get going, [I’m] just excited because hopefully I stay on a roll,” Altmeyer said.
Appearing in 26 games as a freshman last season, she recorded 13 hits and nine RBIs with an impressive .382 batting average. Garnering in-game experience early has aided Altmeyer’s progression at the plate in her sophomore campaign, Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe said.
“I think it was huge. I think you’re seeing her kind of find herself offensively as far as what tools she prefers,” Lowe said Tuesday. “I know she likes hitting both sides of the plate, but there’s pitches that she likes to slap over others. So I think she’s just kind of refining that and getting more and more confident with it.”
Growing up with the ability to both slap and hit for power, Altmeyer admits its been a challenge for the left-hander to do both at this level. Over time, she has learned to stick to what she is comfortable with and knowing what she is capable of, which she believes is “most effective for me and my team.”
Last season at Hillenbrand Stadium, Arizona outfielder Kaiah Altmeyer (24) charges in to snare a sinking liner against UCLA on May 11, 2023.
The San Diego native said she’s been more of a hitter than a slapper as far as she can remember.
This season, Altmeyer, who has started in 27 of the Wildcats’ 39 games, has the fifth-best batting average on the team (.338), along with being tied for the third-highest slugging percentage (.600).
Prior to the current 50th season celebration of the Arizona softball program, each UA player was chosen to connect with a Wildcat alumni — usually one who wore the same jersey number. Although Altmeyer wasn’t paired with her coach, UA all-time great Lowe, an outfielder for the UA from 2004-2007, Altmeyer noted that her coach would be the alumna she looks up to the most.
Her speed, determination, her competitiveness is just something I look up to,” Altmeyer said. “... I’m so grateful that I get to be playing for her.”
No. 20 Arizona (31-13-1, 12-9 Pac-12) is slated to take on No. 6 UCLA from Friday-Sunday in what will be their final Pac-12 regular season series as a program.
Last season at Hillenbrand Stadium,m Arizona outfielder Kaiah Altmeyer (24) makes a diving catch to rob UCLA’s Janelle Meono (3) of a hit during the Pac-12 softball tournament in Tucson on May 11, 2023.
Heading into a series in her home state with big postseason implications for the Wildcats — a strong showing in Los Angeles could push Arizona into consideration to host an NCAA Regional , Altmeyer has her best batting average heading into a Pac-12 game this season. Lowe believes her sophomore has been on roll as of late, but doesn’t expect much to change due to her dependability.
“I think she’s on a tear but at the same time she’s been consistent for us every single day, throughout the fall, in practice, in games,” Lowe said. “So I expect the exact same thing that I would on any given Tuesday and roll into UCLA
“I think that says a lot about the great players and how they can kind of stay consistent throughout an entire season and not get too high and not get too low,” Lowe added. “She’s gonna show up and be the same person every day.”
