Tucson's own Carlie Scupin, Arizona senior teammates to savor Wildcat softball sendoff

Being able to experience what some of her idols felt in a similar situation, "it's definitely going to be a cool experience and I'm really looking forward to it,” Scupin said Tuesday about Sunday’s Senior Day ceremony following the Wildcats' home finale against ASU.

Joining Scupin for Senior Day ceremonies against the Sun Devils are four others, including three who were part of the UA's 2020 recruiting class. Those include outfielder Jasmine Perezchica, second baseman Allie Skaggs, third baseman Blaise Biringer and pitcher Ali Blanchard.

For Scupin, time has flown by since first arriving officially arriving on the UA campus, but she is hoping to relish the moment that she has waited for.

“It's just really exciting,” Scupin said. "I'm just really proud of all of our seniors and everything. We want to finish up our last series at Hillenbrand with a bang and just have fun.”

This season Scupin has been on a tear both offensively and in the field. She leads the Pac-12 conference in RBI’s with 42, as well as maintaining her perfect fielding percentage from last season.

Scupin, who played 54 games as a freshman on the Wildcats’ College World Series runner-up team in 2021, said that she learned and matured a great deal from her first collegiate experience, which has aided her over the years.

“It's just been a complete 180 in terms of maturity and just having to grow up,” Scupin said.

Part of this learning experience came from watching then-teammates Dejah Mulipola, Alyssa Palomino as seniors; Scupin was inspired by both on and off the field.

“[It’s] just really meaningful because of the impact that they had on this program and seeing them move on to the next level or playing pro or even just moving on with their lives was really cool to see,” Scupin said.

When recruiting Scupin in eighth grade, a year before she would play softball at Tucson High School, UA head coach Caitlin Lowe noticed that her first baseman had been composed “beyond her years.”

Scupin, who always wanted to come play for Arizona, is a “special talent and a special kid," added the third-year head coach, who was a UA assistant during Scupin's recruitment.

“She sets this crowd on fire with one swing of the bat which is so cool and, honestly, even before that when they announced her name and everybody kind of goes crazy in those moments too. So I'm going to miss that part of it,” Lowe said. “She’s gonna carry that on into life in her own special way and just ready to see that too.”

In her last season, Scupin has taken on more of a leadership role — and she has excelled in it, according to sophomore catcher Olivia DiNardo. DiNardo said she's been guided by the senior thus far this season while Scupin has “been big to me keeping my head screwed on," DiNardo added.

“Scup has been amazing,” DiNardo said. "She’s just been able to carry this team to a really high standard and we all just fall in place.”

Lowe remembers her own Senior Day being covered head to toe in dirt and a lot of emotions; it was May 12, 2007, and she recorded two hits while sliding into home late in the game en route to a 5-4 UA victory over No. 11 Washington. The player-turned coach is excited for her players to feel those moments and to embrace their last home game at Hillenbrand Stadium.

“It's just special to have that moment in Rita (Hillenbrand Stadium) where you literally practice everyday, you just spilt so much into the program. There's emotions, but at the same time, it's just those goosebumps you get every day competing in a stadium like this with your sisters,” Lowe said.

“I think they're nervous and not really knowing what they're going to feel but I think they've done all the work to have just a great weekend.”