Arizona is coming off a season that took the Wildcats to the Super Regionals. This year, they are hoping to make their way back to the Women’s College World Series.
With depth in the field and in the circle, No. 17 Arizona is starting out the season fully loaded.
Dakota Kennedy and Regan Shockey landed on both D1 Softball’s and Softball America’s preseason Top 100 lists. They also made USA Softball’s Player of the Year watch list. Devyn Netz, who is returning for her senior year after sitting out with a back injury last season, was also on D1’s list.
In addition, three Wildcat rookies made both freshmen watch lists — pitcher Sarah Wright, catcher Emma Kavanagh and infielder/third baseman Jenna Shiffen.
Here are nine players to watch in 2025:
RETURNERS
Kaiah Altmeyer
The throw gets offline and late to Michigan St. third baseman Hannah Hawley (42) as Arizona utility Kaiah Altmeyer (24) advances on a fly ball to right at the opening night of the Candrea Classic on Feb. 6, 2025.
Position: Right field
Year: Junior
Notable: Altmeyer earned the starting right field spot in the midst of her sophomore season. She earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors with a stellar performance against rival ASU, hitting a walk-off home run, two doubles and putting up a 2.200 OPS and batting .625. She also robbed a Sun Devil of a home run. Altmeyer is one of the most steady, consistent Wildcats, and fans can expect more of the same this year.
Tayler Biehl
Position: Shortstop
Year: Junior
Notable: Biehl had a breakout season as a sophomore, collecting the Pac-12’s co-defensive player of the year honors (.977 fielding percentage, only five errors) at shortstop. She was the Pac-12’s leader in assists with 114. With the graduations of Allie Skaggs, Carlie Scupin and Blaise Biringer, Biehl is now the leader in the infield. She is already mentoring the freshmen and reminding them to trust themselves and their gloves.
Dakota Kennedy
Arizona pitcher Devyn Netz (34) gets fired up after retiring Michigan St. batter Jenae Wash in the seventh inning of their game on the opening night of the Candrea Classic in Tucson on Feb. 6, 2025.
Position: Left field
Year: Junior
Notable: Kennedy is coming off an All-American and Gold Glove season with a perfect fielding percentage (1.000), leading the Arizona outfield with 111 putouts. Her focus is on getting better every day. She’s done just that in her previous two seasons, leading to back-to-back first-team Pac-12 honors. Last year, she hit .400, drove in 34 runs, hit 13 home runs and had a 688 slugging percentage and .521 on-base percentage.
Devyn Netz
Position: Pitcher/Designated Player/First baseman
Year: Redshirt senior
Notable: The do-it-all Netz is back for her final year as a Wildcat. In her sophomore year, she peaked in the postseason run to the WCWS, with a 1.22 ERA and two wins. In her junior year, she became a dual threat with her arm and her bat. She drove in 40 runs, hit .303, had a .593 slugging percentage and had 13 home runs. Netz spent her time away from the field studying film analytics and taking to heart certain lessons, including being a better teammate. She said all of this has opened up a different perspective of the game.
Regan Shockey
Position: Center field
Year: Sophomore
Notable: Shockey was a finalist for NFCA freshman of the year and earned first-team Pac-12 honors, as well as freshman and all-defensive teams. She was also a Freshman All-American for Softball America and D1 Softball. She led the Wildcats, batting .404, knocked 80 hits (to also lead the Pac-12) and stole eight bases. Coach Caitlin Lowe said that she knew Shockey would be a great player from her approach of going hard all the time and doing the little things the right way.
Aissa Silva
Position: Pitcher
Year: Junior
Notable: The Tucsonan burned through inning last season (155) and was the Wildcats’ ace in the circle after Netz sat out with her back injury. In addition, Ryan Maddox and Sydney Somerndike were also out for the season with injuries. She had 22 wins in 49 appearances, with a 3.27 ERA, striking out 105 batters and walking 49. She led the Pac-12 in wins with 21 and recorded a UA record-tying three saves. With more arms in the bullpen and a pitching-by-committee approach that focuses on analytics, we will see Silva with fewer total innings, but even more impact this season.
NEWCOMERS
Jenna Sniffen
Arizona third baseman Jenna Sniffen (33) ranges left to field a grounder form Michigan St. catcher Macy Lee (10) in the second inning of the second game at the Candrea Classic Feb. 6, 2025.
Position: Third base
Year: Freshman
Notable: Sniffen was listed as the No. 7 third baseman in her class and No. 16 overall by Extra Inning Softball. While Lowe wouldn’t come out and say directly that Sniffen has earned the starting third base job, if you read between the lines, she’s penciled into the lineup. Lowe said that her softball IQ of knowing where the ball needs to go is something that usually takes a player four years to pick up.
Kiki Escobar
Position: Infield/Utility
Year: Redshirt junior
Notable: Escobar is setting up to be this season’s Swiss Army knife, being able to play in multiple positions. Most likely, she’ll see action at first, second, third and even can spell someone in the outfield. Lowe likes her energy and that she plays hard all the time. As a freshman, she earned Pac-12 honors three times and hit .330. She missed her sophomore year with an injury and returned last season to put up a .946 fielding percentage at second base, with only 10 errors in 186 chances.
Saya Swain
Position: Pitcher
Year: Grad student (transfer from Iowa State)
Notable: At Iowa State, Swain had a total of 290 strikeouts in more than 253 innings of work. She is coming back from a back injury only having seven appearances at the beginning of the 2024 season. It looks like Swain has embraced the closer role — although, with the pitching by committee approach, she might see action at other times. Lowe said it’s hard to see the ball coming out of Swain’s hand and that she likes the unmatched competitive energy in the circle.
