Arizona's 2022 senior class will go down as one that served as a bridge from the Wildcats’ softball past to their future.
Hannah Martinez, Hanah Bowen and Bailey Thompson will play their final games at Hillenbrand Stadium in a three-game series with Stanford that begins Thursday night. They're the first seniors to graduate under first-year coach Caitlin Lowe, who took over for the retiring Mike Candrea last summer.
Lowe, a longtime UA assistant before her promotion, has known the athletes for years.
"It's crazy," Lowe said. "These classes going through now, I got to see them through the recruiting process when they're in eighth or ninth grade, so it's kind of surreal."
This weekend has extra importance for the Wildcats, who — at 32-18 overall and 7-14 in Pac-12 play — sit in eighth place (out of nine) in the conference standings. Arizona needs to win the weekend series against fourth-place Stanford to salvage any hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. The UA last missed the postseason in 1986, Candrea’s first season at the helm.
Martinez and Bowen have been staples of the team since arriving in 2018; both took part in the Women's College World Series in 2019 and 2021.
Hannah Martinez took part in a pair of Women’s College World Series as a member of the Arizona Wildcats.
Martinez, a sure-handed utility player who can field at just about any position, has started 29 of the team’s 50 games after starting in 97 of 113 between 2019-21. She's hitting .299 this season, the best batting average of her career.
"I feel like I'm a better person and player from all of the experiences and opportunities I’ve gotten here," Martinez said.
Bowen was a revelation on the mound last season, serving as the No. 1 pitcher as Arizona advanced to the WCWS. She hasn’t been as sharp this season, going 10-9 with an ERA of 4.23. Still, Bowen said she is "glad that I was here and I got to experience all this with my teammates."
Thompson is a Canyon del Oro High School product who graduated from Seattle University before transferring to the UA for her final college season. Thompson has made 12 starts while serving as the primary backup to Sharlize Palacios and is hitting .224.
While playing at Seattle, Thompson’s family rarely got to see her play in person. That isn’t an issue this year as her dad — Bailey’s “No. 1 supporter,” as she calls him — has been at nearly every home game.
“Being close to home has been really good,” Thompson said.
Martinez is a mentor to many of the younger players on the team (13 are underclassmen), helping them adjust to the difficulty of Division I softball.
“They've had some hardships,” Martinez said. “But they know they can come to me.”
Bowen has used the season to be grateful for the relationships she’s built with her teammates along the way and is excited about Arizona’s trajectory as a program.
“We have a lot of potential and we have a lot of young talent,” Bowen said. “I just can't wait to see all the years in the future for them.”
So as each player prepares to say goodbye to softball at Arizona, they are using this week to embrace the finale and make the most of the moment.
“It will be surreal,” Martinez said.
Inside pitch
- Four Wildcats made the All-Pac-12 teams. Palacios made the all-league first team; she's hitting .333 with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs. She also made the All-Defensive team. Second baseman Allie Skaggs made All-Pac-12 second-team. Her 20 home runs rank second in the conference. Outfielder Jasmine Perezchica made All-Pac-12 third-team, and Paige Dimler made the all-freshman team.
