Right before Tuesday’s practice got underway, UA Madi Elish fired dropball after dropball at the bottom of the zone as pitching coach Taryne Mowatt-McKinney paid close attention.
Like with most of the team, there’s a renewed sense of urgency to figure out what the heralded freshman brings to the table. New coach Caitlin Lowe had just two games before Arizona played national title contender Alabama, and then, the second weekend brought No. 16 Kentucky to Tucson. The Wildcats (10-4) went 3-2 at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic without opening day starter Hanah Bowen, who remains unavailable.
So now, with a favorable stretch of five home games this week, starting with Thursday night’s game against North Dakota, the Wildcats get a chance to reflect while also deciphering how to approach the rest of the season.
In the circle, that means a sort of audition for Elish, along with sophomore pitchers Devyn Netz and Jessie Fontes.
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“Devyn took a big step up in a leadership role,” Lowe said. “We were looking to her and she grabbed on entirely and just wanted the ball in every game. We had to reel her back, like ‘you’re not going to pitch every single inning’ but she wanted to go right at hitters.”
Lowe is still searching for that attitude from her offense.
After starting the season by scoring 37 runs in two games against Southern Utah, Arizona has averaged just five runs per game. If evenly spread out, that might not seem too much of an issue. However, the Wildcats have twice been shut out and mustered just five runs in their last two games, a 3-0 win over UC Davis and a 10-2 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma.
Arizona’s weekend opponents have a combined record of 39-25. Could it be a chance for the Wildcats to break out?
Already, there have been a few strong performances, most notably sophomores first baseman Carlie Scupin and outfielder Jasmine Perezchica. Scupin is hitting .447 with six home runs, while Perezchica has flown up the order thanks to her team-leading .500 batting average.
“(Perezchica) is so composed right now and competitive,” Lowe said. “From one at-bat to the next, she’s constantly getting better off of pitchers.”
But just like in the circle, the lineup card could prove to be a stage for auditions.
Junior Izzy Pacho started the season on the bench, but has blasted her way into a key role, hitting .412 with three homers in just 34 at-bats. Senior outfielder Hannah Martinez, who ripped a double against Oklahoma, is vying for a starting role; so is Giulia Koutsoyanopulos, who has been an asset in both the field and on the basepath.
“I would argue Giulia is one of the most important players on our team,” Lowe said. “The way she fits into this lineup is huge for us in her being flexible enough to go into the outfield or at first base. You see the lockdown defender she is but she can go in and steal a base, which is incredible for us.”
Arizona has 11 nonconference games remaining before opening Pac-12 play against No. 5 UCLA. Now is the time for players to prove they can handle the spotlight.
