Arizona freshman Tayler Biehl shows versatility on softball field; 'It's just playing catch, ultimately'

Pick a position on the softball field — any position — and most likely Tayler Biehl has played it.

If she hasn’t, just give her a few warm-up tosses and she’s good.

Well, it may take her a little longer to jump in the circle and throw strikes, but other than that, Biehl has the Wildcats covered.

And that’s exactly what the Arizona softball team needs this season.

When Carlie Scupin was hit in her right forearm with a pitch against New Mexico a few weeks ago, UA coach Caitlin Lowe looked at her freshman and asked if she wanted to play at first base.

“(Biehl) was like, ‘Yeah, cool!’ I just think that’s so great for someone to respond like that,” Lowe said. “There was not a moment of her feeling uncomfortable. It’s just what the team needs. … just great mentality along with the athleticism is what helps us out a lot, too.”

As the Wildcats head into the off nonconference weekend, they will continue to rely on the steady contributions from Biehl.

No. 20 Arizona (20-12, 3-6 Pac-12) hosts the Bear Down Fiesta this weekend. It starts Friday with a doubleheader against Georgetown and San Diego, with first pitch at 4 p.m. Arizona Athletics is streaming these games.

While Scupin is out recovering from surgery, Biehl has shared duties covering first with pitching ace Devyn Netz. That’s not the only position Biehl has played. Over the last two Pac-12 series against Utah and Washington, she has also been found at shortstop and right field. She has also played left field and third base this season.

Biehl, who was rated the No. 9 middle infielder in her class by Extra Innings Softball coming out of Vista del Lago High School in Folsom, California, likes doing it all.

She would always shag balls in the outfield — even when only playing second and short in high school and travel ball. After arriving in Tucson in the fall, she practiced in nearly every spot on the diamond — and she excels wherever she plays.

“Ever since her first practice she was just ready to go,” Lowe said. “(It’s) ‘what do you need from me.’ I love watching her and Soph (Carroll) and Logan (Cole) take balls that short together because they make each other better every single day. When one of them makes a great play, they’re all just supporting each other. And it’s just a different vibe when that happens because everybody gets lifted up.

“Immediately when she went into first base, everybody was like, ‘Yeah!’ They’re just amped for her because they know she works her butt off and she’s ready to go at all times. And defensively she’s a very, very good player.”

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Biehl sports a .969 fielding percentage, with only two errors in 27 games she’s played — no errors since Feb. 23 against Arkansas.

It’s one thing to play multiple positions well. However, Biehl has taken it to another level doing this while moving from one position to another in one game.

She has switched from third base to shortstop or first base to shortstop. While these are adjustments, the even trickier times are when she moves from the outfield to first base — like she did during the last two games of the Utah series.

It’s what Lowe like to call the “hockey switch,” and Biehl just rolls with it.

“It’s like ‘here we go again. I guess we’re going to do this,’” Biehl said. “...I feel like I have practiced all of them enough to where I am comfortable with it. It’s really not too big of a deal to switch around. Especially being an infielder, I feel like coming from the outfield to the infield, that’s my home, I guess. I’m pretty confident with it and I just do what (Lowe) says.”

Still, there is quite the difference between playing in the outfield and the infield. Biehl must remember when she’s in the outfield she has a little more time to react to fly balls, yet she has more ground to cover. In the infield, the ball comes off the bat much quicker, so it’s a much faster reaction time.

“(The) infield as a whole it’s just fielding a ground ball. Keeping it simple,” Biehl said. “Playing third base and going first base it’s still the same concept (with) being closer to the batter. The only thing that took me a little bit was being able to find the base, which is just the most important part of first base. I think just understanding that it is infield and all I’m supposed to do is play catch. All of our fielders, they give us good balls. I am not going to be over here making some tackles or picks or anything like that. They give me a good toss and it’s just playing catch, ultimately. Fielding a ground ball and play catch.”

It makes it easy when she looks around and sees veterans like Allie Skaggs at second and Carroll at short, who have played together for a few years and know exactly what the other is going to do.

Biehl has quickly formed a bond with Skaggs who gets “fired up” when she sees all that Biehl does.

“I know she’s going to do great wherever she goes. I have that full trust in her,” Skaggs said. “I have kind of taken under my wing a little bit. Talking to her every single pitch and just making sure she’s on the same page as me. But I trust her — every single move that she makes. I’m like, ‘Yep, I want her there. I want Taylor. She’s going to be at first, I trust her. I want her there. She’s in right, great. I trust her. She’s going to come take a ball for me.’ That’s awesome. She’s doing a great job. She’s embracing it.

“It’s tough being a freshman and being thrown around into a bunch of different positions that you may not have really played in. And against the Pac-12, that’s pretty impressive to do as a freshman. To come in and be able to do that so consistently and to have the poise that she does. I’ve been very, very proud so far.”