Wildcats add lefty Aissa Silva to roster; early enrollee is 'soaking up knowledge'

Aissa Silva is the latest Wildcat who has Tucson ties.

Silva was born in Sierra Vista and moved to Tucson as a youngster.

She attended games at Hillenbrand Stadium and was fortunate enough to work with former Arizona aces Taylor McQuillin and Danielle O’Toole.

Silva dreamed of entering the circle one day for the Wildcats. Even after her family moved to Sacramento in middle school, she knew that Arizona and Hillenbrand were home.

That day is finally here as Silva, a member of the class of 2023, enrolled early at UA. She started classes last week.

Silva joins a number of other Wildcats on this year’s squad from Tucson or the surrounding area, including fifth-year senior Izzy Pacho; senior transfer Briana Hardy; juniors Carlie Scupin, Allie Skaggs, Devyn Netz and Blaise Biringer; and freshman Logan Cole. Like Netz and Skaggs, Silva moved back for her senior year of high school.

Silva, who was listed as the No. 6 recruit nationally by Extra Inning Softball, comes off a record-setting season in which she struck out 320 batters at Elk Grove (Calif.) High School near Sacramento. (The previous mark was 269.) During her three-year career, she went 35-9, struck out 552 batters in 310⅔ innings and had a 0.56 ERA. She claimed the 2022 NorCal Pitcher of the Year honor.

UA coach Caitlin Lowe said it was the plan for Silva to become a Wildcat since July. The 5-7 lefty joins the pitching staff that includes Netz, freshman Sydney Somerndike and transfers Ali Blanchard (Princeton) and Hardy (Phoenix College).

Silva gives the Wildcats a different look coming from the other side, especially as they face “a whole lot of lefty-heavy lineups in the Pac 12 — really, everywhere, lefty power has become a really big thing,” Lowe said.

“I like the way she competes,” Lowe continued. “She could have been terrified the first scrimmage day, and both (UA assistant coach) Taryne (Mowatt-McKinney) and I were super impressed that she got on the mound and she just went. I think 'Scoop' (Scupin) was in her first group. She would terrify anybody, and (Silva) just went right at people. I think her first out was a strikeout, and it was just like, ‘OK.’ Everybody settled in after that.”

Soaking it all in

In the circle, things are going well for Silva. Besides striking out her first batter in practice, she’s already taking tips from pitching coach Mowatt-McKinney and adjusting seemingly on the fly with her changeup and curve — her two most important pitches at this point.

“(She told me) not to overthink everything — not see it so much in my head. Just pitch like I know how,” Silva said. “With my curveball, we've done this little … it's like a slow walk-through, and it's more of spinning the ball. I learned that (Wednesday), and (the next day) it’s done wonders already. (For) my changeup, not slowing my body down and just going as hard as I can, just like I do with all my pitches.”

After squeezing in a full year of schoolwork to graduate early from Mountain View last month, Silvia is now onto adjusting to college and being a student-athlete.

“She is a sponge, and I'm sure she has her head spinning a little bit,” Lowe said. “This is her first week of classes in college. This is her first time waking up for weights in the morning and all of those things.

"I'm sure it's overwhelming, but at the same time she just she loves this group and she's soaking up knowledge from Taryne (and) from the rest of the team, too, on what it takes to compete on this level.”

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Help wanted

Last week the NCAA changed the rules on volunteer coaches for softball. In July, those spots will be paid full-time positions.

Lowe, who is excited about the extra paid position, will have two spots to fill as Stacy Iveson retired in December. Iveson, a former player and coach, has held many roles over the years, including her latest as director of softball operations-recruiting.

Lowe wouldn't reveal who she has in mind for those positions just yet, but it sounds like, at least for the recruiting position, it will be someone homegrown. 

“It's nice to have someone with an Arizona background,” Lowe said. “It's nice to have people who played the game, who have been through the recruiting process, but really, they love Arizona softball and they want to contribute to its success in any way.”

Lowe is focused on this season for now; the Wildcats' opener is Feb. 9 vs. Long Beach State. With the limited amount of recruiting the program does in spring, it’s all hands on deck until summer. This new recruiting director will have a big hole to fill at that point.

“We've missed Stacy in different ways,” Lowe said. “Just having her presence around the office and her presence in the dugout. I think you saw when she got mic’ed up (during fall ball), she's just someone you want to be around. She makes our team better in a whole lot of different ways and has rubbed off on people in good ways."

Iveson was a four-time junior-college national-champion coach with Pima Community College and Yavapai College. She also led Salpointe Catholic to the 1993 state championship. The Tucsonan has been honored as a member of the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame, NJCAA Softball Coaches Hall of Fame, Yavapai College Athletic Hall of Fame and the ACCAC Athletic Hall of Fame.

Iveson played on former UA coach Mike Candrea’s 1986-1989 teams as a catcher. She served on Candrea’s staff as pitching coach for many years, guiding UA aces Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Becky Lemke and Jennie Finch, as well as McQuillin and O’Toole.

Extra bases

• Heading into her second season as head coach, Lowe said this year's team already has a strong identity. “What I've seen throughout the fall and in January is they're being themselves and they're comfortable in their own skin. ... It's letting them play a lot more free,” Lowe said. “I hope that's what they carry into the season. The team I'm excited to watch is them just being able to be themselves and not worry about anything.”

• Skaggs and Scupin are already getting noticed. D1Softball.com has both players listed in its D100 Player Rankings, with Skaggs landing at 22 and Scupin at 44.