Hanah Bowen, the Arizona Wildcats’ top returning pitcher, will be “unavailable until further notice,” coach Caitlin Lowe said Tuesday.
While Bowen is still on the roster and part of the team, Lowe said Bowen is not physically with the team. She has not pitched since surrendering seven earned runs on 11 hits in a little more than four innings in a 7-6 loss to No. 12 Kentucky on Feb. 19 in Tucson. Over six appearances, five of them starts, Bowen is 4-2 with a 4.26 ERA.
Sixteenth-ranked Arizona (10-4) returns to action Thursday against North Dakota. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
“She’s not worked her way out of the rotation, she’s just unavailable until further notice,” Lowe said. “We’ll just have to get updated as we go. It’s not an injury, and I can’t really comment on it until it’s appropriate.”
In Bowen’s absence, Arizona’s three other starting pitchers have seen their roles grow. Devyn Netz, who entered the season second on the team in innings pitched, started in a 10-2 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday to end the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Netz was replaced in the fourth inning by freshman Madi Elish, who pitched nearly 12 innings over the five-game tournament. She’ll be a key part of the rotation going forward.
“(Elise) has risen to the occasion,” Lowe said. “That’s the one blessing that comes out of this is we get to see what they can do. I think Madi stepped up in a big way.”
Jessie Fontes, who has a 1.91 ERA over 11 innings in four appearances this season, also figures to pitch more if Bowen remains away from the team.
