Junior infielder Tayler Biehl grew up an Arizona softball fan, and now she’s trying to get them back to a familiar place: the Women’s College World Series.
Biehl’s aunt, Jenae Leles, played for Arizona from 2006-09 and with head coach Caitlin Lowe, so she grew up a “huge fan.”
“Ever since I can remember, I was around Arizona softball," Biehl said. "I think when I was like 3, 4 years old, she went to the World Series for the first time. I went all four years when she was here, just like the fan supporting her. So, there was so many photos of me with like the 'A' on my chin and like the face paint and everything.
"So, I just always grew up as a fan and just knowing what the history of Arizona softball is and now I wanna be a part of that and kind of getting it back to there and just building on the legacy that my aunt and Caitlin and all the people before have kind of done for the program.”
In college, Leles was an All-American and Biehl has had a strong start, too. Last year, Biehl won Pac-12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors after she had a .977 fielding percentage and led the Conference of Champions with 103 assists.
Arizona shortstop Tayler Biehl makes the pivot over UCF runner Madison Simon to complete a double play in the fifth inning of their Big 12 game in Tucson on March 8, 2025.
Biehl, of Folsom, Calif., near Sacramento, was the No. 15 recruit in the country and No. 9 middle infielder, according to Extra Inning Softball.
She knew where she wanted to go college, but her aunt, who leads the travel ball club "Firecrackers LeLes" and coached at the UA a couple seasons, told her to keep her options open and “trust the process.”
“My dream school was always here, but she even told me, she was like, ‘you can't put your eggs in one basket always,’ even though I was like ‘I'm coming here no matter what,’” Biehl said. “But she just told me to trust the process and that, like, it's gonna happen, if it's meant to be, and just kind of like trust my skills and my talent and just keep working hard and that I'll get to wherever I am and that happened to be my dream school.”
No. 12 Arizona (31-6, 8-4 Big 12) hosts No. 18 Oklahoma State (22-9, 4-3) this weekend for a three-game series starting Friday night.
Lowe said she has been watching Biehl play since she was “little, little.”
Arizona infielder Tayler Biehl (2) beats the throw to Michigan St. first baseman Britain Beshears (22) for an infield single in the third inning of Game 2 on Feb. 6, 2025, in Tucson.
Biehl’s mom and Leles’ sister, Natalie, was an All-American tennis player at Long Beach State.
This season, Biehl has a .961 fielding percentage. Her freshman year it was .979 and last year it was .974.
Her batting average is up to .289 after she hit .250 last year and her on-base percentage is a career high .377. Biehl is 7 for 7 on stolen base attempts.
She is fifth in the Big 12 in assists with 73.
Lowe said the shortstop has been fantastic.
Arizona shortstop Tayler Biehl (2) climbs the ladder to snare a liner from Michigan St. hitter Hannah Greer (24) in the fifth inning of their game on the opening night of the Candrea Classic on Feb. 6, 2025.
“She's our steady force in the infield and I've been so impressed with how she's kind of improved offensively week in and week out,” Lowe said. “She’s been a big punch for us down at the bottom of the lineup where she can just play the game, make things happen and I think some people don't always look at her with as much respect and she makes them pay every single time, which is awesome, when you can turn that top of the lineup over and over again and (freshman infielder) Jenna’s (Sniffen) done that in spots, Tayler’s done that in spots, (junior infielder) Logan (Cole) had done it in spots and (junior infielder) Kiki (Escobar).
“So when they're all firing together, man it becomes really special.”
Extra bases
– Oklahoma State swept Arizona in the Super Regionals last year at home, winning 8-0 in five innings and then 10-4 a day later to eliminate the Wildcats.
Biehl said they are looking for redemption and “we really want this one.”
“I think about it — a lot — but at the same time, we're living in the present and what Oklahoma State looks like this year and what we look like this year, because it's very different as far as what we're coming at them with," Lowe said. "We have a staff now of eight pitchers, we’re a different team top to bottom offensively, just the way we approach the game but they are, as well, and they're gonna make their adjustments.
“So I think it's gonna be important for us to set the tone that we want to set and maintain it throughout an entire weekend and I think that's the piece that I'm hoping we get to next is, we've been great at setting the tone, we've been great at coming out Game 2 and handling business and then finishing on Game 3, gritty, competitive, whatever it takes, getting that Sunday win.”
After winning eight in a row and 15 of 16 against OK State, UA has lost four of its last five to the Cowgirls, with the last three being in the Supers or at the Women’s College World Series.
Oklahoma State beat ASU on the road Wednesday 4-0 in a nonconference game.
– Friday is ZonaZoo night, with students getting free ice cream sandwiches. On Saturday, the UA is asking fans to wear blue and it is Cancer awareness and Team IMPACT Night.
Finally, the last game of the series is a “Sunday Funday,” with festivities like kids running the bases after the game and an Arizona T-shirt giveaway to the first 500 fans.
– The Wildcats dropped to No. 12 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll and remained 11th in the NFCA Coaches Poll after they won two of three at BYU last week. UA is No. 12 in the NCAA’s RPI.
