Arizona's senior and grad students got to Tucson at different times, but all have ended up as key contributors this year.
First came redshirt senior pitcher/infielder Devyn Netz. Then, true senior outfielder Paige Dimler.
Last year, graduate student pitcher/infielder Miranda Stoddard arrived, and this season, graduate student pitcher Saya Swain became a Wildcat.
After having missed out on the NCAA Tournament in 2023 for the first time in 35 years, the seniors look to return the program to the Women’s College World Series.
“I think that after that moment of not going to the NCAA Tournament, it kind of showed us that it was a time to really dive into the culture of the program and strive for excellence,” Dimler said. “Being able to see kind of the growth within the players, the staff, the coaches and just seeing how everyone has really rallied together to never settle for being OK but always striving for excellence has been really cool to see, and just to see how much growth and progress has been made since roughly two years ago to today is really, really an awesome, awesome opportunity.”
Senior outfielder Paige Dimler, pictured vs. Utah State on March 10, 2025, is first on the team in triples with two and second in batting.
Big 12 second-place No. 13 Arizona (36-7, 13-5 Big 12) hosts first-place No. 14 Texas Tech (34-9, 14-1) for a three-game series starting Thursday.
Dimler is first on the team in triples with two and second in batting (.440).
“Paige has been with me from the get-go, man. I think we started recruiting her in eighth or ninth grade,” said UA head coach Caitlin Lowe. “I just can't say enough about how proud I am of all of them, but her growth in particular from freshman to senior year has been incredible. And I got to celebrate her getting into grad school over the weekend. I think we were in the Houston airport on Tuesday and she was hitting refresh on her email for about a week straight — she was supposed to hear about that like last Friday and just never did — and so we got to celebrate that so she'll be set up for the fall.”
Netz (16-4) moved to Southern Arizona from Pasadena, Calif., and graduated from Ironwood Ridge High School.
“I didn't know if I'd actually love it or not and I actually ended up quite literally loving it," Netz said. "It definitely was a cultural shock at first when I did move here, but I just love the culture and the community and ever since I stepped foot on campus, even if I wasn't an athlete, I would definitely choose Arizona.”
“One of the coolest things that's developed this year has been her relationship with Miranda and how they've played off each other,” Lowe said about Netz and Stoddard. “I think it's making them better and really they've just shown great leadership and poise in the circle for us when we needed it and not only that, but at the plate hitting in the heart of our line up.”
Arizona first baseman Miranda Stoddard, left, takes the circle in relief as she and starter Devyn Netz (34) swap positions against Oklahoma State in the seventh inning of their Big 12 game April 4, 2025, at Hillenbrand Stadium.
On the Big 12 pitching leader board, Stoddard is seventh in ERA with 2.04 and Netz is eighth at 2.39. Netz is fifth in opposing batting average (.216), and sixth in innings pitched (102⅔). Netz is sixth in strike outs with 80, tied for second in wins with 16, and fifth in the league in batters struck out looking (21). Stoddard is fifth in runs allowed (27), and Stoddard is first (eight) and Netz fifth (17) in walks allowed.
“(Netz)’s been such an instrumental part of each team that that we've had and it feels like she has taken on kind of a different role every season," Lowe said. "And this season is probably one of the most crucial roles as far as being right in the heart of the lineup offensively, being at first base and pitching.”
In Big 12 batting stats, Stoddard is tied for eighth in batting (.376). She is second in slugging percentage (.835) while Netz is fifth (.746), Stoddard is sixth in on-base percentage (.481) and Stoddard is third in OPS (1.316), while Netz is sixth (1.81). Netz is second with 51 RBIs and Stoddard is tied for ninth with 37. And Netz is third in home runs with 15 and Stoddard sixth with 11.
Stoddard (9-0) left softball after three years at Kentucky and took a job as a environmental, social and governance analyst but after a year away decided to come to the UA. Last season, she focused on pitching, but this year became a threat at the plate, too.
“I really didn't have very many expectations necessarily for performance,” Stoddard said. “I felt like it just kind of fell into my lap, getting to play here and so I am just obviously so pleased and so happy that not only am I able to play, but I'm able to be so successful and be on a team that gets along, as well, and has a chance to go far.”
Graduate student pitcher Swain transferred from Iowa State and recovered from a season-ending back injury last year after seven appearances. She’s third on the team in innings pitched.
She said the change from Iowa State to Arizona has been “very drastic.”
“Very different, the way to program goes about here,” Swain said. “It's different, but also like in a good way, I feel like coming here I have grown as a woman.”
Swain (3-3) has a 2.37 ERA over 18 appearances with 40 strikeouts over 38⅓ innings.
“Saya, man, she had a great weekend in Kansas and I'm looking for all of them to just go out and play free for the rest of the year and just leave it all out on the field,” Lowe said. “I think they're in a great place to do that and finish their careers the way they really want.”
Arizona’s Saya Swain pitches against Texas at the Hillenbrand Invitational, Feb. 22, 2025.
Extra bases
– Texas Tech junior pitcher NiJaree Canady (17-4), the reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, reportedly got a $1 million NIL deal to play for TT, the largest in college softball history.
Last season, the Red Raiders went 8-16 in the Big 12 and 5-13 in 2023 and in 2022.
Texas Tech has six postseason appearances and hasn’t advanced past the regionals.
“I would say playing Texas Tech it was kind of like a competition of the bottom of the Big 12,” said Swain, who is from Paris, Texas. “Now that they've had all the changes, you know, NiJaree and then bringing in (head coach) Gerry Glasco, honestly, I didn't expect this change, I guess money talks, plays a big factor, but I think it'll be fun and we're ready for the challenge.”
Canady is 2-0 against the UA with two shutouts in her career.
– On Thursday, the UA is giving out mini helmets. On Friday, it is APIDA Heritage Night and there will be an egg hunt after the game.
For Senior Day on Saturday, they are giving out seniors posters and the UA has asked fans to wear white.
– UA remained No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll and moved up to 12th in the NFCA Coaches Poll after it swept Kansas on the road.
