Although Arizona is in the top 15 nationally in almost every offensive statistic, it is focused on one in particular.
No. 9-ranked Arizona (29-5, 6-3 Big 12) is averaging 7.88 runs per game.
“The biggest emphasis this year has been scoring runs, period,” said UA head coach Caitlin Lowe. “It’s not been batting average, home runs, extra base hits, OPS. It is scoring runs.”
Arizona’s Devyn Netz (34) waits on deck for her turn at the plate in the third inning against UCF in Tucson on March 8, 2025.
As of Wednesday, the Wildcats are second in the country in hits (336), fifth in total runs (268), sixth in in batting (.369), seventh in RBIs (239), ninth in on-base percentage (.455), 11th in scoring, 11th in walks (138), 14th in home runs (48), 14th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.05) and 15th in slugging (.598).
Lowe said before the season, the team talked it out.
“We actually sat down as an offense, collectively, I know our defense did the same and just kind of sat down, talked about our strengths, talked about what we wanted it to look like before we ever hit page and we ever hit the field,” Lowe said. “So we came up with just standards for what we wanted to look like, controllables for what we wanted us to look like and then it was just buying into what makes this great offensively.
“I’ve been super proud that we’ve been balanced throughout the lineup, whether that be the stolen bases or we’re just hitting gaps, our strike out to walk ratios is really good this year, just little things like that and when you put the collective piece together, the collective pieces together, it paints a way greater picture than I thought the last one.”
Kaiah Altmeyer hit an RBI double against Utah at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
UA travels to BYU (20-6, 4-2) for a three-game series starting Thursday.
The Wildcats lead the Big 12 in batting (and fielding too, with a .975 fielding percentage. They are fourth in pitching with a 2.42 ERA).
Sophomore utility Regan Shockey leads the Wildcats in steals with 16 on 18 attempts, up from eight last year. Arizona is 31 of 37 for stolen bases as a team; it was 33 of 44 last year.
Arizona’s Regan Shockey (25) successfully secures first base for the Wildcats during the Candrea Classic game against Alabama on Feb. 8, 2025, in Tucson.
Lowe said the increase in stolen bases comes from buying into working on jumps and practice.
“I think it’s a really big deal. The more you do it, the better you get at it, so I think that’s been important,” Lowe said. “We have a lot of speed at the top of the lineup and then I don’t want to say, we don’t have speed in the middle because we still have a good amount of speed. But those three at the top can really do damage on the bases offensively and then down at the bottom.”
Lowe owns the UA’s stolen bases in a career record (156) and is second (49 of 50 attempts), fourth (47 of 50) and 10th (33 of 35) for most stolen bases in a season.
“(The offense is) fun and I think what I wish they would realize is how contagious they are to each other and like, I thought you saw Sunday, it was contagious in the wrong way and we’ve played a lot of games where they just feed off each other and keep going,” Lowe said. “So, we have to realize that one person or one bad performance doesn’t make us ...
“And we’ve been really good at that, a bad at bat not ruining our whole game and figuring out a way to get things done at the end,” she added. “So, I think I would like them to respond this week as far as Sunday’s performance not being up to par.”
On Sunday, the Wildcats missed out on the chance to sweep ASU when they scored only a couple runs, tied for their lowest output of the season. Starting when they got their first three runners on and struck out three times to end the first inning, they were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
“It was a confidence, swagger, it was a ‘you can’t throw the ball by me’ mentality that we just, I didn’t think we had, especially with bases loaded, nobody out in the first inning, that to me is like you just salivate for those moments,” Lowe said. “So I didn’t think we had that, I think we’ve had it in the past. We have to get back to that but I thought it was honestly a collective thing.
“It didn’t feel like one person, it was kind of a team thing, which is I think that’s maybe the first time that’s happened minus maybe the Washington loss, where it’s completely controllable and we gotta make sure we show up.”
Arizona runner Kiki Escobar (29) beats the throw to UCF second baseman Stormy Kotzelnick (44) on single by teammate Regan Shockey in the second inning of their Big 12 game on March 8, 2025, in Tucson.
Extra bases
— While the temperature was in the 90s in Tucson for UA’s practice on Tuesday, the highs in Provo, Utah, for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are projected by weather.com to be 74, 60 and 51, respectively. “I think it’s a mindset thing more than anything, it’s just showing up and embracing adversity, posting up to the challenge of everything and that’s more than just weather,” Lowe said. “It’s everything we face, travel, being tired, we’re right in the grind of of conference season. So showing up every day and making sure with 96 degrees or whatever, we have the best practice that we possibly can on a Tuesday. I think you can’t complain about heat one day and then cold the next, we’re blessed to work in really great weather all the time.”
— BYU pitcher/outfielder Gianna Mares and senior pitcher Alyssa Aguilar went to Salpointe Catholic High School. Aguilar’s cousin, Alexandra Parkhurst, plays beach volleyball at Arizona.
— The Wildcats moved up to No. 9 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll and dropped to 11th in the NFCA Coaches Poll after they won the ASU series and beat GCU on the road last week. UA is No. 11 in the NCAA’s RPI.
