Denham, Lopez reflect on winding paths to Tucson as they prepare final postseason

It’s a big decision, choosing where to go to college.

Presumably, it affects every aspect of one’s life: where they live, their profession and their social circles. Not many 14-year-olds are equipped to make that call.

“The recruiting process in itself is very difficult for young kids,” UA coach Mike Candrea said. “There are parents that do a really good job of sifting through some of the layers, making sure it’s a good fit academically, athletically, socially. ‘Is this a place that I want my daughter to be at, and will she be taken care of?’ There are so many things.”

As fifth-year senior pitchers Alyssa Denham and Mariah Lopez head into their final college games, they are reminded of the road to the UA. Neither started their college career in Tucson, but neither regrets their previous stop.

Alyssa Denham, from a small town on the outskirts of Houston, Texas, chose Louisiana Lafayette, a small-conference softball powerhouse. She won Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in 2017 with a 15-2 record and a 2.27 ERA but decided it wasn’t the right fit. Since, Denham has played a key role in Arizona’s pitching staff, even pitching a complete game in the victory that punched Arizona’s ticket to the Women’s College World Series in 2019.

“I did commit early, but I actually committed to a different school than (ULL),” Denham said. “I have no regrets of going to Louisiana-Lafayette at all. That place and that coaching staff allowed me to grow to be able to make it here. I always say if I came to Arizona as a freshman, I don’t think I would have done very well.

“Honestly, if I could tell myself something that I wish I knew back then it would be to ‘chase your dreams and the sky is the limit. Your hard work and dedication will give you everything you need to be successful.’”

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Lopez’s journey from Southern California was a little different. For three years, she was at the apex of the college softball world with Oklahoma. She compiled a 51-2 record and a 1.61 ERA, pitching in both the 2017 WCWS Championship Series win over Florida and the 2019 loss to UCLA.

As the 11-seed Wildcats (36-13, 12-10) prepare for the postseason, starting with this weekend’s NCAA regional featuring UMBC, Villanova and Ole Miss, both of their experiences will prove invaluable. They’ve also provided a chance to reflect on why each chose Arizona and what they learned from making their first college recruitment decision.

“I didn’t really know myself as a 14-year-old,” Lopez said. “I have a sister that’s the same age, 14, to think about her making that decision is insane.

“(I would say) to just take the chance to sit and figure out what I wanted, versus what I felt everyone else wanted. That’s not the situation that I’m dealing with, but just in general, if I could go and give advice to anyone who is 14 years old, not just myself.”

While they were in college, the NCAA passed new rules prohibiting softball coaches from extending verbal offers until after their sophomore year. Before this, it was common for players to be committed as early as middle school, and an NCAA study found that 49% of Division I softball players had at least one offer during or before their sophomore season.

But even with these new restrictions, coaches recognize it can still be difficult.

“It’s a difficult decision to make even when you’re 18. It’s never easy to say that this is where my future is,” Candrea said. “A lot of it is because they don’t have enough information. They tend to look at things that are irrelevant in allowing them to be successful and happy with their college career. Kids will go to a football game. Well, they’re not coming here to play football so who cares what football is like. What do we have as far as softball is concerned?”