Two of the Arizona Wildcats' top softball players are entering the transfer portal, according to a report Friday night.
ExtraInningSoftball.com says catcher Sharlize Palacios and centerfielder Janelle Meoño are both looking to transfer. Both were recruited by former coach Mike Candrea and played the 2022 season for Caitlin Lowe, Candrea's longtime top assistant.
Palacios was one of the nation's top catchers as a redshirt sophomore, batting .326 with 20 home runs and 64 RBIs. In her UA career, Palacios — a native of the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista — played in 129 games, hitting 39 homers with 129 RBIs. Her .715 slugging percentage ranks fifth in UA history.
The reported depature of Meoño is just as stunning. She hit .439 as a redshirt freshman in 2021, winning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors and claiming the Pac-12 batting title. Meoño was slowed by a lower leg injury as a sophomore, but still managed a .291 average over 36 games — 34 of them in center. The Haceinda Heights, California native played in 102 games, hitting .354.
Both players were keys as Arizona qualified for both the 2021 and 2022 Women's College World Series.
