Last week, the NCAA announced changes to recruiting that will affect softball for years to come. No college team will be able to contact an athlete prior to their junior year in high school.

Many college softball programs have been recruiting players as young as middle school. Arizona coach Mike Candrea did just that with Ironwood Ridge’s Isabel Pacho. Pacho was in eighth grade when colleges began recruiting her. She verbally committed to Arizona the summer after her freshman year.

Three years later, Pacho has lived up to the promise she showed as a freshman. The shortstop is hitting .652 as a senior with nine home runs and 34 RBIs. She carries a career .549 batting average, and has nearly as many career RBIs (145) as hits (167).

Pacho said she supports the NCAA’s recruiting changes. So does Candrea.

β€œI wouldn’t change my decision now, and I would never change it,” Pacho said. β€œArizona is my top school, but it would have been nice to be a little bit older.”

Pacho, who started playing at 4 years old, said she felt pressure from her teammates, parents and coaches to sign early. Even after verbally committing, Pacho felt like she had to play well enough to justify Arizona’s scholarship. She has since learned to shake off that pressure.

β€œNow, I just play the game,” Pacho said. β€œI know I’m not perfect.”

Before she enrolls at Arizona, Pacho will try to lead the Nighthawks to a deep run into the state playoffs. Ironwood Ridge has reached the championship game five times since 2008. It last won a state title in 2016.

β€œFor us, it’s expected,” Nighthawks coach Dave Martinez said. β€œWe do expect to have a good regular season. We expect to qualify for state playoffs and we expect to do well in the state playoffs. We’ve got five banners out that say we’re good to make it to the championship game.”

During Senior Night, Martinez presented his five seniors with a hand-written card. Martinez praised Pacho for leading the team to a state championship two years ago and now, as a senior, mentoring the team into another playoff run.

β€œShe’s just been a complete captain in the best sense of the word: Verbal, by action, just getting it done in games,” Martinez said.

Midway through the season, Martinez brought up freshman Desirae Salese so she could learn from Pacho. He wanted to make sure she saw the way she prepares, practices and plays.

β€œI said this to her before and I say this to the kids, β€˜She makes spectacular plays look routine,” Martinez said. β€œSo, we have to make sure that we appreciate what we’re watching and appreciate what we’re seeing when she’s out here.”

Regardless of Pacho’s upcoming future with Arizona softball, the Ironwood Ridge senior said she’s going to stay focused on helping her team win and advance through the state tournament.

β€œSo sometimes I don’t really focus on exactly how I’m doing it,” Pacho said. β€œI want to do well, but if I’m helping the team, then nothing else really matters.”


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Contact reporter Norma Gonzalez at 520-262-3265 or ngonzalez@tucson.com.