AZ Desert Swarm

The SB Nation blog dedicated to the Arizona Wildcats is your go-to place for reliable news, rumors, in-depth analysis, stats, and scores—all from the viewpoint of passionate fans.

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Arizona P/INF Devyn Netz lands among Top 10 finalists for 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

1 day ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo by Ryan Kelapire Devyn Netz had a huge impact on Arizona softball during her sophomore and junior seasons, but her redshirt senior year has been one for the ages. The Big 12 Player of the Year is in line for another major honor after being named one of 10 finalists for the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award on Wednesday morning. Netz is one of five pitchers and three two-way players on the list.
Road to OKC: First look at Tucson Regional softball teams

3 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Tucson Regional is set to go with the 13th-seeded Arizona Wildcats hosting Ole Miss, GCU, and Santa Clara beginning on Friday, May 16. What are the storylines and what does Arizona need to do to advance to Super Regionals for the third time in Caitlin Lowe’s four-year tenure as head coach? The regional features two major things: familiar foes and strong pitching. On the other side, there’s one very new face in the regional this year.
NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship: Arizona falls to Virginia in Sweet 16

5 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Ezra Amacher

ArizonaWildcats.com Arizona men’s tennis will have to wait at least another year to get over the hump of advancing past the Sweet 16. The No. 10 seed Wildcats lost to No. 7 Virginia 4-2 on Saturday in Charlottesville, marking the third straight year Arizona has fallen in the third round of the NCAA Championship. Arizona (26-5) had a chance to win the match had the last two singles points gone its way, but the Cavaliers (23-7) closed out strong.
Pitching makes the difference for Arizona softball in Big 12 Championship title game loss

5 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo courtesy of Big 12 Conference OKLAHOMA CITY—Conventional wisdom is that a team’s ace would be the starter in a winner-take-all championship game. Instead, Arizona went with the lefty-on-lefty matchup against Texas Tech and Big 12 Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady in the Big 12 Championship title game. It didn’t work out. The Wildcats fell behind 4-0 in the second and could never make inroads against Canaday, who struck out eight while allowing just two hits and two walks.
What to expect when Arizona plays Texas Tech for the Big 12 Softball Championship crown

5 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo by Ryan Kelapire It’s the time of the softball season when you dance with the one who brought you. Teams who choose not to, like Arizona State in its semifinal against Texas Tech, can pay dearly. It would be unlikely if the Wildcats or the Red Raiders made such a choice in the 2025 Big 12 Softball Championship final on Saturday morning. Big 12 Player of the Year Devyn Netz brought Arizona. Big 12 Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady brought Texas Tech.
Arizona softball mounts another comeback to advance to Big 12 Championship final

6 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo courtesy of the Big 12 Conference OKLAHOMA CITY—The Arizona Wildcats were in their second straight conference tournament semifinal on Friday. Different conference, different result. Last year, UCLA knocked the Wildcats out of the Pac-12 tournament in a 6-5 comeback win. This year, Arizona was the one coming back on Iowa State in a 6-3 victory. The Wildcats move on to face top-seeded Texas Tech in the final with both teams seeking their first Big 12 Championship crown.
Wildcat Wrap: 10 Arizona programs earn perfect single-year APR scores

6 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Ezra Amacher

Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Editor’s note: With several sports going on, Wildcat Wrap serves as a recap that focuses on the Arizona programs that we do not have the time to cover on a regular basis but are certainly worthy of recognition. College athletics has evolved tremendously in recent years with the rise of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness.
What to expect when Arizona softball faces Iowa State in Big 12 Softball Tournament semifinal

6 days ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo courtesy of the Big 12 Conference OKLAHOMA CITY— Arizona Wildcats have wanted to play a conference softball tournament at Devon Park in Oklahoma City for a long time. “It’s about time,” Big 12 Player of the Year Devyn Netz said at the beginning of the season when asked about playing at OGE Energy Field before the Women’s College World Series.
Arizona softball ‘chips away’ in comeback win over UCF, advances to Big 12 semifinals

1 week ago | azdesertswarm.com | Kim Doss

Photo courtesy of the Big 12 Conference OKLAHOMA CITY—UCF came into the Big 12 Softball Tournament quarterfinals with some confidence. Not only had the Knights defeated Utah to advance, but they knew they could beat the team that was on the schedule next. They had already done so twice this year. “I think a lot,” said UCF shortstop Aubrey Evans about how much confidence that gave her team. “Again, they’re a really good team, but we are too, and I think a lot of people overlook us.
‘Nightmare of hard work’ has Arizona Wildcats men’s tennis in top echelon of sport

1 week ago | azdesertswarm.com | Ezra Amacher

Arizona Athletics Arizona men’s tennis coach Clancy Shields isn’t afraid to acknowledge that the Wildcats program lacks the talent of other teams that fill the sport’s upper echelon. It’s true that Arizona has two of the top players in the country, and it’s also true that the UA is about to compete in its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five years.