• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Phoenix Sports Today

Phoenix Sports News Continuously Updated

  • Cardinals
  • Diamondbacks
  • Coyotes
  • Basketball
    • Mercury
    • Suns
  • Soccer
  • Colleges
    • Arizona State
    • Grand Canyon University
    • Northern Arizona
    • University of Arizona

Report: Arizona softball’s Sharlize Palacios and Janelle Meoño enter transfer portal

July 2, 2022 by AZ Desert Swarm

NCAA Softball: Women’s College World Series Oregon St vs Arizona
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

When it rains it pours, and it’s raining in Tucson today. Rumors surfaced on Thursday that catcher Sharlize Palacios and centerfielder Janelle Meoño were in the transfer portal. On Friday, Extra Inning Softball’s Justin McLeod confirmed that it was the case.

BREAKING: @ArizonaSoftball standouts Sharlize Palacios and Janelle Meono have both entered the transfer portal, sources confirmed to @justfactsmaam.https://t.co/UIHJRFkTAL

— ExtraInningSoftball (@ExtraInningSB) July 2, 2022

Both players are heading into their redshirt junior seasons. Palacios was the starting catcher in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and again in 2022. Meoño was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2021 but had injury issues in 2022 and never fully recovered her form.

Palacios went through a dip in production early in the Pac-12 season. On March 27, her average had dropped to .197. However, she recovered and finished with a .326 average and 20 home runs as the Wildcats made an unexpected run to the Women’s College World Series.

Meoño led the Pac-12 with a .432 batting average in 2021. In 2022, she appeared in just 36 of Arizona’s 61 games due to a lower-leg injury. She had difficulty finding the same level of success at the plate after she returned, hitting .291 on the season. After the injury, she had 11 hits in 72 at-bats over 21 games including two hits in eight postseason games.

The defections leave Arizona with eight returners for next season and five incoming freshmen. The Wildcats have yet to announce any transfers into the program but are in desperate need of pitching. They currently will have a pitching staff consisting of just junior Devyn Netz and incoming freshman Sydney Somerndike next season.

As for the holes left by the departures of Palacios and Meoño, Arizona has options. Senior Izzy Pacho was moved to third base last year, but her first position is catcher. She had a breakout season at the plate after finally getting the opportunity to play daily. She hit .360 with 11 home runs. Her average never dropped below .352 over the course of the season.

The Wildcats also bring in Olivia DiNardo, a highly-regarded catcher out of San Mateo, Calif. EIS has her ranked as the No. 7 player overall and the No. 2 catcher in the class. They probably need to bring in another catcher from the transfer portal, though.

In the outfield and at leadoff, Jasmine Perezchica did a strong job at the top of the order while Meoño was injured. The left fielder hit .355 and was successful on 12 of 16 stolen base attempts. She had a fielding percentage of .991.

The Wildcats will also welcome the top-ranked centerfielder in the class according to EIS. Dakota Kennedy is ranked No. 4 overall according to the publication.

While that gives Arizona plenty of talent at the positions in question, head coach Caitlin Lowe and her staff still need to worry about depth. With only 13 players on the 2023 roster and with depth issues at some key positions, the Wildcats need to find those pieces sooner rather than later. The top players are slowly but surely all committing elsewhere.

Filed Under: University of Arizona

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Thursday Tidbits: 2020 Draft Retrospective
  • (no title)
  • GM Brian Gregory on Devin Booker’s contract extension: He is the embodiment of the Phoenix Suns
  • Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #93: 7/10 @ Padres
  • Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #93: 7/10 @ Padres

Categories

Archives

Our Partners

All Sports

  • 247 Sports
  • ArizonaSports.com - 98.7 FM
  • Bleacher Report
  • Heat Waved
  • OurSports Central
  • The Arizona Republic
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • USA Today

Baseball

  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • AZ Snake Pit
  • Last Word On Baseball
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Venom Strikes

Basketball

  • Phoenix Suns
  • Amico Hoops
  • Basketball Insiders
  • Bright Side Of The Sun
  • High Post Hoops
  • Hoops Hype
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball
  • Pro Basketball Talk
  • Real GM
  • Valley Of The Suns

Football

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Cardinals Gab
  • Cards Wire
  • Deep Dive
  • Last Word On Pro Football
  • NFL Trade Rumors
  • Our Turf Football
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Football Talk
  • Raising Zona
  • Revenge Of The Birds
  • Words From The Birds

Hockey

  • Elite Prospects
  • Five For Howling
  • Howlin Hockey
  • Last Word On Hockey
  • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Talk
  • The Hockey Writers

Soccer

  • Last Word on Soccer
  • MLS Multiplex

College

  • AZ Desert Swarm
  • Busting Brackets
  • College Football News
  • College Sports Madness
  • Devils In Detail
  • House Of Sparky
  • Last Word On College Basketball - Univ of Arizona
  • Saturday Blitz
  • Zags Blog
  • Zona Zealots

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in