Coach Heather Tarr has a lot of work to do to rebuild her roster ahead of Washington’s first season in the Big Ten and will be looking to replace a lot of production up and down the lineup, especially at catcher.
Junior Olivia Johnson and sophomore Sydney Stewart both entered the transfer portal at the end of the year, with the latter announcing her intentions to play at Arizona on Tuesday.
Stewart had a breakout sophomore campaign at the plate, posting a .321 batting average and 1.006 OPS with 5 home runs, 10 doubles, 18 runs batted in, and 23 runs scored. She was also a defensive standout, tallying just 3 errors on 245 chances, good for a .988 fielding percentage which helped lead her to a spot on the NFCA’s All-Pacific Region Third Team.
In Tucson, Stewart may become the primary catcher while being spelled by sophomore Emily Schepp, who started 48 games last season. Schepp posted a .298 batting average with 7 home runs and 27 RBI, which could move her into a designated player role more often as the Wildcats move into the Big 12.
Tarr will have to hit the portal for reinforcements at the only player at the position on the roster is senior Haley Winckler, who played in two games last season after earning a Rawlings Gold Glove for her perfect fielding percentage and batting .389 at Bellevue Community College in 2023.