Meoño, Palacios Named to USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List

TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona Softball sophomores Janelle Meoño and Sharlize Palacios have been named to the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List, announced on Wednesday.
 
Meoño, a redshirt sophomore from Hacienda Heights, California, is making her first appearance on the Watch List. Meoño is entering her sophomore season as the Pac-12's reigning Freshman of the Year and Batting Champion. The outfielder picked up NFCA All-American, All-Region, and All-Pac-12 honors following her breakout freshman season when she became the first freshman at Arizona to hit .439 in a season since head coach Caitlin Lowe hit .437 in 2004.
 
Palacios, a redshirt sophomore from Chula Vista, California, is also making her first appearance on the Top 50 Watch List. The catcher earned All-Region and All-Pac-12 recognition following an outstanding freshman season. Palacios etched her name in the Arizona freshman record books for home runs (18) and RBI (57) in a season. She also led all conference freshmen in slugging percentage, home runs, and RBI.
 
Meoño and Palacios have also been named to the Extra Inning Softball Extra Elite 100 and Softball America's Preseason College Top 100 rankings for the 2022 season.
 
Arizona will open the 2022 season with the inaugural Candrea Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium on February 10-13. The Cats open the tournament with Southern Utah on Thursday, February 10 and again on Friday, February 11. The Wildcats will face their first ranked opponent, No. 2 Alabama, on Saturday, February 12. Arizona will close out opening weekend with New Mexico on Sunday, February 12.