Arizona softball transfer Marissa Schuld lands at ASU

Arizona transfer Marissa Schuld will continue her softball career with the rival Arizona State Sun Devils, it was announced Thursday.

While it’s rare to see a Wildcat become a Sun Devil, this is a homecoming for Schuld, who grew up an ASU fan and attended Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, where she was once the most decorated player in the state.

A two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, Schuld owns Pinnacle’s all-time records for home runs (37), RBI (177), strikeouts (617) and wins (54). She was the 2018 FloSoftball National Player of the Year, the same year she led Pinnacle to a 6A state championship. The title game was held at ASU’s Farrington Stadium.

Schuld hardly played as a freshman at Arizona—which she admitted was frustrating at times—but she hit .350 with two homers, six RBI and a double as a sophomore, mostly serving as UA’s designated player in the coronavirus-shortened campaign. The 5-foot-3 righty also pitched 17.2 innings in her UA career, only allowing one earned run while striking out 10.

Schuld had a big game when Arizona played in Tempe in February, going 2 for 3 with a double and homer in a win over Portland State.

“I felt comfortable there,” Schuld said earlier this spring. “All my family was there because it’s my hometown, and I just tried to relax and stay focused.”

Schuld wore No. 71 at Arizona to pay tribute to former ASU shortstop Katelyn Boyd, a friend and mentor. Boyd wore No. 17 with the Sun Devils, but that number—and No. 7—was already occupied at Arizona when Schuld arrived.

ASU boasted one of the top offenses in the country in 2020, but continued to struggle in the circle, so Schuld should get more pitching opportunities with the Sun Devils than she would have with the Wildcats, who are returning seniors Mariah Lopez and Alyssa Denham and adding some promising freshman arms.

Still, it’s unclear when Schuld will suit up for the Sun Devils. College softball transfers are typically immediately eligible at their new schools, but the rules are different when it comes to players who transfer within the Pac-12. In this case, Schuld will have to sit out a year unless she gets clearance from Arizona.

Schuld is one of five players who transferred from Arizona this offseason, though sources say a sixth player could be on the way out. By returning all seven seniors, Arizona created a roster crunch.

So far, junior utility Ivy Davis transferred to Tennessee and sophomore left-hander Vanessa Foreman signed with Louisiana-Lafayette. Junior outfielders Jenna Kean and Carli Campbell are still on the market.

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