Mickey the Mouth
The Syndicate News Wire
- May 21, 2026
- 1,985
- 0
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 17: Infielder Jenna Sniffen #33 of the Arizona Wildcats catches a line drive hit during the sixth inning of the game against the Duke Blue Devils during Game 7 of the NCAA Softball Durham Regional on May 17, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Halloway/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While three members of the Arizona Wildcats softball team were expressing their pride at being Wildcats, intentions of returning, or love of being at Arizona, rumors about another player preparing for departure were making their way around. Those rumors turned out to be true as sophomore third baseman Jenna Sniffen announced her intention to transfer on Saturday afternoon.
Mahalo Tucson
I will be entering the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility remaining pic.twitter.com/jprb8uqhfI
— Jenna Sniffen (@jennasniffenn) May 23, 2026
Sniffen has been Arizona’s starting third baseman both years in Tucson. She appeared in a total of 115 games, all as a starter. She was a strong defender both seasons. In 2026, she was second on the team with 13.93 defensive runs saved, trailing only centerfielder Regan Shockey’s 14.85. Sniffen’s DRS ranked 31st in Division I softball.
Sniffen saw a bit of regression in her numbers at the plate in her second season, but she had some important at-bats for the Wildcats in the three games against Duke in regionals. She went 2-for-7 with 3 RBI against the Blue Devils. She also had two walks and a sacrifice bunt in what amounted to a three-game series for the regional title.
Sniffen hit .267 this year after hitting .295 during her rookie season. Her on-base percentage went from .371 to .347. Her slugging percentage dropped from .500 to .443.
She becomes the second Wildcat to announce her intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens on June 8. Catcher Emma Kavanagh was the first to announce. Both have two years of eligibility left unless the NCAA approves the 5-in-5 rule that would give players another season of eligibility.
While Sniffen’s superb defense will be missed, her departure is more easily addressed by players expected to be on the 2027 roster than Kavanagh’s. Arizona has several corner infielders on the roster and two more who can play third base in the freshman class.
Read the full recap...