SB Nation    •   5 min read

Former Arizona softball pitcher Sydney Somerndike commits to UCLA

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Arizona Athletics

It was a busy offseason for Arizona softball. Nine active players and one who never suited up went into the transfer portal after the season. The recent commitments of pitcher Sydney Somerndike and outfielder Zaedi Tagalog leave only one of the 10 still on the market.

Somerndike announced her commitment to UCLA on Monday, while Tagalog recently committed to Pacific. That leaves only infielder Logan Cole still uncommitted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by sydney lynn ♒️ (@sydneysomerndike)

Neither Somerndike nor Tagalog

AD

played much during their time in Tucson. Somerndike got innings her freshman year, but spent much of her three years as a Wildcat in the dugout with various injuries or behind older pitchers. She took a medical redshirt her true sophomore year, then was buried in a bullpen of eight that included three seniors when she returned as a redshirt sophomore.

Somerndike completed just 0.2 innings in two appearances during the 2025 season. She ended with an ERA of 21.00.

Over the two seasons she actually pitched, the right-hander had a 4.26 ERA in 46 innings. She made 24 appearances with seven starts. Opposing hitters hit .276 against her. She ended with a 4-2 career record.

UCLA was looking for pitching after losing two of its top three pitchers to the transfer portal. The Bruins were in the running for other transfer pitchers, including former Wildcat Ryan Maddox, but Somerndike is their first commitment at the position.

UCLA lost six players to the transfer portal and eight seniors after a season that ended in the Women’s College World Series. The Bruins’ only other transfer addition for 2026 is shortstop Soo-Jin Berry.

Tagalog is a local Tucson product who appeared 65 times as a pinch runner and three times as a pinch hitter in two years at Arizona.

Lead photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics

More from azdesertswarm.com:

AD
More Stories You Might Enjoy