Courtesy of Arizona Communication Services
(TUCSON, AZ) Arizona softball signed a trio of top-40 recruits on National Signing Day on Wednesday, head coach Mike Candrea announced. Bella Dayton, an outfielder from Wylie, Texas, Janelle Meono, an outfielder from Hacienda Heights, California, and Sharlize Palacios, a catcher from Chula Vista, California, all signed National Letters of Intent to continue their softball careers at Arizona.
Dayton is ranked No. 23, Meono is No. 35 and Palacios is No. 38 in the Extra Inning Softball Extra Elite 100. Extra Inning Softball ranks Arizona’s class as the 14th-best nationally.
“We’re really excited to welcome Bella, Janelle and Sharlize to the Arizona family,” said head coach Mike Candrea. “This is a really solid class. I think we got three impact players that will really help us out both offensively as well as in the field. With the addition of this trio, the future of Arizona softball is bright.”
Bella Dayton
Outfielder | Wylie, Texas (Wylie H.S.)
Ranked as the 23rd best recruit by Extra Inning Softball and No. 26 by FloSoftball … Named back-to-back District 6A Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a junior after being named the Freshman of the Year in 2016 … Two-time first-team all-state player … Named TGCA Texas 6A All-Star as a junior … Three-time district all-academic selection … Has hit over .500 each of the last three years, including a .586 mark with 30 stolen bases as a junior … Competes for the SoCal Choppers.
Coach Candrea says: Bella is a good outfielder, and a very accomplished hitter. She makes things happen. Bella slows the game down very well, and makes good decisions in the outfield, and I think she’s very solid and very aggressive.
Extra Inning Softball says: Isabella, or “Bella” as she’s also known, is the prototype leadoff hitter with great bat control and the ability to slap, bunt or hit with power. She’s a lefty slapper with 2.6-2.7 home-to-first speed who can take over a game or even tournament as shown by her play at the recent PGF Shootout where she went 8-for-13 with four doubles and five steals. She’s a smart baserunner who uses her explosive quickness and high softball IQ to effectively pull off delay steals and to cover a lot of ground in centerfield. Isabella has been a three-time Texas 6A All-State player as she’s hit over .500 the last three years for Wylie (Texas) High and consistently has had over 30 steals per season. She’s played at the 18U since her freshman year and has improved each season. She originally committed to Ole Miss, but now will sign with the Wildcats of Arizona.
Janelle Meono
Outfielder | Hacienda Heights, Calif. (Glen A. Wilson H.S.)
Ranked as the 35th best recruit by Extra Inning Softball and No. 45 by FloSoftball … Named first-team all-CIF as a sophomore and a junior … A three-time first-team all-league performer … Named the 2017 San Gabriel Valley All-Star Game MVP … Owns a .652 career batting average at Glen A. Wilson High School … Competes for the OC Batbusters.
Coach Candrea says: Janelle is a very, very solid player. She kind of flies under the radar, but just makes plays. She makes things happen all the time. I see her as someone who’s going to hit at the bottom of the order and help turn our lineup around, which is a very important piece in our offense. She’s solid defensively, and just an overall real solid player.
Extra Inning Softball says: Janelle continues to get better and better and is no flash, just all business, and gets it done whatever you ask her to do. She’s becoming a leader with the Batbusters for whom she has played since she was 10 years old. An excellent outfielder with a good, consistent arm, she’s continuing to develop her offensive arsenal and can hit away or use her speed to get on base and steal a base. She repeated as a CalHiSports.comAll-State pick, as a junior she was 2nd Team All-Underclass as an infielder. For her Wilson (Hacienda Heights, California) High team she hit .514 with a .557 on-base percentage and stole 26 bases without being thrown out once. Janelle also posted a 1.514 OPS and as a slapper with good bat control, she also is disciplined at the plate as she only struck out once all year. Janelle had heavy Pac-12 interest and interest from elite Power 5 Conference schools before she committed to Arizona a year ago at this time.
Sharlize Palacios
Catcher | Chula Vista, Calif. (Eastlake H.S.)
Ranked as the 38th best recruit by Extra Inning Softball … Named team MVP and Player of the Year in 2016 … Hit .534 with seven home runs as a freshman, .536 with two home runs as a sophomore and .520 with four home runs as a junior … Sister Sashel played softball at Arizona State … Competes for the OC Batbusters, where she was a runner up at the 18u 2018 Premier.
Coach Candrea says: Sharlize is a very solid young talent. She has good catching skills and a good arm, and I think will be a very good hitter. I’m excited about Sharlize, I really think she’s going to be a good one. She has everything you look for in a catcher, she’s a strong hitter with solid defense and great knowledge of the game. She’s a good teammate who works hard. I like everything about her.”
Extra Inning Softball says: Sharlize has had a great fall with the Batbusters, which is good news after she suffered a torn MCL playing for Eastlake (Chula Vista, California) High this spring. Before the injury, she was showing the arm strength and power at the plate that has made her a promising catcher/corner infield prospect since she was at 12U and subsequently committed to the Wildcats as a freshman. As a junior in her shortened season, Sharlize still batted .520 with an on-base percentage of .556 and an OPS of 1.376 in 18 games. According to one elite coach, “She’s really maturing nicely, she’s staying on balls and becoming a polished player who has a high ceiling and all the skills in the world to be a dominant player for Mike Candrea at UA.”
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