EUGENE — Oregon softball’s already depleted roster will be without freshman catcher Terra McGowan, possibly all season, as she has not been cleared to play by the Pac-12 because Arizona State won’t consent to it, even as one of its track and field athletes was granted a waiver to compete this season after transferring from Arizona.

McGowan originally signed with ASU and spent the fall with the Sun Devils. Pac-12 rules do not permit intra-conference transfers to be eligible immediately, even in a sport such as softball where players are able to transfer out of conference and be immediately eligible. However, there is a waiver process for the year-in-residence penalty, which is customarily granted by the Pac-12 Faculty Athletics Representative Committee, provided both schools consent, but Arizona State has not approved McGowan’s waiver to play this season.

“They’re still working through some things, but right now she’s not eligible," Oregon softball coach Melyssa Lombardi said.

Asked for a comment regarding its refusing to approve McGowan’s request to waive the year-in-residence penalty, an Arizona State spokesman issued a statement that did not address the matter directly.

“During the fall we had three student-athletes notify us of their plan to leave Arizona State and continue their academic and collegiate playing careers at other institutions,” the statement read. “We wish them all the best and continued success as student-athletes.”

According to a Pac-12 spokesman, 20 such petitions were approved in 2018.

Among them includes Arizona State men’s track and field sophomore Turner Washington, who competed at Arizona last year before transferring to ASU.

An Arizona State spokesman confirmed Washington, who finished fourth at the Pac-12 Championships in discus throwing last year, is eligible to compete for the Sun Devils this year.

A former top 25 recruit, McGowan would have been Oregon’s starting catcher this season if she were eligible.

Former Oregon pitcher Maggie Balint told Softball America that part of her reasoning for leaving the program last month was learning McGowan would not be eligible this season.

“In December when they posted she was on the team, I thought she was good to go,” Balint said, according to Softball America. "Now it’s January and I’m finding out that she isn’t cleared ... that was pretty much a lie to my face.”

The Ducks held their last practice on Wednesday before leaving for the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Lombardi said McGowan will not play in any of Oregon’s five games this weekend, which begin against Kansas at 10:30 a.m. PT Friday (Pac-12 Network) as part of a five-game slate at the event.

Instead, the Ducks will have to turn to either senior April Utecht or sophomore Shaye Bowden to start behind the plate.

With McGowan ineligible, the Ducks have just 11 healthy scholarship players — two pitchers and nine position players — with six walk-ons on the roster this season.