TEMPE, ARIZ.-- The sixth-ranked Arizona State softball team will start the 2018 NCAA Softball Tournament at home this weekend after being announced as the No. 8 seed in the tournament field. The Sun Devils will get their postseason started with a meeting against New Mexico State Friday night at 6:30 p.m. PT.
LEADING OFF...
• Arizona State will host regional action for the eighth time in program history, and will have an opportunity to host Super Regionals for a eighth time if the squad is able to battle through regional competition.
• This season marks the 30th NCAA postseason appearance for the Sun Devils, and 40th overall appearance in postseason play, including postseason appearances before the NCAA era.
• The sixth ranked Sun Devils ended the season at No. 1 UCLA, marking the second series this season against a team ranked atop the NFCA standings. With her win in Thursday's game, G Juarez became the only pitcher in the country to win a game against Washington, Oregon and UCLA this season.
• The Pac-12 Conference made a strong case for softball superiority this season with four of the nine teams selected as top-eight seeds. Oregon led the way, being named the No. 1 overall seed, while UCLA and Washington joined ASU in the top-eight as potential Super Regional hosts.
• ASU checked in at No. 6 in this week's rankings, marking the eighth-straight week for the Sun Devils to rank inside the top-10 in the NFCA Coaches' Poll. The sixth-place ranking marks the highest for the Sun Devils this season, matching their ranking from the final week of the regular season.
WE ALL DIG THE LONG BALL...
So far this season, ASU has connected on 60 home runs, including three grand slams. Sophomore catcher Maddie Hackbarth launched the first grand-slam of the season against Purdue on just the second day of the 2018 season. During ASU's road trip to face then No. 20 Cal, Skylar McCarty launched a grand-slam in the Arizona State's 4-0 win to complete the series sweep of the Golden Bears. McCarty's effort was followed by a grand-slam by outfielder Kindra Hackbarth, who unloaded on one in ASU's 10-3 win over BYU. In both instances, the home run was the first career-long ball for each player. With the 60 home runs on the year, ASU is launching 1.11 home runs per game, a mark that ranks 15th-nationally and third in the Pac-12. The 60 home runs this season marks the 13th consecutive season for ASU to hit at least 60 home runs in a season.
PITCHING POWERING SUN DEVIL SUCCESS...
While the Sun Devil offense has been able to score with some of the nation's premier teams, pitching has been just as impressive through the 2018 season. So far this year, opposing batters have been held to a miniscule .187 batting average, and have only scored a handful of runs. As a staff, the Sun Devil pitchers have posted an impressive 1.43 ERA, a mark that ranks ninth-nationally, and third in the Pac-12.
(G)REATNESS IN THE CIRCLE...
Sophomore lefty G Juarez has been a force to be reckoned with all season, but the Glendale, Ariz., native really got things rolling through the month of March. Through her 70-innings pitched, G notched 11 wins while maintaining a pristine 0.10 ERA and chalking up 122 strikeouts. All of this led to Juarez earning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors in four-consecutive weeks, matching Washington's Danielle Lawrie as the only Pac-12 pitcher to earn the honor in four-straight weeks during the 2010 season. With her latest nod, Juarez became the first ASU pitcher to earn Pac-12 weekly recognition four times in a single season, surpassing Dallas Escobedo (2013) Hillary Bach (2012) and Katie Burkhart (2007 and 2008) as the only pitchers to earn the honor three times in a single season. Katelyn Boyd is the only other Sun Devil to join Juarez with four weekly honors, earning Player of the Week recognition four times during the 2012 season. G careded a strech of 58 scoreless innings from Feb. 22 to March 24 where G did not allow a single run.
RANKING UP....
Arizona State has been featured in the NCAA Softball rankings every week this season After debuting at No. 23 to start the season, ASU has steadily climbed in the rankings, including checking in at 10 or higher the last nine straight-weeks. This week, the Sun Devils check in at No. 6 in both the NFCA and ESPN polls.
NEW FACES, BIG IMPACT...
In the second year of the Trisha Ford era, things are starting to come together, and the future looks incredibly bright for the ASU softball program. This season, the Sun Devils welcomed ten newcomers who have made an instant impact on the 2018 team. Danielle Gibson, Kindra Hackbarth, Morgan Howe, Jade Gortarez and DeNae Chatman have been leaders for ASU this season, combining to post 145 runs on 247 hits, including 37 homers on the year.
MACHA MAKING MOVES...
Senior right hander, Breanna Macha, has been a steady force in the Sun Devil pitching rotation since she first arrived on campus. In her four years as a Sun Devil, Macha has amassed 52 career-wins while striking out 366 batters. The 52 wins moves Macha ahead of Carrie Bedlove (1995-98) for 11th- in ASU career-wins, while her 366 strikeouts ranks 11th in Sun Devil softball history.
WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE...
Arizona State has brought the excitement back to the valley in terms of softball support. In just the 2018 regular season, the Sun Devils have played in front of 39,210 fans, the eighth-largest accumulated attendance this season. Last week, ASU welcomed a total of 6,122 fans to Farrington to see ASU take on in-state rival University of Arizona. In the series, the Sun Devils hosted two crowds of over 2,000 people, including a 2018 single-game record 2,121 fans to the Saturday afternoon game. The large crowds have backed the Sun Devils, and helped the team record a 28-7 home record this season.
WE ARE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER TROPHY CASE...
Seven Arizona State softball players garnered All-Pac-12 Honors last week, highlighted by Trisha Ford being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Sophomore G Juarez and freshman Danielle Gibson each earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors, while Jade Gortarez, Morgan Howe and Kindra Hackbarth each earned Second Team recognition. Senior Marisa Stankiewicz was named to the All-Pac-12 Third Team, while freshman DeNae Chatman joined Gibson in earning All-Pac-12 Freshman Team accolades.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS MAKING BIG IMPACT...
Freshman are not normally looked to in big time situations, but that is exactly what ASU does with Danielle Gibson and DeNae Chatman. Gibson, the freshman phenom first baseman from Murrieta Calif., has been a force at the plate for the Sun Devils this season. Gibson leads the Sun Devils in numerous categories, including home runs (12), RBI (39), and slugging percentage (.675). The first-year slugger burst onto the scene amassing 14 hits through the first month of the season. She went on to add to that total, securing 16 multi-hit games through the regular season. Chatman added a ton of power to the ASU lineup, contributing 11 extra base hits in her 36 games played in 2018. Chatman picked up her first collegiate hit in an ASU win over North Dakota and went on to post a .284 batting average on the year.
FORD EARNS WIN NO. 200 IN 2018 REGULAR-SEASON...
With the Sun Devils' 3-1 win over No 20 California earlier this season, head coach Trisha Ford claimed her 200th- career victory. Entering the weekend, Ford has amassed a 217-106-1 career-record that includes a 74-33 record at ASU.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING…
Arizona State has scored first in 37 games this season. In those 37 games, ASU has gone on to post a 36-1 record, including a 21-1 record when scoring in the first inning of play. The lone loss for the Sun Devils when scoring first came in a hard fought 2-4 loss to Arizona on April 22.
LEADING OFF...
• Arizona State will host regional action for the eighth time in program history, and will have an opportunity to host Super Regionals for a eighth time if the squad is able to battle through regional competition.
• This season marks the 30th NCAA postseason appearance for the Sun Devils, and 40th overall appearance in postseason play, including postseason appearances before the NCAA era.
• The sixth ranked Sun Devils ended the season at No. 1 UCLA, marking the second series this season against a team ranked atop the NFCA standings. With her win in Thursday's game, G Juarez became the only pitcher in the country to win a game against Washington, Oregon and UCLA this season.
• The Pac-12 Conference made a strong case for softball superiority this season with four of the nine teams selected as top-eight seeds. Oregon led the way, being named the No. 1 overall seed, while UCLA and Washington joined ASU in the top-eight as potential Super Regional hosts.
• ASU checked in at No. 6 in this week's rankings, marking the eighth-straight week for the Sun Devils to rank inside the top-10 in the NFCA Coaches' Poll. The sixth-place ranking marks the highest for the Sun Devils this season, matching their ranking from the final week of the regular season.
WE ALL DIG THE LONG BALL...
So far this season, ASU has connected on 60 home runs, including three grand slams. Sophomore catcher Maddie Hackbarth launched the first grand-slam of the season against Purdue on just the second day of the 2018 season. During ASU's road trip to face then No. 20 Cal, Skylar McCarty launched a grand-slam in the Arizona State's 4-0 win to complete the series sweep of the Golden Bears. McCarty's effort was followed by a grand-slam by outfielder Kindra Hackbarth, who unloaded on one in ASU's 10-3 win over BYU. In both instances, the home run was the first career-long ball for each player. With the 60 home runs on the year, ASU is launching 1.11 home runs per game, a mark that ranks 15th-nationally and third in the Pac-12. The 60 home runs this season marks the 13th consecutive season for ASU to hit at least 60 home runs in a season.
PITCHING POWERING SUN DEVIL SUCCESS...
While the Sun Devil offense has been able to score with some of the nation's premier teams, pitching has been just as impressive through the 2018 season. So far this year, opposing batters have been held to a miniscule .187 batting average, and have only scored a handful of runs. As a staff, the Sun Devil pitchers have posted an impressive 1.43 ERA, a mark that ranks ninth-nationally, and third in the Pac-12.
(G)REATNESS IN THE CIRCLE...
Sophomore lefty G Juarez has been a force to be reckoned with all season, but the Glendale, Ariz., native really got things rolling through the month of March. Through her 70-innings pitched, G notched 11 wins while maintaining a pristine 0.10 ERA and chalking up 122 strikeouts. All of this led to Juarez earning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors in four-consecutive weeks, matching Washington's Danielle Lawrie as the only Pac-12 pitcher to earn the honor in four-straight weeks during the 2010 season. With her latest nod, Juarez became the first ASU pitcher to earn Pac-12 weekly recognition four times in a single season, surpassing Dallas Escobedo (2013) Hillary Bach (2012) and Katie Burkhart (2007 and 2008) as the only pitchers to earn the honor three times in a single season. Katelyn Boyd is the only other Sun Devil to join Juarez with four weekly honors, earning Player of the Week recognition four times during the 2012 season. G careded a strech of 58 scoreless innings from Feb. 22 to March 24 where G did not allow a single run.
RANKING UP....
Arizona State has been featured in the NCAA Softball rankings every week this season After debuting at No. 23 to start the season, ASU has steadily climbed in the rankings, including checking in at 10 or higher the last nine straight-weeks. This week, the Sun Devils check in at No. 6 in both the NFCA and ESPN polls.
NEW FACES, BIG IMPACT...
In the second year of the Trisha Ford era, things are starting to come together, and the future looks incredibly bright for the ASU softball program. This season, the Sun Devils welcomed ten newcomers who have made an instant impact on the 2018 team. Danielle Gibson, Kindra Hackbarth, Morgan Howe, Jade Gortarez and DeNae Chatman have been leaders for ASU this season, combining to post 145 runs on 247 hits, including 37 homers on the year.
MACHA MAKING MOVES...
Senior right hander, Breanna Macha, has been a steady force in the Sun Devil pitching rotation since she first arrived on campus. In her four years as a Sun Devil, Macha has amassed 52 career-wins while striking out 366 batters. The 52 wins moves Macha ahead of Carrie Bedlove (1995-98) for 11th- in ASU career-wins, while her 366 strikeouts ranks 11th in Sun Devil softball history.
WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE...
Arizona State has brought the excitement back to the valley in terms of softball support. In just the 2018 regular season, the Sun Devils have played in front of 39,210 fans, the eighth-largest accumulated attendance this season. Last week, ASU welcomed a total of 6,122 fans to Farrington to see ASU take on in-state rival University of Arizona. In the series, the Sun Devils hosted two crowds of over 2,000 people, including a 2018 single-game record 2,121 fans to the Saturday afternoon game. The large crowds have backed the Sun Devils, and helped the team record a 28-7 home record this season.
WE ARE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER TROPHY CASE...
Seven Arizona State softball players garnered All-Pac-12 Honors last week, highlighted by Trisha Ford being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Sophomore G Juarez and freshman Danielle Gibson each earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors, while Jade Gortarez, Morgan Howe and Kindra Hackbarth each earned Second Team recognition. Senior Marisa Stankiewicz was named to the All-Pac-12 Third Team, while freshman DeNae Chatman joined Gibson in earning All-Pac-12 Freshman Team accolades.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS MAKING BIG IMPACT...
Freshman are not normally looked to in big time situations, but that is exactly what ASU does with Danielle Gibson and DeNae Chatman. Gibson, the freshman phenom first baseman from Murrieta Calif., has been a force at the plate for the Sun Devils this season. Gibson leads the Sun Devils in numerous categories, including home runs (12), RBI (39), and slugging percentage (.675). The first-year slugger burst onto the scene amassing 14 hits through the first month of the season. She went on to add to that total, securing 16 multi-hit games through the regular season. Chatman added a ton of power to the ASU lineup, contributing 11 extra base hits in her 36 games played in 2018. Chatman picked up her first collegiate hit in an ASU win over North Dakota and went on to post a .284 batting average on the year.
FORD EARNS WIN NO. 200 IN 2018 REGULAR-SEASON...
With the Sun Devils' 3-1 win over No 20 California earlier this season, head coach Trisha Ford claimed her 200th- career victory. Entering the weekend, Ford has amassed a 217-106-1 career-record that includes a 74-33 record at ASU.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING…
Arizona State has scored first in 37 games this season. In those 37 games, ASU has gone on to post a 36-1 record, including a 21-1 record when scoring in the first inning of play. The lone loss for the Sun Devils when scoring first came in a hard fought 2-4 loss to Arizona on April 22.
PAC-12 MAKING WAVES IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP RUN...
Seven Pac-12 softball teams will compete in the 2018 NCAA Softball Championship, as announced this evening by the NCAA Division I Softball Committee. Five teams earned top-16 seeds – No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 UCLA, No. 5 Washington, No. 8 Arizona State and No. 14 Arizona – and are joined by Oregon State and California in the 64-team field. It marks the 23rd-straight season that the Pac-12 has had five or more teams advance to the NCAA Tournament and the fifth time in seven years that seven Conference teams earned bids.