TEMPE, Ariz.-- The eighth-ranked Arizona State softball team will close out their home schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Stanford at Farrington Stadium. Game one is scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch followed by game two at 6 p.m. Saturday and game three Sunday at 1 p.m. PT.
FOLLOW THE SERIES...
Friday: 7 p.m. PT First Pitch / Live stats / Live stream
Saturday: 6 p.m. PT First Pitch / Live stats / Live stream
Sunday: 1 p.m. PT First Pitch / Live stats / Live stream
LEADING OFF...
• Arizona State enters the weekend looking to stay hot following a four-game road trip that saw the Sun Devils go a perfect 4-0. During the trip, ASU out-hit their opponents, 38-21 en route to a 28-6 scoring advantage in favor of ASU.
• ASU enters the weekend chasing their 40th win of the season. With one more win, ASU will reach the 40-win plateau for the 16th time in program history, and first time since winning 46 games in 2014. The Sun Devils also have a chance to win their 15th- Pac-12 game this season.
• The Sun Devils swept the Utah Utes on the road this past weekend, marking their second road-sweep of a Pac-12 foe this season, and third road sweep for the Sun Devils under head coach Trisha Ford.
• As a staff, the Sun Devil pitchers have combined to post a 1.46 ERA, the 10th-lowest ERA in the country entering the weekend series. If the season ended today, the 1.46 ERA would mark the lowest season ERA for an ASU squad since the 2006 season that saw the Sun Devils post a program-best 1.18 team ERA.
• Freshman first baseman Danielle Gibson has continued to excel in her first season of collegiate softball. Entering the weekend, Gibson has carded an incredible .382 batting average, a mark that ranks sixth in the Pac-12 and is just a hair behind the 20th-best single season batting average for a Sun Devil set by Alix Johnson who hit at a .395 clip during the 2014 season.
• ASU checked in at No. 8 in this week's rankings, marking the seventh-straight week for the Sun Devils to rank inside the top-10 in the NFCA Coaches Poll. Earlier this season, ASU climbed to No. 7 in the poll, marking their highest ranking in 2018.
WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE...
Arizona State has brought the excitement back to the valley in terms of softball support. Following last weekend's games, the Sun Devils have played in front of 34,407 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 fans 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 25-7 home record this season.
WE ALL DIG THE LONG BALL...
So far this season, ASU has connected on 50 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 50 home runs on the year, ASU is launching 1.06 home runs per game, a mark that ranks 20th-nationally and third in the Pac-12.
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 50 career-wins while striking out 354 batters. The 50 wins ties Carrie Bedlove (1995-98) for 12th-in ASU career-wins, while her 354 strikeouts ranks 12th in Sun Devil softball history.
SUN DEVILS FACE CHALLENGING SCHEDULE IN 2018...
To be the best you have got to play the best. This is an idea not lost on the coaches at Arizona State who have set out on a 2018 schedule that has featured 14 games against ranked teams, including seven games against teams ranked in the top-10. Entering the week, Arizona State's past schedule checks in as the 15th-toughest, based on opponent win percentage. Even with the challenging slate, Arizona State has still complied a 0.813-win percentage, the eighth-best percentage in the nation.
PITCHING POWERING SUN DEVIL SUCCESS...
Pitching has been unbelievably impressive through the 2018 season. So far this year, opposing batters have been held to a miniscule .185 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 10th-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 the 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.
RANKING UP....
Arizona State has been featured in the NCAA Softball rankings every week so far 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 six straight-weeks. This week, the Sun Devils check in at No. 9 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 and Jade Gortarez have been leaders for ASU this season, combining to post 128 runs on 211 hits, including 27 homers on the year.
FOLLOW THE SERIES...
Friday: 7 p.m. PT First Pitch / Live stats / Live stream
Saturday: 6 p.m. PT First Pitch / Live stats / Live stream
Sunday: 1 p.m. PT First Pitch / Live stats / Live stream
LEADING OFF...
• Arizona State enters the weekend looking to stay hot following a four-game road trip that saw the Sun Devils go a perfect 4-0. During the trip, ASU out-hit their opponents, 38-21 en route to a 28-6 scoring advantage in favor of ASU.
• ASU enters the weekend chasing their 40th win of the season. With one more win, ASU will reach the 40-win plateau for the 16th time in program history, and first time since winning 46 games in 2014. The Sun Devils also have a chance to win their 15th- Pac-12 game this season.
• The Sun Devils swept the Utah Utes on the road this past weekend, marking their second road-sweep of a Pac-12 foe this season, and third road sweep for the Sun Devils under head coach Trisha Ford.
• As a staff, the Sun Devil pitchers have combined to post a 1.46 ERA, the 10th-lowest ERA in the country entering the weekend series. If the season ended today, the 1.46 ERA would mark the lowest season ERA for an ASU squad since the 2006 season that saw the Sun Devils post a program-best 1.18 team ERA.
• Freshman first baseman Danielle Gibson has continued to excel in her first season of collegiate softball. Entering the weekend, Gibson has carded an incredible .382 batting average, a mark that ranks sixth in the Pac-12 and is just a hair behind the 20th-best single season batting average for a Sun Devil set by Alix Johnson who hit at a .395 clip during the 2014 season.
• ASU checked in at No. 8 in this week's rankings, marking the seventh-straight week for the Sun Devils to rank inside the top-10 in the NFCA Coaches Poll. Earlier this season, ASU climbed to No. 7 in the poll, marking their highest ranking in 2018.
WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE...
Arizona State has brought the excitement back to the valley in terms of softball support. Following last weekend's games, the Sun Devils have played in front of 34,407 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 fans 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 25-7 home record this season.
WE ALL DIG THE LONG BALL...
So far this season, ASU has connected on 50 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 50 home runs on the year, ASU is launching 1.06 home runs per game, a mark that ranks 20th-nationally and third in the Pac-12.
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 50 career-wins while striking out 354 batters. The 50 wins ties Carrie Bedlove (1995-98) for 12th-in ASU career-wins, while her 354 strikeouts ranks 12th in Sun Devil softball history.
SUN DEVILS FACE CHALLENGING SCHEDULE IN 2018...
To be the best you have got to play the best. This is an idea not lost on the coaches at Arizona State who have set out on a 2018 schedule that has featured 14 games against ranked teams, including seven games against teams ranked in the top-10. Entering the week, Arizona State's past schedule checks in as the 15th-toughest, based on opponent win percentage. Even with the challenging slate, Arizona State has still complied a 0.813-win percentage, the eighth-best percentage in the nation.
PITCHING POWERING SUN DEVIL SUCCESS...
Pitching has been unbelievably impressive through the 2018 season. So far this year, opposing batters have been held to a miniscule .185 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 10th-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 the 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.
RANKING UP....
Arizona State has been featured in the NCAA Softball rankings every week so far 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 six straight-weeks. This week, the Sun Devils check in at No. 9 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 and Jade Gortarez have been leaders for ASU this season, combining to post 128 runs on 211 hits, including 27 homers on the year.