TEMPE – Sun Devil Softball is back at Farrington Stadium this weekend, with four games on tap during the Sun Devil Classic. The three-day event features seven teams playing 15 games between two locations.
ASU opens the weekend with a pair of games on Friday, starting against No. 3/3 Florida at 1:15 p.m. They then will close the evening by taking on California Baptist at 4 p.m. On Saturday, the Sun Devils host Portland State at 4 p.m. before closing the Sun Devil Classic against New Mexico State on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Weekend Promotions
It will be Farrington Food Drive Weekend during the Sun Devil Classic, and fans are encouraged to bring canned food items to donate each day. Friday's game against CBU is the Inclusive Excellence Game, and Sunday is Farrington Funday, with $1 sodas and Kids Run the Bases after the game.
How to Follow
The ASU games against Florida and CBU on Friday and Sunday's game against New Mexico State will air live on ESPN+. Live scoring will be available for every game of the Sun Devil Classic.
Updates – including any time changes if the early games run long – will be provided on social media via X (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb). Complete Sun Devil Classic details are available at thesundevils.com/feature/25classic.
Sun Devil Notes
Arizona State heads into the Sun Devil Classic with a 7-4 overall record and 7-3 at Farrington Stadium. This is the third consecutive weekend the team has hosted a classic-style tournament.
ASU's slash line is .304/.382/.505 entering the weekend. The team is second in the Big 12 in slugging percentage, home runs, and home runs per game. They score 5.18 runs per game while stealing 0.64 bases per contest.
The pitching staff has a 3.45 ERA and 1.18 WHIP entering the Sun Devil Classic. ASU is second in the conference and 34th in the NCAA with 6.71 strikeouts per seven innings. It is also 13th nationally with a 4.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Looking Back
ASU lost to Grand Canyon 3-0 on Tuesday night in the team's first road game of the season. The Sun Devils had previously gone 4-2 during the Littlewood Classic, with wins over two ranked opponents.
About the Opposition
Florida comes to the desert at 13-1 on the season and ranked No. 3 in all four major softball polls. The Gators opened the season with 13 straight wins before falling to Duke in their last outing. Keagan Rothrock ranks ninth in the country with a 0.59 ERA.
California Baptist comes to town with a 5-7 record and looking to snap a three-game losing streak. One of the better defensive teams in the country, the Lancers are 33rd with a .977 fielding percentage and rank 31st by turning 0.58 double plays per game.
Portland State is 3-7 to start the season, and the Vikings have dropped four straight. They are hitting .232 with a 4.51 ERA this season.
New Mexico State starts the weekend at 8-4 overall and is the winner of four straight. The Aggies are ninth nationally with a .381 batting average and seventh by hitting 1.83 home runs per game.
Preseason Accolades
Several ASU players received preseason honors during January. Kelsey Hall was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Softball Team, and Tanya Windle was named the No. 30 outfielder in the NCAA by D1 Softball.
Freshmen Cambree Creager, Tiare Ho-Ching and Julianne Tipton were each named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America Freshman Watch List.
Fast Starts
ASU has a history of getting off to fast starts with a 508-158 (.763) record in February. That includes a 388-85 (.820) record at home in the month. Since Megan Bartlett took over as head coach for the 2023 season, ASU has compiled a 29-12 record in February.
Long Ball
ASU has used the long ball to its advantage early in the season, with 14 home runs to date. That puts the team 24th in the country at 1.27 home runs per game while contributing to the .505 slugging percentage, which is 43rd in the nation.
The Sun Devils have hit multiple home runs in a game six times, going 5-1 in those games. ASU has also held the opposition to just five home runs, and they give up a homer every 59 at-bats.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams in the country, ASU has had eight freshmen make at least one appearance so far this season. Those freshmen have combined to make 49 starts, accounting for 45 percent of all starts for the year.
The group has combined to hit seven home runs and drive in 23 while also going 2-1 with 17 strikeouts in the circle.
Chasing 1,900
When play begins on Friday, the Sun Devils are 14 wins away from 1,900 wins in program history. One of the most successful programs in the country, the team currently holds a record of 1,886-958-2 (.663).
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall opened the season in the starting lineup just 277 days after tearing her ACL. In starting every game this season, Hall leads the team with her .444 batting average and nine RBIs. She recorded a hit in seven of the first eight games, including a home run on Feb. 7 against Miami (OH).
Now in her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall is 14th among active players with 130 runs scored, 25th with 292 total bases, 29th with 121 RBIs, and 31st with 31 home runs.
Tanya Time
Tanya Windle has taken over as the starter in center field and is tied for the team lead with 12 hits while batting .324. She has recorded a hit in nine of the team's 11 games, including a pair of multi-hit games.
Windle leads the team with three home runs after hitting just one during the 2024 season. She made an immediate impact on the new season with a home run leading off the bottom of the first inning of the season opener against Maryland. It was the first season-opening leadoff home run since at least 2000 when records are available.
Brown is Back
After sitting out last season with an injury, Kenzie Brown has been solid in her return to the circle. The senior struck out the first five batters she faced this season and now has 29 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched.
Brown is third in the Big 12 in total strikeouts and second in strikeouts per seven innings (11.7). Her 0.81 WHIP is good for fourth in the league, and her 9.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio is third-best.
Around the Horn
Samantha Swan is tied for third in the team with 11 hits while posting a .344 batting average. She has played every inning behind the plate and thrown out two base runners.
AJ Murphy returned to the lineup at GCU after missing the prior six games with an injury. She hit two home runs in the first Miami game for her career's first multi-home run game.
Nehanda Lewis is second on the club with a .379 batting average and .419 on-base percentage. She has a hit in nine of the 11 games, with six RBIs and four runs scored.
Meika Lauppe is leading the team with 30 innings pitched and a 1.40 ERA. She has three scoreless appearances of at least four innings and had a run of 11.2 consecutive scoreless innings at one point. Her 0.77 WHIP ranks third in the Big 12.
Looking Ahead
The bulk of the non-conference slate will come to an end for the Sun Devils next weekend as they host the ASU Invitational. The Sun Devils will face Oregon State, Seattle, Yale, UTEP, and Utah State during the four-day event.
ASU opens the weekend with a pair of games on Friday, starting against No. 3/3 Florida at 1:15 p.m. They then will close the evening by taking on California Baptist at 4 p.m. On Saturday, the Sun Devils host Portland State at 4 p.m. before closing the Sun Devil Classic against New Mexico State on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Weekend Promotions
It will be Farrington Food Drive Weekend during the Sun Devil Classic, and fans are encouraged to bring canned food items to donate each day. Friday's game against CBU is the Inclusive Excellence Game, and Sunday is Farrington Funday, with $1 sodas and Kids Run the Bases after the game.
How to Follow
The ASU games against Florida and CBU on Friday and Sunday's game against New Mexico State will air live on ESPN+. Live scoring will be available for every game of the Sun Devil Classic.
Updates – including any time changes if the early games run long – will be provided on social media via X (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb). Complete Sun Devil Classic details are available at thesundevils.com/feature/25classic.
Sun Devil Notes
Arizona State heads into the Sun Devil Classic with a 7-4 overall record and 7-3 at Farrington Stadium. This is the third consecutive weekend the team has hosted a classic-style tournament.
ASU's slash line is .304/.382/.505 entering the weekend. The team is second in the Big 12 in slugging percentage, home runs, and home runs per game. They score 5.18 runs per game while stealing 0.64 bases per contest.
The pitching staff has a 3.45 ERA and 1.18 WHIP entering the Sun Devil Classic. ASU is second in the conference and 34th in the NCAA with 6.71 strikeouts per seven innings. It is also 13th nationally with a 4.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Looking Back
ASU lost to Grand Canyon 3-0 on Tuesday night in the team's first road game of the season. The Sun Devils had previously gone 4-2 during the Littlewood Classic, with wins over two ranked opponents.
About the Opposition
Florida comes to the desert at 13-1 on the season and ranked No. 3 in all four major softball polls. The Gators opened the season with 13 straight wins before falling to Duke in their last outing. Keagan Rothrock ranks ninth in the country with a 0.59 ERA.
California Baptist comes to town with a 5-7 record and looking to snap a three-game losing streak. One of the better defensive teams in the country, the Lancers are 33rd with a .977 fielding percentage and rank 31st by turning 0.58 double plays per game.
Portland State is 3-7 to start the season, and the Vikings have dropped four straight. They are hitting .232 with a 4.51 ERA this season.
New Mexico State starts the weekend at 8-4 overall and is the winner of four straight. The Aggies are ninth nationally with a .381 batting average and seventh by hitting 1.83 home runs per game.
Preseason Accolades
Several ASU players received preseason honors during January. Kelsey Hall was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Softball Team, and Tanya Windle was named the No. 30 outfielder in the NCAA by D1 Softball.
Freshmen Cambree Creager, Tiare Ho-Ching and Julianne Tipton were each named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America Freshman Watch List.
Fast Starts
ASU has a history of getting off to fast starts with a 508-158 (.763) record in February. That includes a 388-85 (.820) record at home in the month. Since Megan Bartlett took over as head coach for the 2023 season, ASU has compiled a 29-12 record in February.
Long Ball
ASU has used the long ball to its advantage early in the season, with 14 home runs to date. That puts the team 24th in the country at 1.27 home runs per game while contributing to the .505 slugging percentage, which is 43rd in the nation.
The Sun Devils have hit multiple home runs in a game six times, going 5-1 in those games. ASU has also held the opposition to just five home runs, and they give up a homer every 59 at-bats.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams in the country, ASU has had eight freshmen make at least one appearance so far this season. Those freshmen have combined to make 49 starts, accounting for 45 percent of all starts for the year.
The group has combined to hit seven home runs and drive in 23 while also going 2-1 with 17 strikeouts in the circle.
Chasing 1,900
When play begins on Friday, the Sun Devils are 14 wins away from 1,900 wins in program history. One of the most successful programs in the country, the team currently holds a record of 1,886-958-2 (.663).
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall opened the season in the starting lineup just 277 days after tearing her ACL. In starting every game this season, Hall leads the team with her .444 batting average and nine RBIs. She recorded a hit in seven of the first eight games, including a home run on Feb. 7 against Miami (OH).
Now in her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall is 14th among active players with 130 runs scored, 25th with 292 total bases, 29th with 121 RBIs, and 31st with 31 home runs.
Tanya Time
Tanya Windle has taken over as the starter in center field and is tied for the team lead with 12 hits while batting .324. She has recorded a hit in nine of the team's 11 games, including a pair of multi-hit games.
Windle leads the team with three home runs after hitting just one during the 2024 season. She made an immediate impact on the new season with a home run leading off the bottom of the first inning of the season opener against Maryland. It was the first season-opening leadoff home run since at least 2000 when records are available.
Brown is Back
After sitting out last season with an injury, Kenzie Brown has been solid in her return to the circle. The senior struck out the first five batters she faced this season and now has 29 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched.
Brown is third in the Big 12 in total strikeouts and second in strikeouts per seven innings (11.7). Her 0.81 WHIP is good for fourth in the league, and her 9.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio is third-best.
Around the Horn
Samantha Swan is tied for third in the team with 11 hits while posting a .344 batting average. She has played every inning behind the plate and thrown out two base runners.
AJ Murphy returned to the lineup at GCU after missing the prior six games with an injury. She hit two home runs in the first Miami game for her career's first multi-home run game.
Nehanda Lewis is second on the club with a .379 batting average and .419 on-base percentage. She has a hit in nine of the 11 games, with six RBIs and four runs scored.
Meika Lauppe is leading the team with 30 innings pitched and a 1.40 ERA. She has three scoreless appearances of at least four innings and had a run of 11.2 consecutive scoreless innings at one point. Her 0.77 WHIP ranks third in the Big 12.
Looking Ahead
The bulk of the non-conference slate will come to an end for the Sun Devils next weekend as they host the ASU Invitational. The Sun Devils will face Oregon State, Seattle, Yale, UTEP, and Utah State during the four-day event.