TEMPE – The 22nd-ranked Arizona State University softball program will give fans a first look at the 2016 roster as the squad will host a Free Youth Clinic and Open Practice event this Saturday, Jan. 30 at Farrington Stadium in Tempe.
The event is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. MT with the Free Youth Clinic, which will run until approximate 2 p.m.
Open to all kids in grade 8 and below, the clinic will provide valuable instruction by the Sun Devil coaches and student-athletes and there will be a brief autograph session following the clinic. Parents who are hoping to have their children participate in the free youth clinic should RSVP HERE no later than Thursday, Jan. 28.
Following the clinic, the Sun Devils will take the field for a light scrimmage beginning around until around 2:30 p.m. Farrington Stadium will be open to all fans who wish to watch the scrimmage. In addition, Sun Devil Ticket Sales and Service staff will be on-hand to answer any questions you may have about open seats, season tickets or mini plans.
The event will conclude with a Q&A session with co-interim head coaches Robert Wagner and Letty Olivarez and fans can hear from the staff about what the team has been up to this off-season and what to expect when the season opens on Feb. 11. The Q&A session is scheduled until 3 p.m.
The 2016 season offers an exciting home schedule highlighted by tournament teams Tennessee, Kentucky, James Madison, Nebraska and Minnesota as well Pac-12 match-ups with Oregon, Washington and the Territorial Cup Series against rival Arizona.
ASU will open the season ranked No. 22 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll. It is the 157th consecutive time the Sun Devils have seen their name in the coaches poll - event poll released since Week 2 of the 2006 season.
The Sun Devils line up a potent defensive lineup, featuring four players that earned Pac-12 All-Defensive team honors last season in shortstop Chelsea Gonzales, second baseman Nikki Girard, catcher Sashel Palacios and center fielder Jennifer Soria.
Gonzales and Girard were also All-Pac-12 selection while Palacios was named the 2015 NFCA All-West Region team. The team also returns All-Pac-12 and All-West Region pitcher Breanna Macha as well as Pac-12 All-Freshman pitcher Dale Ryndak in the circle.
The Sun Devils open the gates on Thursday Feb. 11 in a doubleheader against Utah State and San Jose State to kick off the 2016 Kajikawa Classic.