The 19th- ranked Sun Devils will begin the weekend Friday with a matchup against No. 18 Texas A&M at 10 a.m. AZT, followed by a 12:30 p.m. matchup against Notre Dame. ASU will return to the field Saturday to face Texas at 2:30, before ending the weekend with a doubleheader against UCSB and No. 14 Michigan on Sunday.
LEADING OFF...
• Arizona State Softball entered the week as one of only 16 teams in the nation to not have suffered a loss in the first two weekends of play. However; ASU did have their impressive win-streak snapped Monday night with a hard fought 3-2 loss to Boston College Monday evening.
• The Sun Devil bats came to life over the weekend, specifically in the Sun Devils' 7-1 victory over Illinois State last Friday. The Sun Devils posted a season-high 12 hits in 29 at-bats (also a season high) in the win. Sophomore Fa Leilua led the way for the Sun Devils in the win, blasting a pair of homers en rout to a 3-4 night that saw the slugging outfielder score four runs.
• The Sun Devils will face what looks to be their toughest weekend so far this season. Not only will ASU leave the friendly confines of Farrington Stadium, but the Sun Devils will face four opponents this weekend that are either ranked, or receiving votes, in this week's national polls.
• The Sun Devil pitching rotation enters the week as one of the best in the nation. Through the first ten games of the season, ASU ranks No. 21 in the nation with a 1.36 ERA so far this year.
• The Sun Devils have been incredibly stingy with free bases so far this season. Through the first ten games of the season, ASU has issued just five walks, and recorded six games so far this season where the team has allowed no walks. Likewise, in the rare instance opponents have gotten on base, the Sun Devils have allowed just two stolen bases, and gunned down two other runners in steal attempts.
• Following back-to-back undefeated weekends, the Sun Devils found themselves ranked in both top-25 polls this past week, earning the No. 21 spot in the NFCA Coaches poll and the No. 19 spot in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
• The Sun Devils rank near the top of the Pac-12 in numerous statistical categories, but none more important than wins. The Sun Devils are one of just four teams in the conference to have reached the nine-win plateau in the 2017 season. ASU is currently tied for fourth in the league with a .900 win percentage.
From The Dugout:
"The mindset is the same that it has been the last couple of weeks," said head coach Trisha Ford. "We need to tidy a few things up and come out ready to compete. This weekend is going to help us get a little bit more battle tested. We are going to have bumps in the road, but as long as we learn from them and don't continue to make the same mistakes we are going to be okay."
About the Mary Nutter Classic:
The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic is the nation's largest and most prestigious preseason college softball tourney, featuring 50 top Division I teams. For the second year in a row, the Palm Springs, Calif., event that spans two weekends — Feb. 17-19 and Feb. 23-26 — in 2017.
A combined 15 of the Top 25 teams in the final 2016 USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll will participate in the 2017 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, which began in 2004 and whose namesake was a softball icon as a player, coach and director of softball coaches' clinics across the U.S.
Scouting The Opposition:
No. 18 Texas A&M:
The Aggies, one of just 14 undefeated teams remaining in the nation, are coming off a 5-0 weekend at the Texas A&M Invitational. Ashley Walters batted .728 (8-for-11) with a double, triple, home run and four RBI. Kristen Cuyos added two home runs and seven RBI to the offense that outscored its opponents, 39-10. In the circle, Samantha Show recorded a pair of victories, striking out nine in 12.2 innings of work. Trinity Harrington tossed a two-hitter against New Mexico, fanning five. On the year, the Aggie pitching staff totes a 1.86 team ERA.
(RV) Notre Dame:
Notre Dame has played a total of five national top 15 opponents in its first nine games of 2017, the most among any team in the ACC. The Irish are also the only team in the conference to score a win over a top 10 foe (6-4 over Michigan on Feb. 18) thus far this season. The Irish will face four more top 25 foes (No. 4/5 Oklahoma, No. 11/12 Georgia, No. 20/22 Missouri and No. 21/19 Arizona State) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The team has experienced a fair amount of success against top-25 opponents, recording an impressive 18 wins over ranked foes since 2013, including nine wins over the top 10. J unior infielder Morgan Reed enters the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic ranked second in the ACC with a .520 batting average over her first nine games of 2017. Reed has added two doubles, two triples, five RBI and five runs scored over her first nine games.
(RV) Texas:
The 2017 Longhorns are making a habit out of getting the leadoff batter on base to start an inning. Through the opening 10 games of the season, Texas lead-off hitters in any inning are reaching at a 58.1% success rate (36- for-62). The most successful practitioners thus far include actual lead-off hitter senior outfielder Stephanie Wong (10-for-17, .588) and senior shortstop Devon Tunning (5-for-6, .833). Texas has made the "Big Inning" a part of its repertoire right from the start of the 2017 campaign. So far in the first 10 games, the Longhorns have plated at least three runs in an inning nine times. In fact, UT has posted at least one three-run frame in six of the first ten games of the season. The largest outburst thus far was a five-run sixth in a 13-7 comeback win over Indiana on February 18.
UC Santa Barbara:
The Gauchos went 2-1 with a pair of eighth inning wins over Pacific and Nebraska-Omaha this past weekend at the Stanford Invitational. UCSB defeated Pacific 10-9 on Saturday thanks to late contributions from seniors Kristen Clark and Jaqueline Hinojosa. Junior outfielder Jessica Johnston tied for team-highs with Clark in hits (3) and with Hinojosa in runs (3). The Gauchos would go on to enjoy six doubles on seven hits against the Mavericks the next day., with sophomore second baseman Sierra Altmeyer's final swing bringing freshman Alyssa Diaz home for the winning run, making it 4-3. UCSB's sole loss on the weekend came at the hands of tournament host Stanford, 16-2, in five innings.
No. 14 Michigan:
The Wolverines carry a 6-3 record into the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic after posting a 3-1 record at last weekend's ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Michigan closed out the weekend tournament with a decisive 9-2 win against Notre Dame, avenging its only loss of the weekend. Following the weekend challenge,senior centerfielder Kelly Christner was named Big Ten Player of the week after registering a .667 average, .765 on-base percentage and 1.417 slugging percentage over the Wolverines' four-game weekend. She also accumulated nine runs scored, nine RBI, three stolen bases and an outfield assist to excel in every facet of the game.
What's Next:
Following the Marry Nutter Classic this weekend, the Sun Devils will travel to Fullerton, Calif., to compete in the 2017 Judi Garman Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton. On the weekend, the Sun Devils will face Michigan, Cal State Fullerton, Baylor, South Carolina and Iowa.