The Sun Devils enter the weekend slate coming off a successful outing at the Mary Nutter Classic that saw the Sun Devils post a 3-2 record, that included a hard fought 6-4 win over Texas, and a run rule victory over UCSB.
This week, the Sun Devils face another talented field, starting with a rematch against No. 14 Michigan on Thursday. Game one for ASU at the annual tournament is set for a 3:30 p.m. (AZT) start, followed by a 5 p.m. matchup against host school Cal State Fullerton. The Sun Devils will return to action on Friday, with one game against No. 22 Baylor at 11 a.m., before ending the weekend with a doubleheader against South Carolina and Iowa on Sunday.
LEADING OFF:
• The No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils will hit the road for the second straight week this weekend to compete in the 2017 Judi Garman Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The Sun Devils enter the week following a 3-2 showing at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs.
• The Sun Devils enter another challenging weekend that features three teams that are either ranked or receiving votes. The five game slate this weekend is highlighted by No. 22 Baylor, and a rematch against No. 14 Michigan.
• Freshman Randi Farricker entered last weekend looking for her first collegiate hit. The Glendora, Calif., native found that, and more, collecting four hits on the weekend, including a pair of home runs. Farricker appeared in all five of the Sun Devils' games last weekend and recorded a .333 batting average and accounted for four RBI in her 12 at-bats.
• The Sun Devil pitching staff continued their incredible start to the season over the last weekend. Alyssa Loza, Giselle "G" Juarez Breanna Macha and Dale Ryndak combined for a 1.26 ERA in the last five games for the Sun Devils in a loaded Mary Nutter Classic. Almost more impressive than the group's microscopic ERA, is that in just over 33 innings pitched, the staff allowed just five total walks. By comparison, ASU opponents at the Mary Nutter Classic threw 34 innings, and allowed 21 walks.
• The Sun Devils continued to prove that they are willing to take a base any way that they can. Entering the fourth week of play, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in hit by pitches with 14. The 14 hit by pitches is double the league average of 7.125 hit by pitches per team.
• Not often in life do you get the chance at a do-over, but that is the exact chance that the Sun Devils will have this weekend against No. 14 Michigan. The Sun Devils fell in the final game of the 2017 Mary Nutter Classic to the Wolverines in the hard-fought 3-0 loss. UM jumped out to an early lead, scoring a run in both the first and second innings, but were held to just one hit in the final four innings of play.
• The Pac-12 conference looks to again be one of the strongest conferences in the nation in softball. Seven conference teams appeared in the top-25 this week, with four of those teams ranked inside the top-10.
WEEKEND SCOUTING REPORT:
Michigan
The Wolverines' tournament opener against ASU will be a rematch of their final game of last weekend's Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic last Sunday (Feb. 26). Michigan won that game, 3-0, after building an early lead with a run apiece in the first and second innings. Junior RHP Tera Blanco and senior RHP Megan Betsa combined for the win, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out eight batters. Senior RHP Megan Betsa and junior RHP Tera Blanco combined for a 2.84 ERA, 42 strikeouts and a .184 opposing average at the Mary Nutter Classic. Blanco posted a perfect 2-0 record, improving to 6-1 on the season, while Betsa was 1-1 with a save.
Cal State Fullerton
The Cal State Fullerton softball team split its doubleheader on the final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a shutout victory over No. 17 Utah and late-inning loss to St. John's. With the split Sunday, the Titans stayed at .500 with an 8-8 record so far this season. Fullerton enters the 2017 Judy Garman classic, the second tournament the Titans have hosted this season, with a 2-3 home record. Cal State Fullerton has been lead at the plate this season by Delynn Rippy. The senior outfielder has amassed 60 plate apperances through the first three weeks of play, where she has combined to hit at a.407 clip that includes 22 hits and 10 RBI.
Baylor
The 22nd- ranked Baylor Bears make their way to the West Coast for the first time in the 2017 season. Baylor will enter the 2017 Judy Garman Classic, coming off a 12-game home stretch that included back-to-back home tournaments. Last week, the Bears recorded a 5-0 record at the Baylor Invitational. The Bears were led by Big 12 Player of the Week Shelby Friudenberg, who combined to hit .400 on the weekend. Friudenberg hit the 30th home run of her Baylor career against SIUE, becoming just the fifth player in program history to eclipse the 30+ mark. The junior All-American finished the seven-game slate of games with a .850 slugging mark, nine RBI, three runs, and eight hits, earning a spot on the Baylor Invitational All-Tournament team.
South Carolina
The South Carolina Gamecocks entered the weekend on a two game slide, their first losing streak of the 2017 season. USC began the season riding high as winners of their first 12 games, but ran into a roadblock against Louisiana Tech (Neutral Site) and at North Carolina. South Carolina has met two common opponents for the sun Devils this season, with games against Texas and Indiana. The Gamecocks topped UT , 9-4, in their opening game of the Longhorn Invitational. They then rolled to a 13-5 run rule victory against the Hoosiers in their next outing of the Invite. South Carolina has been led at the plate this season by Krystan White. The junior third baseman has already tallied 17 hits, including six extra-base hits.
Iowa
Iowa enters the weekend following back-to-back road tournaments. The Hawkeyes will look to turn their fortunes in Fullerton, as the team is riding a seven-game slide entering the weekend. After winning their first two games of the 2017 season, Iowa has fallen in seven straight games by a combined nine runs. In the streak, the Hawkeyes have lost four games by one run, including a 2-1, eight-inning overtime game to Virginia Tech in the 2017 ACC Big 10 Challenge. Last weekend, Iowa had a break in their schedule. The Hawkeyes have been led in the circle by Shayla Starkenburg, who has made five appearances en rout to a stellar 1.73 ERA and a 1-2 record on the year.
ABOUT JUDI GARMAN:
Judi Garman is a former college softball coach. She was the first head softball coach at Cal State Fullerton from 1980 to 1999 and led Fullerton to the 1986 Women's College World Series championship.
Despite the limited facilities, Garman quickly built one of the most successful softball programs in the United States. Between 1981 and 1988, she led Fullerton to eight consecutive 50-win seasons, including 59 wins in 1987, 57 wins in 1986, and 56 wins in 1983. She led Cal State Fullerton to the Women's College World Series championship in 1986. She also led the Titans to four earlier trips to the College World Series, resulting in two second-place and two third-place finishes.