"For us, this is a great opportunity," said head coach Trisha Ford. "We have gone into this week with nothing to lose. The great thing about this conference is that you get to play the best, and it gets you ready for postseason. All of these teams have a chance to make a deep run, for us it is an opportunity to come out and really learn and get better. I thought the Utah series we did that. We did a lot of good things, but couldn't quite get over the hump in those last two games. For this weekend we have a lot of things working, it is a rivalry game, it is a lot of fun. This is an orotundity for us to show what we are about and we are ready."
*PDF Notes To Follow Soon*
LEADING OFF:
• The 23rd-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils will hit the road for the final time in the 2017 season to take on the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats in Tucson this weekend.
• The weekend series will mark the fourth three game set for the Sun Devils against a team ranked in the top-10, and third road series against a top-10 opponent. The Sun Devils opened Pac-12 play at then No. 8 Washington, before hitting the road to face No. 3 Oregon. Last weekend, the Sun Devils hosted No. 10 Utah.
• The weekend challenge is nothing new for the Sun Devils who have faced the nation's 24th most challenging schedule this season, based on opposing team's win percentage. So far this year, ASU's opponents have combined for 670 wins. Looking ahead, there is no break in sight as the remaining ASU schedule has combined to win over 75 percent of their games, a mark that ranks 15th among all NCAA division one schools.
• The month of April has been kind to the Sun Devils, especially at the plate as the team has combined to hit at a .316 clip. Outfielder Skylar McCarty has led the way for ASU with 11 hits in her 29 at-bats to record a .379 batting average. Senior Sashel Palacios has also had a breakout month, contributing an incredible .545 slugging percentage.
• Despite playing two top-10 teams, boasting some of the nation's top offense, the Sun Devil pitchers also enjoyed success in the month of April. The four-player rotation combined to hold opposing teams to just a .236 batting average, en route to a split 4-4 record.
• Senior shortstop Chelsea Gonzales continued her climb on the all-time ASU leader boards this weekend, recording her 175th career-RBI, a mark that ranks seventh in ASU history. With 41 homers, Gonzales has passed ASU legends Phelan Wright (2001-04) and Krista Donnenwirth (2008-11), and is just one long-ball behind of Annie Lockwood (2009-12) in sixth place.
• ASU checked in at No. 23 in this week's NFCA Poll, marking the 10th straight week that the Sun Devils in the poll.
WEEKEND SCOUTING REPORT:
ARIZONA
The Sun Devils and Wildcats will meet for the 198th time on Friday night, making the rivalry between the two teams not only the most heated, but also most historic. The two squads met for the first time in 1971, with ASU winning every match up between the two teams until the 1974 season.
With both teams climbing to national prominence on the diamond, the two teams have become a bit more competitive over the last few years. Since 2013, ASU has won six of 12 meetings, and has avoided a series sweep at the hands of the Wildcats in every season dating back to 2009.
This season, the Wildcats have been on a tear and enter the weekend tilt as the Pac-12 leaders in batting average, ERA, fielding percentage, home runs, on base percentage, scoring and most importantly; win loss percentage.
The Wildcats are led by a lineup that features four hitters that have hit double digit home runs, including Katiyana Mauga who is eight shy of the NCAA career home runs record of 96 set by Oklahoma's Lauren Chamberlain in 2015.
In the circle, the Wildcats have been led by Danielle O'Toole who has already amassed 24 wins on the season, while maintaining a minuscule 0.93 ERA, a mark that ranks fifth nationally. As a staff, the Wildcat pitchers have combined to hold opposing hitters to just a .174 average.
SERIES INFORMATION:
Dates: April 28-30
Game Times: 6 p.m. // 6 p.m. // 5 p.m.
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Venue: Rita Hillenbrand Stadium
Dimensions: 192 (LF), 208 (CF), 192 (RF)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
All-Time Series: Arizona leads, 92-51-1
Last Meeting 2016
Result ASU won, 3-2
WHAT'S NEXT:
Following the weekend series at Arizona, the No. 23 Arizona State Sun Devils will return home to close out the 2017 regular season with a pair of home series' against California and UCLA. The Sun Devils will host Cal for a three-game set starting May fifth, before concluding regular season play against UCLA May 11-13.