Tempe, Ariz. -- The Arizona State University softball team will open the 2017 season this Thursday, Feb. 9 as it welcomes 19 other teams to Tempe in celebration of the annual Kajikawa Classic.
The Sun Devils will take part in seven games over five days starting with the season opener against UTEP on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. MT. The weekend will also include contests against Big Ten opponents Virginia, Purdue and Indiana, as well as matchups with San Diego, UT-Arlington and UC Riverside.
Leading Off:
•Arizona State Softball will open the 2017 season against UTEP Thursday evening as part of the 2017 Kajikawa Classic. Thursday's game will serve as the first game for the Sun Devils under new head coach Trisha Ford.
•The Sun Devils return 17 letterwinners from the 2016 roster, including 13 Sun Devils who combined to lead the prolific Pac-12 Conference in fielding percentage a year ago.
• ASU will look to build off of their success from the 2016 season that saw the Sun Devils win a combined 32 games en rout to the Devils' 12th straight NCAA postseason appearance.
• The Sun Devils will look to continue their winning ways in season openers in Thursday night's match up. The Sun Devils enter the 2017 season with a 21-year streak of season opener wins dating back to the 1995 season. ASU has dropped just seven season openers in the program's 45-year history, making the Sun Devils a remarkable 38-7 all-time in season openers.
• ASU enters the 2017 season as the winningest program in the prolific Pac-12 Conference in the last decade. Since 2007, ASU has amassed 485 total wins, out pacing UCLA, who ranks second in the league in wins, by 47 victories. Oregon, Washington and Arizona round out the top-5 in total wins over the last decade with 429, 413 and 409 victories, respectively.
• To be the best you have got to play the best. That is an idea not lost on the new coaches at Arizona State who have unveiled a 2017 schedule that features 21 games against teams ranked in the preseason top-25. Those games include a three game series against conference foes UCLA, Oregon and Arizona who checked in at No. 8, 9 and 10 as well as a two games against No. 7 Michigan.
• There will be no shortage of ways to following the Sun Devils as 36 games are scheduled to be streamed on line and through the Pac-12 Digital Network through the 2017 season, including every game featuring ASU during the Kajikawa Classic.
• The Sun Devils' 2017 season will begin at home for the second consecutive year as ASU hosts one of the nation's premiere tournaments in the Kajikawa Classic.
About the Kajikawa Classic:
Since the beginning of ASU Softball in 1966, ASU has hosted the annual event From 1966-1990, it was named the `Sun Devil Invitational', which found its name changed in 1991 to the Coca-Cola Classic. It remained that until 1999 when the name changed yet again to the `Fiesta Bowl Tournament'.
Six years later in 2005, the name was changed one final time to the `Kajikawa Classic', after "Mr. Sun Devil" himself, Bill Kajikawa, a legendary coach and founder of Sun Devil athletics.
The tournament will feature 51 games played by 19 teams over four days at five separate fields, continuing the tradition of being one of the largest preseason tournaments in the nation.
Weekend Scouting Report:
UTEP
The Miners enter the 2017 season under ninth year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk looking to build on their success from a year ago. During the 2016 campaign, UTEP amassed a 23-32 record that included a 13-11 mark in C-USA games. UTEP was led at the plate a season ago by 2016 C-USA Player of the Year, Courtney Clayton, who batted at an impressive .416 clip. The slugging infielder set single-season program records in doubles (21), hits (79) and at bats (190) in her 2016 campaign. In the circle, the Miners relied on Kaitlin Fifield, who accounted for 11 wins in 34 appearances. Fifield enters the 2016 season ranked fourth in program history in career wins (22).
Virginia
The Cavaliers, under first year head coach Joanna Hardin return 12 letterwinners from last year's squad, including All-ACC selection Allison Davis (Oak Hill, Va.) and VaSID All-State selections Davis and Danni Ingraham (Laguna Nigel, Calif.). Seven of the top hitters from last season also return for the Cavaliers after accounting for 36 of the squad's 48 home runs and 153 of 197 RBI. Those seven players also accounted for 135 of 218 runs scored. Among those players is the team's RBI leader in catcher Katie Park (Scottsdale, Ariz.), the leader in runs scored and steals, Iyana Hughes (Manteca, Calif.) and the three top power hitters in Ingraham, Park and Madison Labshere (El Cajon, Calif.).
Purdue
The Boilermakers will enter the 2017 season under first year head coach Boo Dee Oliveira. Purdue returns the bulk of their 2016 roster that includes seven starters from last season. The Boilermakers were led at the plate in 2016 by now senior Kristen Hoppman who carded a team high .313 batting average culminating in 28 runs and 16 RBI. In the circle the Boilermakers will rely on Maddie Damon who threw 63.0 innings last season en route to a 4-6 record. The true test for the 2017 Purdue staff will be replacing Lilly Fecho who ended last season as the team leader in wins (18), ERA (2.05) and strikeouts (219).
San Diego
The Toreros had three players named to the preseason All-WCC team: OF Olivia Sandusky, OF Taylor Spence, and P Megan Sabbatini. The Toreros had the second most selections on the preseason team. San Diego, who was picked to finish third in their preseason conference coaches poll, return 14 players from their 2016 roster that combined to post a 22-29 overall record. The Sun Devils will look to further distance themselves from the Toreros in the overall series history as ASU enters the weekend with a 4-2 overall record in the series that dates back to the 1995 season.
Indiana
Indiana, a regular at the annual Kajikawa Classic, enters the 2017 season with 14 letterwinners returning from the '16 season that saw the highest overall win total (29) and Big Ten victory total (10) for the program since 2012. The Hoosiers will be led by sophomore pitcher Tara Trainer who has recently been named No. 21 in Fastpitch News' Preseason Top 50 NCAA Softball Pitchers list. Trainer, a native of Lebanon, Ohio, won Big 10 pitcher of the week honors three times in the 2016 season. The first year pitcher finished the season with a 12-13 mark and a 3.20 ERA in 153.0 innings pitched that included 183 strikeouts.
UT Arlington
The Mavs are coming off a 2016 season that witnessed UTA's best start in program history (19-0). The squad returns 14 letterwinners, seven of who appeared in 48 of 49 games last season, and 10 newcomers. Leading the way for UTA is junior Sandra Mendoza, who was announced by USA Softball as a 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 "Watch List" member. Mendoza set the UTA softball single-season hits (76) and batting average (.461) records, while also finishing fifth in on the single-season doubles list (15) and sixth on the extra-base hits list (19).
UC Riverside
The Highlanders enjoyed their second-straight 30 wins season (32-22-1) in 2016, that also established a record 11-game winning streak. UC Riverisde also boasted five All-Conference selections at the end of the season, the most for the program since joining the Big West. The highlanders were led at the plate by now junior Maddy Richard who won the conference batting title with her .452 batting average that ranked fifth in the nation. Pitcher Tayler Misfeldt led the team in the circle in the historic 2016 season with a team-high 21 victories. Her 228.1 innings pitched were the most of any pitcher in the conference.
