The Sun Devils' weekend will begin with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. MST Thursday afternoon when they take on Mississippi State and Oklahoma. Action will continue Friday with an 11 a.m. meeting with LIU Brooklyn before facing Liberty at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. ASU will end the weekend with a 3 p.m. tilt against Cal State Fullerton Sunday. Live stats will be available through StatBroadcast, while fans can watch the games live with a paid subscription of FloSoftball.
LEADING OFF...
• Arizona State softball will return to action this weekend with a road trip to Palm Springs to take part in the 2018 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Feb. 22-25.
• Following a season opening loss, the Sun Devils have rebounded to win nine-straight games, including four run-rule victories.
• ASU welcomed four transfers to their starting lineup to start the season, including Morgan Howe and Kindra Hackbarth who have played important roles in the Sun Devils' success over the last two weekends. At the plate, Howe and K. Hackbarth have combined for 20 runs on 31 hits. The duo are both hitting above .500 on the season, and rank No. 21 and No. 58 nationally in batting average.
• Sophomore Jade Gotarez has also made an instant impact in her first two weeks for the maroon and gold, scoring 10 runs on eight hits including a pair of home runs.
• Sophomore transfer Maddi Hackbarth is doing what she is supposed to with runners on base. She has already tallied 17 RBI this season, a mark that checks in at No. 4 in the nation.
• Through the first 10 games of the season, the Sun Devil offense has out hit opponents 88-39, leading to a 66-22 ASU advantage in runs scored.
• The Sun Devils have been dominant in the batters box this season, amassing an impressive .346 team batting average, a mark that ranks No. 20 in the nation.
• While the bats have been on fire early, ASU's pitching has also been lights out in 2018. Through ten games played, Sun Devil pitchers have combined to post a 1.97 team ERA, a mark that checks in at No. 46 in the country.
• To be the best you have got to play the best. That is an idea not lost on the coaches at Arizona State who have unveiled a 2018 schedule that features 22 games against teams ranked in the preseason top-25. Those games include a three-game series against conference foes Oregon, Washington, UCLA and Utah, who checked in at No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 15, respectively.
NEW LOOK LINEUP FOR SUN DEVILS IN 2018...
The Sun Devils welcomed three newcomers to their defensive infield this season, filling spots left vacant by seniors Sashel Palacios, Chelsea Gonzales and Margret Stahm. The new look infield features sophomores Maddi Hackbarth (behind the plate) and Jade Gotarez (at shortstop) while freshman Danielle Gibson has taken the bag at first. The trio are joined by a pair of newcomer outfielders in Kindra Hackbarth and Morgan Howe. The Sun Devil defense looks to be a formidable bunch who have the tools to shut down opposing offenses, a virtue that will be key to being successful in a conference that has so far combined to score 654 runs through the first two weeks of play, second only to the SEC's 13 teams who have amassed 733 runs.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION....
Mississippi State
The Bulldogs enter the weekend tilt owning an 8-1 overall record in 2018. Mississippi State opened the 2018 season hosting back-to-back invitationals and have allowed just five runs total so far this season. At the plate, Mia Davidson has led the Bulldogs with a .519 batting average, that includes 14 hits (seven for extra bases) in 27 at bats. In the circle, Mississippi State boasts a pair of pitchers who enter the weekend with 0.00 ERA's in Holly Ward and Cassady Knudsen who have pitched a combined 42 innings. The Devils will have their work cut out for them in trying to neutralize a potent pitching staff that has held opposing hitters to just a .118 batting average so far this season.
Oklahoma
The defending national champion Sooners enter the Mary Nutter Classic ranked No. 4 in the nation and in possession of a 6-1 record on the season. The Sooners have made trips to Arizona (GCU Kickoff Tournament) and Las Cruces, N.M. (Troy Cox Classic) to begin the season. Following an undefeated opening weekend, the Sooners dropped their first game of the Troy Classic to Boston University, 4-3, before rebounding for a 3-2 win over tournament host New Mexico State last Saturday. As a team, Oklahoma is batting at a .333 clip entering the weekend, led by junior Sydney Romero's impressive .429 average through seven games. In the circle, senior Paige Parker has anchored the Sooner defense. Parker boasts an unblemished 0.00 ERA through 21.1 innings of work.
LIU Brooklyn
The Blackbirds enter the Mary Nutter Classic looking to rebound from a 10-0 loss at the hands of Kennesaw State in their last outing. Holding a 3-7 record on the season, LIU Brooklyn has challenged themselves early in the year, taking on UCF, NC State and Georgetown already this season. At the plate, Ryleigh Bermea has paced the Blackbirds with an impressive .407 batting average that includes multi-hit outings in four of her last five games played.
Liberty
Led by legendary softball player and now head coach, Dot Richardson (Reigning Big South Coach of the Year), the Flames enter the weekend fresh off an extra inning, 4-3, win over Central Michigan. The win over the Chippewas improved the Flames to 8-1 on the season who will face a daunting schedule this weekend with games scheduled against 2017 NCAA Tournament competitors Arizona State and North Carolina, as well as a meeting with San Jose State who amassed 31 wins last season. The Flames enter the weekend batting .318 as a squad and boasting a 1.81 team ERA.
Cal State Fullerton
The Titans will head to Palm Springs with a 3-6 record on the season. In their last outing, Cal State Fullerton dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker loss to San Diego State. The weekend matchup against the Titans will serve as an opportunity for the Sun Devils to pull even against Fullerton, who enters the matchup with a 25-24 lead in the all-time series, dating back to the 1980 season. Last season the two teams met in the 2017 Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, where the Sun Devils run-ruled the Titans, 10-1, in six innings.
Following the road trip, the Sun Devils will return home to host Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State as part of the 2018 Devil Classic. For tickets to the Classic, click here, or call the ticket office at (480) 727-0000.