TEMPE, Ariz. -- Following their first true road test of the 2019 season, the 19th- ranked Arizona State softball team will return home this weekend to host top-ranked UCLA.
The three-game home stand against the Bruins is set to begin with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch Friday, before a 2:00 p.m. first pitch in game two on Saturday. The Series will conclude Sunday at 4:00 p.m. PT. There will be no shortage of ways to watch this weekend's games, as both Friday and Sunday's games will be televised on the Pac-12 Network, while Saturday's game is set to air on ESPN2.
LEADING OFF...
• Despite a disappointing weekend at the plate last week, the Sun Devil offense enters the week as one of the most lethal lineups in the country. Boasting a .339 team batting average, ASU ranks tenth in the nation, and second in the Pac-12 in hitting, as well as ranking second in the nation with a .659 slugging percentage through the first eight weeks of the 2019 season.
• Individually, Kindra Hackbarth has been a driving force for the maroon and gold at the plate. So far, the Oakdale, Calif., native has carded an impressive 49 hits on the season, a mark that ranks third in the Pac-12, and 13th- nationally. Her ability to get on base has led to a Pac-12 leading 1.36 runs scored per game.
• With an impressive 64 home runs on the season, ASU ranks second in the Pac-12, and fourth nationally, in home runs per game. So far, Arizona State has recorded multiple home runs in 18 games this season.
• Arizona State will hit the field this week in the midst of a daunting three week stretch that includes nine games against teams ranked in the top-10. Last week, ASU played on the road against a Wildcat team that checked in at No. 9 in this week's rankings. This week, the Sun Devils welcome a unanimous No. 1 UCLA team. Next week, the Devils will travel to Seattle to take on No. 6 Washington. With all of this in mind, ASU's current remaining schedule checks in at No. 6 in the nation.
HITTING THEIR STRIDE....
The Sun Devils have been lights out in the batters box through the 2019 campaign. If the season ended today, the team's .341 team batting average would set a new season record, topping the programs previous high of .340 set during the 2011 season. Additionally, the team's 301 runs scored marks the 13th- season the Sun Devils have scored 300 or more runs in a season. The team's impressive 64 home runs stands as the 12th season with 60 or more long balls in the program's storied history.
LAST TIME WE MET...
Last season the Sun Devils and Bruins battled through an exciting three-game series to end the 2018 season. With an opportunity to win the Pac-12 on the line, ASU fought toe-to-toe with the top-ranked Bruins all weekend, but eventually fell in the series, 2-1. After shutting out the Bruins in game one, UCLA came roaring back in game two, dropping the Sun Devils, 5-1. In the final game of the regular season, the Bruins and Sun Devils traded jabs through the first four-innings of play, before the Bruins would finally break through with an RBI-single in the fourth. ASU's DeNae Chatman tied things up with a solo-shot in the top of the fifth. With neither team able to scratch in a run through the final two frames, the game headed to extras. Riding the momentum of a home-crowd, the Bruins connected on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, claiming the series victory over the No. 6 Sun Devils.
PAC-12 LEADING THE WAY, AGAIN, IN COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL
The Pac-12 continues to shine on a national level as three teams possess top-10 NCAA RPI - the most of any conference - with UCLA at No. 3, Washington at No. 5 and Arizona at No. 6. More than half of the league's members rank in the top-50 including No. 20 Stanford, No. 34 Arizona State, No. 39 Oregon and No. 42 Oregon State, followed by No. 66 California and No. 116 Utah to account for all nine Pac-12 teams. The Pac-12 shows consistency across the board with at least two league teams in the top-10 of seven different statistical categories and a minimum two student-athletes rank in the top-10 of 11 individual categories. Three Pac-12 teams' batting averages rank in the top-25 with UCLA in sixth (.344), Arizona State in 10th (.339) and Arizona in 16th (.326).
WHAT'S ON DECK...
Following this week's home series, the Sun Devils will hit the road again for a tough road trip to Seattle to take on No. 6 Washington, April 12-14. The series against the Huskies will begin on Friday, with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch, before facing UW in game two Saturday at 3:00. The three-game series will conclude Sunday with a noon first pitch. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2019 Sun Devil Softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.