TEMPE -- The No. 17 Sun Devil softball team continues its stretch of home games as host of the ASU Invitational this weekend, Thursday, March 5 - Monday, March 8. Arizona State (16-6) also plays a single-game against South Dakota on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. to conclude its non-conference schedule. The ASU Invitational features six teams - including Big Ten talent Ohio State and Nebraska - as well as ASU's Pac-12 foe, Oregon State. Fans can watch a total of 18 games throughout the weekend at Farrington Stadium.
ASU starts the tournament on Thursday evening against Wright State at 6:00 p.m. Friday at 7:00 p.m. is a big bat showdown as ASU, the second-highest home run hitters in the nation, take the diamond against New Mexico State, the NCAA home run leader with 38 so far this season. In the second half of the tournament, the Sun Devils participate in doubleheaders starting Saturday versus Nebraska and Lehigh and concluding with Lehigh and Ohio State on Sunday.
As a team, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in doubles (40), walks (93), slugging percentage (.619), home runs per game (1.64), and home runs (35).
LEADING OFF...
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
WRIGHT STATE
The 5-8 Raiders lead the Western Athletic Conference in batting average (.307) and slugging percentage (.463). Like ASU, Wright State leads its conference in home runs per game. Freshman outfielder Emily Daniel leads the team in batting average, hitting a .515. Daniel also leads the team in runs per game, averaging .92 per game. Another freshman hitting her way into the top of WSU stats is catcher and first baseman, Payton Baxter. She's collected the most RBI per game (.92) and home runs per game (.38).
NEW MEXICO STATE
The Aggies are a non-Power Five team with some vast hitting power as New Mexico State ranks first in the nation for home runs per game. Through 17 games, NMSU batters connected for 38 home runs for an average 2.24 dingers per game. Three Aggies hit seven home runs in at least 16 games - Nikki Butler, Ramsay Lopez, and Matalasi Faapito. The trio also makes up three of the four top batting averages of the team, the fourth addition being Chloe Rivas with a .448. Home run hitter Faapito contributes to the defensive side of the game in position one. She throws a team-high 4.23 ERA, giving up 18 walks, 31 runs, and 59 hits.
NEBRASKA
Nebraska's .279 batting average ranks third in the Big Ten and 108th nationally, the Husker's biggest hitter is Tristen Edwards with a .417 batting average. Edwards' 0.39 doubles per game, and seven doubles leads the Big Ten. She leads the team in runs per game, slugging percentage, home runs per game, hits, and total bases. Junior pitcher Olivia Ferrell started 12 times for Nebraska so far this season, throwing 50.1 innings to 237 batters for a 4.17 ERA.
LEHIGH
Freshman utility player Emily Cimino leads the Patriot Conference in batting average (.469), home runs per game (.40), on-base percentage (.500), slugging percentage (.969). A duo of pitchers - junior Lainey Stephenson (6.85 ERA) and senior Parker Boyd (2.73 ERA) - are supplemented by utility player Cimino, who has pitched 1.1 innings and sophomore Addie Kittel who threw 3.2 innings through 10 game appearances.
OHIO STATE
The Ohio State Buckeyes rank second in the Big Ten in batting average with a team compilation of .282. The hitting leader is freshman infielder Avery Clark, whose .475 batting average comes in second-highest in the conference. The pitching squad ranks ninth in the conference with a combined 3.49 ERA that hit six batters in 15 games. Junior pitcher Payton Buresch boasts a 1.87 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched. Buresch walked only 13 batters in 266 batters faced.
SOUTH DAKOTA
After ASU's final game of the ASU Invitational on Sunday, the Sun Devils return to Farrington on Tuesday night to play against the South Dakota Coyotes (11-10). The single-game serves as the finale to ASU's non-conference matchups before the team travels to UCLA next weekend. The Coyotes rank second in their conference for stolen bases per game (1.14), scoring (4.81), on base percentage (.369), and batting average (.293). South Dakota's batting average is charged by hitters Jordyn Pender - who leads the conference in individual batting average with .439 - and Lauren Eamiguel - the second-highest hitter in the conference with a .414 batting average. A pair of juniors - Sarah Lisko and Alexis Devers - stand on the mound for the Coyotes with a 3.26 and 3.30 ERA, respectively.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENT
Tickets to this weekend's ASU Invitational are still available for purchase. To follow along on all things Arizona State Softball, follow our social media accounts - @ASUSoftball on Twitter and @SunDevilSB on Instagram.
ASU starts the tournament on Thursday evening against Wright State at 6:00 p.m. Friday at 7:00 p.m. is a big bat showdown as ASU, the second-highest home run hitters in the nation, take the diamond against New Mexico State, the NCAA home run leader with 38 so far this season. In the second half of the tournament, the Sun Devils participate in doubleheaders starting Saturday versus Nebraska and Lehigh and concluding with Lehigh and Ohio State on Sunday.
As a team, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in doubles (40), walks (93), slugging percentage (.619), home runs per game (1.64), and home runs (35).
LEADING OFF...
- The Hackbarth hitters are dominating the charts for ASU. Kindra Hackbarth leads the hitting charge with a .424 batting average. Last weekend, Kindra booked a huge offensive weekend, hitting .615 in five game starts and a team-high 13 at-bats. After starting every game this season, Kindra tallied the team-high in hits (28), total bases (51), and slugging percentage (.773), which ranks second in the Pac-12. Maddi's monster weekend at the Sun Devil Classic boosted her to the top of ASU's RBI (24) and second in home runs with six through 22 games. Maddi's six sacrifice flies ranks first in the nation.
- Shortstop Alynah Torres continues her standout performance as a freshman starter for the Sun Devils. Her eight home runs rank first in the Pac-12 and seventh nationally.
- Senior pitcher Cielo Meza (8-2) ranks 22nd in the nation and third in the conference with 81 strikeouts. Madison Preston (4-3) is eighth in the Pac with 50 strikeouts. In 254 batters faced, Meza has walked only 15 and held hitters to a mere 45 hits. She stands on the mound with a 2.02 ERA. Preston followed suit, warding off batters to 27 hits, as part of her 3.41 ERA. The Sun Devil Classic last weekend saw three other pitchers - Samantha Mejia, Lindsay Lopez, and Morgan Leinstock in the circle.
- Freshman pitcher Morgan Leinstock appeared in her first collegiate game last weekend against Maryland while fellow rookie Lindsay Lopez made her first collegiate start in the circle on Saturday against Southern Utah. ASU pitchers showed out last weekend as Samantha Mejia recorded her second career shutout against Maryland on Friday afternoon.
- Second baseman Bella Loomis returned to her #BellaBomb ways last weekend, sending her second home run of the season past the Farrington fences.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
WRIGHT STATE
The 5-8 Raiders lead the Western Athletic Conference in batting average (.307) and slugging percentage (.463). Like ASU, Wright State leads its conference in home runs per game. Freshman outfielder Emily Daniel leads the team in batting average, hitting a .515. Daniel also leads the team in runs per game, averaging .92 per game. Another freshman hitting her way into the top of WSU stats is catcher and first baseman, Payton Baxter. She's collected the most RBI per game (.92) and home runs per game (.38).
NEW MEXICO STATE
The Aggies are a non-Power Five team with some vast hitting power as New Mexico State ranks first in the nation for home runs per game. Through 17 games, NMSU batters connected for 38 home runs for an average 2.24 dingers per game. Three Aggies hit seven home runs in at least 16 games - Nikki Butler, Ramsay Lopez, and Matalasi Faapito. The trio also makes up three of the four top batting averages of the team, the fourth addition being Chloe Rivas with a .448. Home run hitter Faapito contributes to the defensive side of the game in position one. She throws a team-high 4.23 ERA, giving up 18 walks, 31 runs, and 59 hits.
NEBRASKA
Nebraska's .279 batting average ranks third in the Big Ten and 108th nationally, the Husker's biggest hitter is Tristen Edwards with a .417 batting average. Edwards' 0.39 doubles per game, and seven doubles leads the Big Ten. She leads the team in runs per game, slugging percentage, home runs per game, hits, and total bases. Junior pitcher Olivia Ferrell started 12 times for Nebraska so far this season, throwing 50.1 innings to 237 batters for a 4.17 ERA.
LEHIGH
Freshman utility player Emily Cimino leads the Patriot Conference in batting average (.469), home runs per game (.40), on-base percentage (.500), slugging percentage (.969). A duo of pitchers - junior Lainey Stephenson (6.85 ERA) and senior Parker Boyd (2.73 ERA) - are supplemented by utility player Cimino, who has pitched 1.1 innings and sophomore Addie Kittel who threw 3.2 innings through 10 game appearances.
OHIO STATE
The Ohio State Buckeyes rank second in the Big Ten in batting average with a team compilation of .282. The hitting leader is freshman infielder Avery Clark, whose .475 batting average comes in second-highest in the conference. The pitching squad ranks ninth in the conference with a combined 3.49 ERA that hit six batters in 15 games. Junior pitcher Payton Buresch boasts a 1.87 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched. Buresch walked only 13 batters in 266 batters faced.
SOUTH DAKOTA
After ASU's final game of the ASU Invitational on Sunday, the Sun Devils return to Farrington on Tuesday night to play against the South Dakota Coyotes (11-10). The single-game serves as the finale to ASU's non-conference matchups before the team travels to UCLA next weekend. The Coyotes rank second in their conference for stolen bases per game (1.14), scoring (4.81), on base percentage (.369), and batting average (.293). South Dakota's batting average is charged by hitters Jordyn Pender - who leads the conference in individual batting average with .439 - and Lauren Eamiguel - the second-highest hitter in the conference with a .414 batting average. A pair of juniors - Sarah Lisko and Alexis Devers - stand on the mound for the Coyotes with a 3.26 and 3.30 ERA, respectively.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENT
Tickets to this weekend's ASU Invitational are still available for purchase. To follow along on all things Arizona State Softball, follow our social media accounts - @ASUSoftball on Twitter and @SunDevilSB on Instagram.