Tempe -- Softball season is alive! No. 21 Arizona State softball will open its 2022 campaign with the annual Kajikawa Classic held at Alberta B. Farrington Stadium Feb. 10-13. The Sun Devils are set to play five games against Cal Baptist, No. 13 Duke, No. 3 Oklahoma State and Missouri State in the four-day tournament.
ASU will kick-off tournament play with a doubleheader against Cal Baptist at 4:00 p.m. and OSU at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10. The Sun Devils will then return to the field on Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Missouri State. On Saturday, the Sun Devils will close out the third day of the tournament against the Blue Devils at 7 p.m.
To conclude the 2022 Kajikawa Classic, ASU will play Missouri State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
2022 Kajikawa Classic Full Schedule
Thursday - 2.10.22
4 p.m. Cal Baptist vs. ASU
6:30 p.m. Oklahoma State vs. ASU
Friday - 2.11.22
9 a.m. Duke vs. Cal Baptist
11:30 a.m. Duke vs. Oklahoma State
2 p.m. Utah vs. Oklahoma State
4:30 p.m. Missouri State vs. ASU
7 p.m. Missouri State vs. Utah
Saturday - 2.12.22
9 a.m. Cal Baptist vs. Oklahoma State
11:30 a.m. Missouri State vs. Oklahoma State
2 p.m. Missouri State vs. Cal Baptist
4:30 p.m. Duke vs. Utah
7 p.m. Duke vs. ASU
Sunday - 2.13.22
8 a.m. Duke vs. Utah
10:30 a.m. Cal Baptist vs. Utah
1 p.m. Missouri State vs. ASU
In last year's Kajikawa Classic, the Sun Devils swept the weekend outscoring their opponents 30-12. Then freshman pitcher Allison Royalty earned her first collegiate win against BYU in an eight inning game on the first day of the Classic.
Last season the Sun Devils were not to be messed with when stepping into the plate. As a team, the Sun Devils hit 95 home runs, the most since 2013. During the 2021 season, the Sun Devils were ranked in the top-25 in the country in team batting average and ranked second in home runs per game (1.94).
Fans can keep up with all the news and action of Sun Devil Softball by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter and Facebook and SunDevilSB on Instagram.
QUOTES FROM TRISHA FORD
On having a competitive Kajikawa Classic…
"We want to play at the very top level."
"We're going to be tested early and we're going to be tested often, but we're getting ready for conference and we're getting ready for postseason."
On Jessi Puck…
"She's full of life and has so much faith in herself and the process. She has slid into our program seamlessly and the team loves her."
"All these different characteristics are what make her a successful catcher. You have to be able to manage different personalities and you can't take things too seriously."
On Mac Morgan…
"You're going to see her intensity on the field. She loves softball, she loves it from the core of her body."
"She's fierce, she is not nice, she wants to win. She is a competitor."
On Lindsay Lopez…
"Her offseason has been great and she has the hunger to be great."
"The team is really excited to play behind her and that is a sign of a great pitcher."
ABOUT THE KAJIKAWA CLASSIC...
The classic is named in honor of Sun Devil legend Bill Kajikawa, an ASU graduate who earned his bachelor's degree in 1937 before completing a master's degree in 1948. While an undergrad, Kajikawa was a member of the varsity football team. In 1937, Kajikawa began his coaching career at ASU with the Arizona State Teachers College freshman football team. In addition, he served as head basketball coach from 1948 to 1957, and he was head coach of ASU's club baseball team from 1947 to 1957. Before retiring in 1978, Kajikawa had worked as the freshman football coach under a total of nine ASU head football coaches.
During World War II, Kajikawa took his only hiatus from ASU to serve with distinction in the Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd combat regiment, manned entirely by Japanese Americans, was the Army's most decorated combat unit.
Kajikawa, who was a professor emeritus of physical education at ASU, was recognized on April 6, 1995, in a ceremony that named the Sun Devil football practice field The Bill Kajikawa Practice Facility. He was also inducted into the Arizona Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and the ASU Hall of Distinction in 1982.
ASU will kick-off tournament play with a doubleheader against Cal Baptist at 4:00 p.m. and OSU at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10. The Sun Devils will then return to the field on Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Missouri State. On Saturday, the Sun Devils will close out the third day of the tournament against the Blue Devils at 7 p.m.
To conclude the 2022 Kajikawa Classic, ASU will play Missouri State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
2022 Kajikawa Classic Full Schedule
Thursday - 2.10.22
4 p.m. Cal Baptist vs. ASU
6:30 p.m. Oklahoma State vs. ASU
Friday - 2.11.22
9 a.m. Duke vs. Cal Baptist
11:30 a.m. Duke vs. Oklahoma State
2 p.m. Utah vs. Oklahoma State
4:30 p.m. Missouri State vs. ASU
7 p.m. Missouri State vs. Utah
Saturday - 2.12.22
9 a.m. Cal Baptist vs. Oklahoma State
11:30 a.m. Missouri State vs. Oklahoma State
2 p.m. Missouri State vs. Cal Baptist
4:30 p.m. Duke vs. Utah
7 p.m. Duke vs. ASU
Sunday - 2.13.22
8 a.m. Duke vs. Utah
10:30 a.m. Cal Baptist vs. Utah
1 p.m. Missouri State vs. ASU
In last year's Kajikawa Classic, the Sun Devils swept the weekend outscoring their opponents 30-12. Then freshman pitcher Allison Royalty earned her first collegiate win against BYU in an eight inning game on the first day of the Classic.
Last season the Sun Devils were not to be messed with when stepping into the plate. As a team, the Sun Devils hit 95 home runs, the most since 2013. During the 2021 season, the Sun Devils were ranked in the top-25 in the country in team batting average and ranked second in home runs per game (1.94).
Fans can keep up with all the news and action of Sun Devil Softball by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter and Facebook and SunDevilSB on Instagram.
QUOTES FROM TRISHA FORD
On having a competitive Kajikawa Classic…
"We want to play at the very top level."
"We're going to be tested early and we're going to be tested often, but we're getting ready for conference and we're getting ready for postseason."
On Jessi Puck…
"She's full of life and has so much faith in herself and the process. She has slid into our program seamlessly and the team loves her."
"All these different characteristics are what make her a successful catcher. You have to be able to manage different personalities and you can't take things too seriously."
On Mac Morgan…
"You're going to see her intensity on the field. She loves softball, she loves it from the core of her body."
"She's fierce, she is not nice, she wants to win. She is a competitor."
On Lindsay Lopez…
"Her offseason has been great and she has the hunger to be great."
"The team is really excited to play behind her and that is a sign of a great pitcher."
ABOUT THE KAJIKAWA CLASSIC...
The classic is named in honor of Sun Devil legend Bill Kajikawa, an ASU graduate who earned his bachelor's degree in 1937 before completing a master's degree in 1948. While an undergrad, Kajikawa was a member of the varsity football team. In 1937, Kajikawa began his coaching career at ASU with the Arizona State Teachers College freshman football team. In addition, he served as head basketball coach from 1948 to 1957, and he was head coach of ASU's club baseball team from 1947 to 1957. Before retiring in 1978, Kajikawa had worked as the freshman football coach under a total of nine ASU head football coaches.
During World War II, Kajikawa took his only hiatus from ASU to serve with distinction in the Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd combat regiment, manned entirely by Japanese Americans, was the Army's most decorated combat unit.
Kajikawa, who was a professor emeritus of physical education at ASU, was recognized on April 6, 1995, in a ceremony that named the Sun Devil football practice field The Bill Kajikawa Practice Facility. He was also inducted into the Arizona Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and the ASU Hall of Distinction in 1982.