TEMPE – Fresh off a series win over a top-10 opponent, No. 25 Arizona State travels to Salt Lake City for a three-game series with Utahat the Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
The series has been adjusted and now consists of a doubleheader starting at noon MST on Friday. First pitch for Saturday's finale is at 11 a.m. MST.
Krista Blunk will call the action of Friday's second game on Pac-12 Arizona & Mountain. Friday's first game and Saturday's game will be on the Utah Livestream. All three games will also be available in the Pac-12 Now app.
The Sun Devils take a 20-11 overall record into the weekend series. They sit sixth in the Pac-12 race with a 4-5 record in conference play after winning three of the last four games. ASU is 2-3 in road games this season and 6-6 in all competitions away from home.
The series will start with ASU batting .287 and holding a .894 OPS. The Sun Devils are averaging 5.03 runs per game behind a .514 slugging percentage that ranks third in the conference.
In the circle, the staff has a 2.73 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. The team has thrown five shutouts and averages 6.41 strikeouts per seven innings. The opposition batts .234 with a .666 OPS and hits a home run every 55.2 at-bats.
SERIES HISTORY
In 65 all-time meetings with Utah, Arizona State holds a 45-20 edge, despite being 7-9 in games in Salt Lake City. ASU swept the three games last season in Tempe and has won four straight over the Utes.
The recent success for the Sun Devils goes back even further, where they have won 13 of the past 14 matchups. That comes after Utah had a stretch where they won seven of eight.
FAST STARTS
The Sun Devils have outscored the opposition 25-14 in the first inning of games this season. They are 11-2 when scoring in the first inning, which has led to a 14-2 record when scoring first.
The first-inning success has been bolstered by the team hitting seven home runs in the opening frame, including four leadoff home runs.
SETTING IT UP
ASU has been successful this season at getting the first batter of the inning on base. Through 190 innings at the plate, the Sun Devils have seen the first batter reach base 51.6 percent of the time.
In contrast, ASU opponents have seen their first batter in an inning reach base in 38 percent of their 200 opportunities.
STILL LOVE THE LONG BALL
After hitting a program-record 104 home runs in 2022, the Sun Devils have continued to deliver in that department in 2023. With 43 home runs in 31 games, ASU is 10th in the nation by hitting 1.39 per game.
The team is 17th in the NCAA in total home runs, and they have scored 71 runs via the home run this season (45.5% of total runs). ASU homered in 17 consecutive games – one shy of the program record – before being shutout by Arizona on March 10.
TOP OF THE LINEUP
Yanni Acuña continues to lead the Sun Devils from her leadoff position with a .409 batting average and a team-leading 38 hits. She has a team-high 13 multi-hit games and reached base in 30 of the 31 games this season.
Acuña is seventh in the Pac-12 in average, and she ranks fifth in slugging (.774), sixth in total bases (72), eighth in doubles (8), and ninth in home runs (8).
THE JORDYN RULES
Jordyn VanHook continues to lead the Pac-12 with 14 home runs, and she is second in the country in home runs per game at 0.45. She is hitting a home run every 6.2 at-bats, and twice this season, she homered in four consecutive games.
VanHook is slugging .885 to lead the conference and rank 11th in the NCAA. She is batting .345 with five doubles, 28 RBIs, and 23 runs scored.
BROWN FROM THE BULLPEN
Kenzie Brown has settled into a groove in the circle for the Sun Devils, having allowed one unearned run in her last 16 innings. That includes a career-best 13 straight scoreless innings entering the weekend.
During the run, Brown lowered her ERA to 2.03 from 2.79. She leads the team with 10 wins and 66 strikeouts while holding the opposition to a .181 batting average.
Brown ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in ERA, seventh in wins, and sixth at 7.88 strikeouts per seven innings pitched.
The series has been adjusted and now consists of a doubleheader starting at noon MST on Friday. First pitch for Saturday's finale is at 11 a.m. MST.
Krista Blunk will call the action of Friday's second game on Pac-12 Arizona & Mountain. Friday's first game and Saturday's game will be on the Utah Livestream. All three games will also be available in the Pac-12 Now app.
The Sun Devils take a 20-11 overall record into the weekend series. They sit sixth in the Pac-12 race with a 4-5 record in conference play after winning three of the last four games. ASU is 2-3 in road games this season and 6-6 in all competitions away from home.
The series will start with ASU batting .287 and holding a .894 OPS. The Sun Devils are averaging 5.03 runs per game behind a .514 slugging percentage that ranks third in the conference.
In the circle, the staff has a 2.73 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. The team has thrown five shutouts and averages 6.41 strikeouts per seven innings. The opposition batts .234 with a .666 OPS and hits a home run every 55.2 at-bats.
SERIES HISTORY
In 65 all-time meetings with Utah, Arizona State holds a 45-20 edge, despite being 7-9 in games in Salt Lake City. ASU swept the three games last season in Tempe and has won four straight over the Utes.
The recent success for the Sun Devils goes back even further, where they have won 13 of the past 14 matchups. That comes after Utah had a stretch where they won seven of eight.
FAST STARTS
The Sun Devils have outscored the opposition 25-14 in the first inning of games this season. They are 11-2 when scoring in the first inning, which has led to a 14-2 record when scoring first.
The first-inning success has been bolstered by the team hitting seven home runs in the opening frame, including four leadoff home runs.
SETTING IT UP
ASU has been successful this season at getting the first batter of the inning on base. Through 190 innings at the plate, the Sun Devils have seen the first batter reach base 51.6 percent of the time.
In contrast, ASU opponents have seen their first batter in an inning reach base in 38 percent of their 200 opportunities.
STILL LOVE THE LONG BALL
After hitting a program-record 104 home runs in 2022, the Sun Devils have continued to deliver in that department in 2023. With 43 home runs in 31 games, ASU is 10th in the nation by hitting 1.39 per game.
The team is 17th in the NCAA in total home runs, and they have scored 71 runs via the home run this season (45.5% of total runs). ASU homered in 17 consecutive games – one shy of the program record – before being shutout by Arizona on March 10.
TOP OF THE LINEUP
Yanni Acuña continues to lead the Sun Devils from her leadoff position with a .409 batting average and a team-leading 38 hits. She has a team-high 13 multi-hit games and reached base in 30 of the 31 games this season.
Acuña is seventh in the Pac-12 in average, and she ranks fifth in slugging (.774), sixth in total bases (72), eighth in doubles (8), and ninth in home runs (8).
THE JORDYN RULES
Jordyn VanHook continues to lead the Pac-12 with 14 home runs, and she is second in the country in home runs per game at 0.45. She is hitting a home run every 6.2 at-bats, and twice this season, she homered in four consecutive games.
VanHook is slugging .885 to lead the conference and rank 11th in the NCAA. She is batting .345 with five doubles, 28 RBIs, and 23 runs scored.
BROWN FROM THE BULLPEN
Kenzie Brown has settled into a groove in the circle for the Sun Devils, having allowed one unearned run in her last 16 innings. That includes a career-best 13 straight scoreless innings entering the weekend.
During the run, Brown lowered her ERA to 2.03 from 2.79. She leads the team with 10 wins and 66 strikeouts while holding the opposition to a .181 batting average.
Brown ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in ERA, seventh in wins, and sixth at 7.88 strikeouts per seven innings pitched.