Sun Devil softball opens the 2025 season this weekend by hosting the 20th edition of the Kajikawa Classic at Farrington Stadium. Arizona State will play five times during the four-day event, starting Thursday at 6 p.m. against Maryland. The Sun Devils will play Miami (Ohio) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. before hosting Minnesota on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ASU closes the opening weekend versus California at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Weekend Promotions
Several promotions are available to fans during the Kajikawa Classic, starting with a Mini Bat Giveaway on Thursday. Saturday is Blankets on the Berm Night where the ticket package includes two GA tickets to the doubleheader against Miami & Minnesota, and a Sun Devil Softball Blanket. Sunday is Farrington Funday with $1 hot dogs and kids run the bases after the game.
How to Follow
Thursday's game against Maryland, Friday's game with Miami and Sunday's game against California will each air live on ESPN+. Live scoring will be available for every game of the Kajikawa Classic, and updates will be provided on social media via X (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb). Complete Kajikawa Classic details are available at thesundevils.com/feature/2025kajikawa.
2025 Sun Devils
ASU begins the new season with seven players who have appeared in a game for the Sun Devils in their career. The seven returners include outfielders Yannixa Acuña, Kelsey Hall and Tanya Windle. Ayden Allen is the lone returner across the infield, and Samantha Swan returns behind the plate. Meika Lauppe is back in the circle with Kenzie Brown, who returns after missing 2024 with an injury.
In addition, the 2025 squad welcomes in transfers Jolee Benson, Katie Chester, Nehanda Lewis, AJ Murphy, Maddie Okano and Sydney Saenz. The talented freshman class features Cambree Creager, Takyla Davis, Tiare Ho-Ching, Lillian Holtje, Ashleigh Mejia, Grace Molitor, Corie Shull and Julianne Tipton.
Looking Back at 2024
Arizona State moves to the Big 12 in 2025 after going 20-31 overall and 3-21 last season as members of the Pac-12. That team ended the season with a .279 batting average and .813 OPS, scoring 4.65 runs per game. The team's 17 triples tied for the ninth-most in program history and were the most for a Sun Devil team since 1996.
Sun Devil pitchers held a 4.78 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in the circle, while opponents batted .304. The staff averaged 4.74 strikeouts per seven innings and delivered three shutouts.
About the Opposition
The Kajikawa Classic will be a solid test for the Sun Devils to start the season. Two of the weekend's opponents, Miami and California, are coming off NCAA Regional appearances last season. Minnesota finished fifth in the Big Ten and reached the quarterfinal of its conference tournament. Maryland closed 2024 by winning six of its final nine games.
Miami led the NCAA with 2.76 home runs per game, 8.74 runs per game, and a .724 slugging percentage. Cal finished 12th in the country in slugging (.530) and home runs per game (1.41).
20 Years of Kajikawa
This year marks the 20th edition of the Kajikawa Classic, which began in 2005 and has been held every since except 2023. It has been played the first weekend of the season in all but the 2008 version. During that time, ASU holds a record of 91-17 (.843) and finished with the best record at the event eight times.
Cal will make its ninth appearance at the event with a 29-7 (.806) record. Maryland went 2-3 during the 2016 Kajikawa Classic, and this year is the first appearance for Miami and Minnesota. Utah is also in the Classic this season for the 12th time in program history. The Utes last appeared in 2021 and are 36-23-1 (.608) all-time.
Preseason Accolades
Several ASU players received preseason honors during January. Kelsey Hall was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Softball Team, and Tanya Windle was named the No. 30 outfielder in the NCAA by D1 Softball.
Freshmen Cambree Creager, Tiare Ho-Ching and Julianne Tipton were each named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America Freshman Watch List.
Fast Starts
ASU has a history of getting off to fast starts with a 501-154 (.765) record in February. That includes a 381-82 (.823) record at home in the month.
The Sun Devils are 47-9 in the program's history in season openers. They have won 27 of the past 29 season openers, with the two losses coming in 2018 and 2024.
Chasing 1,900
When play begins in the 57th season of ASU softball on Thursday, the Sun Devils are 21 wins away from 1,900 wins in program history. One of the most successful programs in the country, the team starts the season with an all-time record of 1879-954-2 (.663).
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall begins her sixth season of collegiate softball in 2025 and her second with the Sun Devils. She batted .345 with a .996 OPS last season to finish second on the team in each category.
Hall is expected to return to the ASU lineup this weekend, just nine months after tearing her ACL in the regular season finale against UCLA on May 5.
Tanya Time
After leading all ASU qualifiers with a .369 batting average last season, Tanya Windle looks to carry that success into year two in the Maroon & Gold. The 2023 WAC Freshman of the Year at Utah Tech, Windle posted a team-best 15 games with multiple hits in 2024 while leading the team with 10 doubles.
During a seven-game hitting streak last March, Windle went 14-for-24 with six doubles, nine RBIs and five multi-hit games. She also closed the season with hits in nine of the team's final 12 games.
Brown is Back
Kenzie Brown returns to the circle for the Sun Devils in 2025 after sitting out last season with an injury. After transferring from Tulsa, she led ASU with a 10-2 record during the 2023 season.
Two seasons ago, Brown recorded 76 strikeouts and allowed only 71 hits in 74 innings. Working primarily as a reliever that season, Brown led the team with 31 appearances.
All About Acuña
Yannixa Acuña will also return to the ASU lineup after recovering from an ACL injury in 2024. She batted .382 with seven extra-base hits and 12 RBIs in 26 games before the injury on March 15.
Acuña tallied a hit in all but seven of the games she played, with four three-hit outings and 21 runs scored.
Silver Jubilee for Club Farrington
Arizona State will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium this season. The stadium was unveiled in 2000 as the home of Sun Devil Softball. During its time as one of the premier softball facilities in the country, Farrington Stadium has welcomed over 800,000 spectators to witness ASU win nearly 700 games, hosting 11 Regionals and nine Super Regionals. Those large crowds have created an amazing home environment known across the country as Club Farrington.
Big 12 Notes
The Big 12 features 11 teams playing softball. Once conference play begins on March 6, each team will play eight three-game series. Arizona State will miss Oklahoma State and Houston in this season's schedule rotation.
All 11 teams will qualify for the Big 12 Tournament, which will be held May 7-10 at OGE Field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma State was voted the preseason favorite to win the league this season. They were followed by Texas Tech, Baylor, and Arizona.
Looking Ahead
The Sun Devils return to Farrington Stadium next weekend to host the Littlewood Classic. During the team's six games over the four days, ASU will play two former Pac-12 rivals, Oregon and Washington.
Weekend Promotions
Several promotions are available to fans during the Kajikawa Classic, starting with a Mini Bat Giveaway on Thursday. Saturday is Blankets on the Berm Night where the ticket package includes two GA tickets to the doubleheader against Miami & Minnesota, and a Sun Devil Softball Blanket. Sunday is Farrington Funday with $1 hot dogs and kids run the bases after the game.
How to Follow
Thursday's game against Maryland, Friday's game with Miami and Sunday's game against California will each air live on ESPN+. Live scoring will be available for every game of the Kajikawa Classic, and updates will be provided on social media via X (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb). Complete Kajikawa Classic details are available at thesundevils.com/feature/2025kajikawa.
2025 Sun Devils
ASU begins the new season with seven players who have appeared in a game for the Sun Devils in their career. The seven returners include outfielders Yannixa Acuña, Kelsey Hall and Tanya Windle. Ayden Allen is the lone returner across the infield, and Samantha Swan returns behind the plate. Meika Lauppe is back in the circle with Kenzie Brown, who returns after missing 2024 with an injury.
In addition, the 2025 squad welcomes in transfers Jolee Benson, Katie Chester, Nehanda Lewis, AJ Murphy, Maddie Okano and Sydney Saenz. The talented freshman class features Cambree Creager, Takyla Davis, Tiare Ho-Ching, Lillian Holtje, Ashleigh Mejia, Grace Molitor, Corie Shull and Julianne Tipton.
Looking Back at 2024
Arizona State moves to the Big 12 in 2025 after going 20-31 overall and 3-21 last season as members of the Pac-12. That team ended the season with a .279 batting average and .813 OPS, scoring 4.65 runs per game. The team's 17 triples tied for the ninth-most in program history and were the most for a Sun Devil team since 1996.
Sun Devil pitchers held a 4.78 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in the circle, while opponents batted .304. The staff averaged 4.74 strikeouts per seven innings and delivered three shutouts.
About the Opposition
The Kajikawa Classic will be a solid test for the Sun Devils to start the season. Two of the weekend's opponents, Miami and California, are coming off NCAA Regional appearances last season. Minnesota finished fifth in the Big Ten and reached the quarterfinal of its conference tournament. Maryland closed 2024 by winning six of its final nine games.
Miami led the NCAA with 2.76 home runs per game, 8.74 runs per game, and a .724 slugging percentage. Cal finished 12th in the country in slugging (.530) and home runs per game (1.41).
20 Years of Kajikawa
This year marks the 20th edition of the Kajikawa Classic, which began in 2005 and has been held every since except 2023. It has been played the first weekend of the season in all but the 2008 version. During that time, ASU holds a record of 91-17 (.843) and finished with the best record at the event eight times.
Cal will make its ninth appearance at the event with a 29-7 (.806) record. Maryland went 2-3 during the 2016 Kajikawa Classic, and this year is the first appearance for Miami and Minnesota. Utah is also in the Classic this season for the 12th time in program history. The Utes last appeared in 2021 and are 36-23-1 (.608) all-time.
Preseason Accolades
Several ASU players received preseason honors during January. Kelsey Hall was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Softball Team, and Tanya Windle was named the No. 30 outfielder in the NCAA by D1 Softball.
Freshmen Cambree Creager, Tiare Ho-Ching and Julianne Tipton were each named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America Freshman Watch List.
Fast Starts
ASU has a history of getting off to fast starts with a 501-154 (.765) record in February. That includes a 381-82 (.823) record at home in the month.
The Sun Devils are 47-9 in the program's history in season openers. They have won 27 of the past 29 season openers, with the two losses coming in 2018 and 2024.
Chasing 1,900
When play begins in the 57th season of ASU softball on Thursday, the Sun Devils are 21 wins away from 1,900 wins in program history. One of the most successful programs in the country, the team starts the season with an all-time record of 1879-954-2 (.663).
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall begins her sixth season of collegiate softball in 2025 and her second with the Sun Devils. She batted .345 with a .996 OPS last season to finish second on the team in each category.
Hall is expected to return to the ASU lineup this weekend, just nine months after tearing her ACL in the regular season finale against UCLA on May 5.
Tanya Time
After leading all ASU qualifiers with a .369 batting average last season, Tanya Windle looks to carry that success into year two in the Maroon & Gold. The 2023 WAC Freshman of the Year at Utah Tech, Windle posted a team-best 15 games with multiple hits in 2024 while leading the team with 10 doubles.
During a seven-game hitting streak last March, Windle went 14-for-24 with six doubles, nine RBIs and five multi-hit games. She also closed the season with hits in nine of the team's final 12 games.
Brown is Back
Kenzie Brown returns to the circle for the Sun Devils in 2025 after sitting out last season with an injury. After transferring from Tulsa, she led ASU with a 10-2 record during the 2023 season.
Two seasons ago, Brown recorded 76 strikeouts and allowed only 71 hits in 74 innings. Working primarily as a reliever that season, Brown led the team with 31 appearances.
All About Acuña
Yannixa Acuña will also return to the ASU lineup after recovering from an ACL injury in 2024. She batted .382 with seven extra-base hits and 12 RBIs in 26 games before the injury on March 15.
Acuña tallied a hit in all but seven of the games she played, with four three-hit outings and 21 runs scored.
Silver Jubilee for Club Farrington
Arizona State will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium this season. The stadium was unveiled in 2000 as the home of Sun Devil Softball. During its time as one of the premier softball facilities in the country, Farrington Stadium has welcomed over 800,000 spectators to witness ASU win nearly 700 games, hosting 11 Regionals and nine Super Regionals. Those large crowds have created an amazing home environment known across the country as Club Farrington.
Big 12 Notes
The Big 12 features 11 teams playing softball. Once conference play begins on March 6, each team will play eight three-game series. Arizona State will miss Oklahoma State and Houston in this season's schedule rotation.
All 11 teams will qualify for the Big 12 Tournament, which will be held May 7-10 at OGE Field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma State was voted the preseason favorite to win the league this season. They were followed by Texas Tech, Baylor, and Arizona.
Looking Ahead
The Sun Devils return to Farrington Stadium next weekend to host the Littlewood Classic. During the team's six games over the four days, ASU will play two former Pac-12 rivals, Oregon and Washington.