TEMPE – Territorial Cup action comes to Farrington Stadium this weekend as Sun Devil Softball hosts No. 10/10 Arizona in a three-game Big 12 series. The action begins on Friday at 6 p.m. and continues at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Ticket availability is low, with each game expected to sell out. Once standard seating is fully sold out, a limited number of Devil Deck and Standing Room Only tickets will be available. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to the first pitch.
Weekend Promotions
Fans are encouraged to wear gold and help Gold Out Farrington all weekend long. The first 500 fans on Friday will receive a Rally Towel courtesy of Mountain America Credit Union. Saturday is a 2000s Decade Celebration, and 500 Gold Softball visors will be given out. Farrington Funday returns on Sunday with $1 nachos and Kids Run the Bases after the game.
How to Follow
All three games will be live on ESPN+ with Daron Sutton (play-by-play) and Jody Jackson (analyst) calling the action. Live scoring will be available for every game of the series.
Updates will be provided on social media via X/Twitter (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb).
Sun Devil Notes
The Sun Devils start the series at 22-8 overall, having won 15 of their previous 18 outings. They are tied for second in the Big 12 with a 4-2 mark through the first two weekends of conference play. ASU has gone 20-4 at Farrington this season.
The series will start with ASU third in the conference with a .321 batting average while sitting second by slugging .510. They score 5.60 runs and steal 1.27 bases per game.
The Sun Devil pitchers have a 3.12 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with three shutouts. The staff is second in the Big 12 at 7.30 strikeouts per seven innings and allows 6.41 hits per seven.
Looking Back
ASU completed a 4-1 road trip to Florida last week. After sweeping a doubleheader at Stetson, the Sun Devils took two of three at UCF in conference play.
On Tuesday, they returned home to earn a 4-1 win over UNLV.
About Arizona
Arizona will start the series at 27-4 overall and tied with ASU for second in the Big 12 at 4-2. They have won six straight games overall and are 3-0 on the road.
The Wildcats are second in the NCAA with a .382 batting average and eighth by scoring 8.27 runs per game. Regan Shockey is third in the country with 47 hits, while Paige Dimler leads the Big 12 with a .469 batting average.
Arizona pitchers maintain a 2.52 ERA while posting eight shutouts. Saya Swain leads the staff with a 1.93 ERA, and Devyn Netz has a team-best 57 strikeouts.
Strike First, Finish Strong
ASU has been jumping on teams early in games this season, outscoring the opposition 31-15 in the first inning. They are 10-1 when scoring in the first inning and 14-3 when scoring first overall. In a weird twist, the Sun Devils are also 5-2 when the opponent scores in the first inning.
And while scoring in the first has been key, the Sun Devils have also scored late to put teams away. ASU has outscored their opponents 33-12 in the fifth and 20-12 in the sixth. That 53-24 advantage in the later innings has helped the team go 13-1 when leading after five and 16-0 when leading after six.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams in the country, ASU has had eight freshmen make at least one appearance so far this season. Those freshmen have combined to make 126 starts, accounting for 42 percent of all starts for the year.
The freshman class is batting .282 with a .891 OPS. They have combined to hit 17 of the team's 33 home runs while driving in 62. The two freshman pitchers are 6-4 with 48 strikeouts.
Moving Through 1,900
The Sun Devils win at UCF last Sunday was win No. 1,900 in the program's history. One of the most successful programs in the country, the team currently holds a record of 1,901-962-2 (.664) since it began in 1967.
200 and Counting
ASU head coach Megan Bartlett recorded her 200th career victory in the win over BYU on March 8. Now in her eighth season as a collegiate head coach and third at ASU, Bartlett has a career record of 205-173 (.542).
Brown is Back
After sitting out last season with an injury, Kenzie Brown has returned as one of the top pitchers in the country. Entering the weekend, Brown is second in the NCAA at 11.4 strikeouts per seven innings and fourth with 125 total strikeouts. Her 0.91 ERA is good for 10th in the country.
Brown had 18 strikeouts against BYU on March 6 to tie the ASU record for strikeouts in a 7-inning game. Her five games with double-digit strikeouts are the most by a Sun Devil since G Juarez in 2018. In her four starts in conference play, Brown is 4-0 with a 0.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts.
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall opened the season in the starting lineup just 277 days after tearing her ACL. Having started all 30 games, Hall is second on the team with a .387 batting average while leading with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.
In her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall is 20th among active players with 140 runs scored and 341 total bases. She also ranks 21st with 147 RBIs and 24th with 38 home runs.
Tanya Time
Tanya Windle leads the team with 38 hits and 11 doubles. She has gone 23-for-50 (.460) with seven RBIs over the past 15 games, with a hit in 13.
Windle ranks 16th among active NCAA players with 11 triples in her career. Her .397 career batting average is ninth among active players with at least 400 career at-bats.
Around the Horn
Tiare Ho-Ching is batting .326 with 30 hits and 21 RBIs while settling in as the team's leadoff hitter. The freshman has one of the two 4-hit games by a Sun Devil this season while adding seven multi-RBI outings.
AJ Murphy starts the series on a season-long eight-game hitting streak. During the run, Murphy is 11-for-19 (.579) with four RBI. She leads the team with a .390 batting average while adding three home runs and 15 RBIs.
Ashleigh Mejia has come up clutch for the Sun Devils this season. Five of the freshman's six home runs have tied the game or given ASU the lead. That includes a 3-run home run in the sixth inning at UCF on Friday that accounted for all the scoring in the contest.
Meika Lauppe has emerged as the No. 2 pitcher on the staff with a 5-2 record and 2.11 ERA. Her 40 strikeouts are second on the team, and she limits the opposition to a .222 batting average.
Looking Ahead
ASU will return to the road next week for a three-game series with Iowa State. The games will be played in Ames, Iowa, from March 28 to 30.
Ticket availability is low, with each game expected to sell out. Once standard seating is fully sold out, a limited number of Devil Deck and Standing Room Only tickets will be available. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to the first pitch.
Weekend Promotions
Fans are encouraged to wear gold and help Gold Out Farrington all weekend long. The first 500 fans on Friday will receive a Rally Towel courtesy of Mountain America Credit Union. Saturday is a 2000s Decade Celebration, and 500 Gold Softball visors will be given out. Farrington Funday returns on Sunday with $1 nachos and Kids Run the Bases after the game.
How to Follow
All three games will be live on ESPN+ with Daron Sutton (play-by-play) and Jody Jackson (analyst) calling the action. Live scoring will be available for every game of the series.
Updates will be provided on social media via X/Twitter (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb).
Sun Devil Notes
The Sun Devils start the series at 22-8 overall, having won 15 of their previous 18 outings. They are tied for second in the Big 12 with a 4-2 mark through the first two weekends of conference play. ASU has gone 20-4 at Farrington this season.
The series will start with ASU third in the conference with a .321 batting average while sitting second by slugging .510. They score 5.60 runs and steal 1.27 bases per game.
The Sun Devil pitchers have a 3.12 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with three shutouts. The staff is second in the Big 12 at 7.30 strikeouts per seven innings and allows 6.41 hits per seven.
Looking Back
ASU completed a 4-1 road trip to Florida last week. After sweeping a doubleheader at Stetson, the Sun Devils took two of three at UCF in conference play.
On Tuesday, they returned home to earn a 4-1 win over UNLV.
About Arizona
Arizona will start the series at 27-4 overall and tied with ASU for second in the Big 12 at 4-2. They have won six straight games overall and are 3-0 on the road.
The Wildcats are second in the NCAA with a .382 batting average and eighth by scoring 8.27 runs per game. Regan Shockey is third in the country with 47 hits, while Paige Dimler leads the Big 12 with a .469 batting average.
Arizona pitchers maintain a 2.52 ERA while posting eight shutouts. Saya Swain leads the staff with a 1.93 ERA, and Devyn Netz has a team-best 57 strikeouts.
Strike First, Finish Strong
ASU has been jumping on teams early in games this season, outscoring the opposition 31-15 in the first inning. They are 10-1 when scoring in the first inning and 14-3 when scoring first overall. In a weird twist, the Sun Devils are also 5-2 when the opponent scores in the first inning.
And while scoring in the first has been key, the Sun Devils have also scored late to put teams away. ASU has outscored their opponents 33-12 in the fifth and 20-12 in the sixth. That 53-24 advantage in the later innings has helped the team go 13-1 when leading after five and 16-0 when leading after six.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams in the country, ASU has had eight freshmen make at least one appearance so far this season. Those freshmen have combined to make 126 starts, accounting for 42 percent of all starts for the year.
The freshman class is batting .282 with a .891 OPS. They have combined to hit 17 of the team's 33 home runs while driving in 62. The two freshman pitchers are 6-4 with 48 strikeouts.
Moving Through 1,900
The Sun Devils win at UCF last Sunday was win No. 1,900 in the program's history. One of the most successful programs in the country, the team currently holds a record of 1,901-962-2 (.664) since it began in 1967.
200 and Counting
ASU head coach Megan Bartlett recorded her 200th career victory in the win over BYU on March 8. Now in her eighth season as a collegiate head coach and third at ASU, Bartlett has a career record of 205-173 (.542).
Brown is Back
After sitting out last season with an injury, Kenzie Brown has returned as one of the top pitchers in the country. Entering the weekend, Brown is second in the NCAA at 11.4 strikeouts per seven innings and fourth with 125 total strikeouts. Her 0.91 ERA is good for 10th in the country.
Brown had 18 strikeouts against BYU on March 6 to tie the ASU record for strikeouts in a 7-inning game. Her five games with double-digit strikeouts are the most by a Sun Devil since G Juarez in 2018. In her four starts in conference play, Brown is 4-0 with a 0.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts.
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall opened the season in the starting lineup just 277 days after tearing her ACL. Having started all 30 games, Hall is second on the team with a .387 batting average while leading with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.
In her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall is 20th among active players with 140 runs scored and 341 total bases. She also ranks 21st with 147 RBIs and 24th with 38 home runs.
Tanya Time
Tanya Windle leads the team with 38 hits and 11 doubles. She has gone 23-for-50 (.460) with seven RBIs over the past 15 games, with a hit in 13.
Windle ranks 16th among active NCAA players with 11 triples in her career. Her .397 career batting average is ninth among active players with at least 400 career at-bats.
Around the Horn
Tiare Ho-Ching is batting .326 with 30 hits and 21 RBIs while settling in as the team's leadoff hitter. The freshman has one of the two 4-hit games by a Sun Devil this season while adding seven multi-RBI outings.
AJ Murphy starts the series on a season-long eight-game hitting streak. During the run, Murphy is 11-for-19 (.579) with four RBI. She leads the team with a .390 batting average while adding three home runs and 15 RBIs.
Ashleigh Mejia has come up clutch for the Sun Devils this season. Five of the freshman's six home runs have tied the game or given ASU the lead. That includes a 3-run home run in the sixth inning at UCF on Friday that accounted for all the scoring in the contest.
Meika Lauppe has emerged as the No. 2 pitcher on the staff with a 5-2 record and 2.11 ERA. Her 40 strikeouts are second on the team, and she limits the opposition to a .222 batting average.
Looking Ahead
ASU will return to the road next week for a three-game series with Iowa State. The games will be played in Ames, Iowa, from March 28 to 30.