TEMPE – Sun Devil Softball travels to Iowa State this weekend, where a team that has hosted 49 games this season plays a team that is hosting its first. The series marks the first time in program history that ASU will play a game in Iowa.
The schedule has been changed, and the series will now feature a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday. Friday's first game will start at 1 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. AZT, with game two 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Saturday's start time will remain at 1 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. AZT but could move up if the weather forecast shows storms arriving earlier.
How to Follow
All three games will be live on ESPN+. Noah Wolf (play-by-play) and Aly Cappaert (analyst) will call the action. Live scoring will be available for every game of the series.
Updates – including any game changes due to weather – will be provided on social media via X/Twitter (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb).
Sun Devil Notes
Arizona State heads to the series with a 23-10 overall record and winners in seven of the last ten games. They are sixth in the Big 12 standings with a 5-4 mark in conference play. The team is 4-2 on the road following a 4-1 trip to Florida two weeks ago.
Entering the weekend, ASU is batting .313 with a .885 OPS. They are third in the Big 12 with a .499 slugging percentage while scoring 5.24 runs per game. The Sun Devils are second in the conference with 48 doubles and 35 home runs.
The ASU staff maintains a 3.14 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in the circle. The opposition is batting .242 with a .645 OPS. The team is second in the Big 12, averaging 7.24 strikeouts per seven innings.
Looking Back
ASU went 2-2 last week, first with a mid-week win over UNLV and then 1-2 against No. 10/10 Arizona.
After dropping the first two games with the Wildcats, the Sun Devils took the series finale 3-2 to snap a seven-game losing streak in the series.
About Iowa State
Iowa State heads into the weekend at 14-14 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12. Last weekend, the Cyclones swept a three-game series at UCF for their first conference sweep since 2019. Friday's game will be the team's first home game of the season.
ISU is batting .275 as a team with a .779 OPS. They average 4.71 runs per game while posting 1.5 doubles per contest. Sereniti Trice and Jessie Clemons each have 25 hits to lead the team.
The Cyclone's pitching staff holds a 4.15 ERA and 1.63 WHIP heading into the weekend. They average 3.72 strikeouts per seven innings. Lauren Schurman leads the team with five wins and a 2.72 ERA.
Strike First, Finish Strong
ASU has been jumping on teams early in games this season, outscoring the opposition 31-16 in the first inning. They are 10-1 when scoring in the first inning and 15-3 when scoring first overall. In a weird twist, the Sun Devils are also 5-3 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 21-17 in the sixth. That 54-29 advantage in the later innings has helped the team go 14-1 when leading after five and 17-0 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 136 starts, accounting for 41 percent of all starts for the year.
The freshman class is batting .272 with a .866 OPS. They have combined to hit 19 of the team's 35 home runs while driving in 66. The two freshman pitchers are 6-4 with 49 strikeouts.
Moving Through 1,900
The Sun Devils win at UCF on Mar. 16 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 1,902-964-2 (.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 Mar. 8. Now in her eighth season as a collegiate head coach and third at ASU, Bartlett has a career record of 206-175 (.541).
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 third in the NCAA at 11.2 strikeouts per seven innings and fourth with 137 total strikeouts. Her 0.98 ERA is good for fifth in the country.
Brown had 18 strikeouts against BYU on Mar. 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 six starts during conference play, Brown is 4-1 with a 0.95 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall opened the season in the starting lineup just 277 days after tearing her ACL. Having started all 33 games, Hall is batting .373 with a 1.102 OPS. She leads the team with 35 RBIs and is tied for the lead with eight home runs.
In her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall ranks 21st among players with 344 total bases. She also sits 23rd with 147 RBIs and 25th with 38 home runs.
Tanya Time
Tanya Windle leads the team with 42 hits, 11 doubles, and three triples. In the 18 games since Feb. 27, Windle is 27-for-59 (.458) with nine multi-hit games. She has recorded a hit in 14 of those outings, with nine doubles.
Windle ranks ninth among active NCAA players with 12 triples in her career. Her .398 career batting average is sixth among active players with at least 425 career at-bats.
Around the Horn
Tiare Ho-Ching is batting .317 with 32 hits and 22 RBIs on the season. The freshman has one of the two 4-hit games by a Sun Devil this season while adding seven multi-RBI outings. She was named the No. 5 freshman in the Softball America Midseason Big 12 Rankings.
AJ Murphy's average is up to .385, following a stretch of recording a hit in 10 of the last 11 games. During the run, Murphy is 13-for-25 (.520) with five RBI. She has added three doubles, three home runs, and 16 RBIs.
Ashleigh Mejia has come up clutch for the Sun Devils this season. Six of the freshman's eight home runs have tied the game or given ASU the lead. That includes a 2-run homer to give the Sun Devils the lead in its 3-2 win over No. 10/10 Arizona on Sunday.
Meika Lauppe has emerged as the No. 2 pitcher on the staff with a 5-4 record, three saves, and a 2.52 ERA. Her 47 strikeouts are second on the team, and she limits the opposition to a .236 batting average.
Looking Ahead
ASU is back in Tempe next week with four games. They host Oklahoma State on Apr. 2 in a non-conference game before a three-game Big 12 series with Kansas on April 4-6.
The schedule has been changed, and the series will now feature a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday. Friday's first game will start at 1 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. AZT, with game two 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Saturday's start time will remain at 1 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. AZT but could move up if the weather forecast shows storms arriving earlier.
How to Follow
All three games will be live on ESPN+. Noah Wolf (play-by-play) and Aly Cappaert (analyst) will call the action. Live scoring will be available for every game of the series.
Updates – including any game changes due to weather – will be provided on social media via X/Twitter (@asusoftball) and Instagram (@sundevilsb).
Sun Devil Notes
Arizona State heads to the series with a 23-10 overall record and winners in seven of the last ten games. They are sixth in the Big 12 standings with a 5-4 mark in conference play. The team is 4-2 on the road following a 4-1 trip to Florida two weeks ago.
Entering the weekend, ASU is batting .313 with a .885 OPS. They are third in the Big 12 with a .499 slugging percentage while scoring 5.24 runs per game. The Sun Devils are second in the conference with 48 doubles and 35 home runs.
The ASU staff maintains a 3.14 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in the circle. The opposition is batting .242 with a .645 OPS. The team is second in the Big 12, averaging 7.24 strikeouts per seven innings.
Looking Back
ASU went 2-2 last week, first with a mid-week win over UNLV and then 1-2 against No. 10/10 Arizona.
After dropping the first two games with the Wildcats, the Sun Devils took the series finale 3-2 to snap a seven-game losing streak in the series.
About Iowa State
Iowa State heads into the weekend at 14-14 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12. Last weekend, the Cyclones swept a three-game series at UCF for their first conference sweep since 2019. Friday's game will be the team's first home game of the season.
ISU is batting .275 as a team with a .779 OPS. They average 4.71 runs per game while posting 1.5 doubles per contest. Sereniti Trice and Jessie Clemons each have 25 hits to lead the team.
The Cyclone's pitching staff holds a 4.15 ERA and 1.63 WHIP heading into the weekend. They average 3.72 strikeouts per seven innings. Lauren Schurman leads the team with five wins and a 2.72 ERA.
Strike First, Finish Strong
ASU has been jumping on teams early in games this season, outscoring the opposition 31-16 in the first inning. They are 10-1 when scoring in the first inning and 15-3 when scoring first overall. In a weird twist, the Sun Devils are also 5-3 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 21-17 in the sixth. That 54-29 advantage in the later innings has helped the team go 14-1 when leading after five and 17-0 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 136 starts, accounting for 41 percent of all starts for the year.
The freshman class is batting .272 with a .866 OPS. They have combined to hit 19 of the team's 35 home runs while driving in 66. The two freshman pitchers are 6-4 with 49 strikeouts.
Moving Through 1,900
The Sun Devils win at UCF on Mar. 16 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 1,902-964-2 (.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 Mar. 8. Now in her eighth season as a collegiate head coach and third at ASU, Bartlett has a career record of 206-175 (.541).
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 third in the NCAA at 11.2 strikeouts per seven innings and fourth with 137 total strikeouts. Her 0.98 ERA is good for fifth in the country.
Brown had 18 strikeouts against BYU on Mar. 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 six starts during conference play, Brown is 4-1 with a 0.95 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
Hall Pass
Kelsey Hall opened the season in the starting lineup just 277 days after tearing her ACL. Having started all 33 games, Hall is batting .373 with a 1.102 OPS. She leads the team with 35 RBIs and is tied for the lead with eight home runs.
In her sixth season of collegiate softball, Hall ranks 21st among players with 344 total bases. She also sits 23rd with 147 RBIs and 25th with 38 home runs.
Tanya Time
Tanya Windle leads the team with 42 hits, 11 doubles, and three triples. In the 18 games since Feb. 27, Windle is 27-for-59 (.458) with nine multi-hit games. She has recorded a hit in 14 of those outings, with nine doubles.
Windle ranks ninth among active NCAA players with 12 triples in her career. Her .398 career batting average is sixth among active players with at least 425 career at-bats.
Around the Horn
Tiare Ho-Ching is batting .317 with 32 hits and 22 RBIs on the season. The freshman has one of the two 4-hit games by a Sun Devil this season while adding seven multi-RBI outings. She was named the No. 5 freshman in the Softball America Midseason Big 12 Rankings.
AJ Murphy's average is up to .385, following a stretch of recording a hit in 10 of the last 11 games. During the run, Murphy is 13-for-25 (.520) with five RBI. She has added three doubles, three home runs, and 16 RBIs.
Ashleigh Mejia has come up clutch for the Sun Devils this season. Six of the freshman's eight home runs have tied the game or given ASU the lead. That includes a 2-run homer to give the Sun Devils the lead in its 3-2 win over No. 10/10 Arizona on Sunday.
Meika Lauppe has emerged as the No. 2 pitcher on the staff with a 5-4 record, three saves, and a 2.52 ERA. Her 47 strikeouts are second on the team, and she limits the opposition to a .236 batting average.
Looking Ahead
ASU is back in Tempe next week with four games. They host Oklahoma State on Apr. 2 in a non-conference game before a three-game Big 12 series with Kansas on April 4-6.