RV/No. 22 Sun Devil Softball Preview: Littlewood Invitational

TEMPE – After a successful Kajikawa Classic last weekend, the Sun Devil Softball program will look to continue its momentum with a six-game slate during the upcoming Littlewood Invitational that begins at 12:45 p.m. MST on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Arizona State will enter this weekend’s action with an all-time combined record of 46-8 against Portland State (18-0), Indiana (8-1), Nevada (3-0) and Pacific (17-7).

GAME SCHEDULE: 

• Thursday, Feb. 12 – vs. Portland State, 3:30 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
• Thursday, Feb. 12 – vs. -/RV Indiana, 6:15 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
• Friday, Feb. 13 – vs. RV/- Nevada, 6:15 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
• Saturday, Feb. 14 – vs. Portland State, 12:45 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
• Saturday, Feb. 14 – vs. Pacific, 6:15 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
• Sunday, Feb. 15 – vs. Pacific, 12:45 p.m. MST (ESPN+)

The full Littlewood Invitational schedule can be found here.

 TELEVISION: 

Day, Date	Game	Play by Play	Analyst
Thu., Feb. 12	Portland State vs. Arizona State	Ryan Sykora	Jody Jackson
Thu., Feb. 12	Indiana vs. Arizona State	Jesse Ough	Jody Jackson
Fri., Feb. 13	Nevada vs. Arizona State	Jesse Ough	Erica Beach
Sat., Feb. 14	Portland State vs. Arizona State	Jesse Ough	Erica Beach
Sat., Feb. 14	Pacific vs. Arizona State	Jesse Ough	Erica Beach
Sun., Feb. 15	Pacific vs. Arizona State	Ryan Sykora	Erica Beach

 

Only games featuring Arizona State will be available to stream on an ESPN platform.

SERIES HISTORY:

Portland State

• Thursday afternoon’s game will make the 19th all-time meeting between Arizona State and Portland State with the Sun Devils having won all 18 prior matchups.
• The first-ever game between the two programs actually occurred during the 1978 season, when Mary Littlewood was in her eighth year at the helm of the Sun Devil softball program. The two met at the AIWA World Series, where ASU won 10-0. The two went on to meet, again, during the 1981 season – Littlewood’s 11th season as ASU’s head coach – with the Sun Devils winning 6-0.
• Throughout the 18 previous games, Arizona State has outscored Portland State 147-19 with nine Sun Devil victories coming via run-rule shortened contests.

Indiana

• When Indiana and Arizona State take the diamond at Farrington Stadium on Thursday night, it will mark the first time the two programs have met on a softball field since Feb. 11, 2018, when the then-No. 23 ranked Sun Devils bested the Hoosiers, 2-1, during the Kajikawa Classic.
• In fact, three of the last four times Indiana has played Arizona State, the Sun Devils have been a ranked opponent for the Hoosiers: No. 4 (Feb. 8, 2013); No. 16 (Feb. 7, 2015); and No. 23 (Feb. 11, 2018). ASU won all three of those contests by a combined 20-3.
• The last six all-time meetings between the two programs have occurred in Tempe with ASU winning all six contests. Overall, the Sun Devils have an 8-1 all-time mark against Indiana entering this weekend.

Nevada

• Friday’s contest between Arizona State and Nevada will mark the first time the two have met since March 3, 2006, when ASU won, 12-2, in a neutral-site game in Las Vegas.
• In the two previous games (Feb. 14, 2004, and Feb. 10, 2006) that have taken place in Tempe, ASU has outscored the Wolfpack, 15-1, en route to two victories.

Pacific

• Pacific will travel to Tempe having the most historical success against Arizona State as the Tigers have earned seven all-time victories over the Sun Devils. However, despite the seven wins, ASU still claims a 17-7 all-time record.
• Current Sun Devil softball assistant coach Hailey Decker arrived in Tempe following a four-year stint on the coaching staff at Pacific (2020-23). The Tigers won 51 games over the course of the four-year span.

LEADING OFF:

• After ending last weekend’s action with a 4-1 record, Arizona State will look to move to 10-1 with a clean sweep of its upcoming six-game, non-conference slate over the weekend. A potential 10-1 record would mark the best record for the Sun Devils through a season’s first 11 games since the 2021 campaign, when ASU began the season 17-1.
• Arizona State will enter the Littlewood Invitational ranked No. 22 in the latest USA Softball/ESPN.com Top 25 poll. It marks the first time the Sun Devils have appeared as one of the top 25 teams in the poll since March 7, 2023, when ASU was No. 25 after a 15-3 start to Coach Bartlett’s first season in Tempe.
• Kenzie Brown will enter her next pitching appearance having struck out at least one batter in her last 38 consecutive pitching appearances. The last time she failed to strike out an opposing batter was during a 0.1-inning appearance at Arizona on May 10, 2023. For her ASU career, Brown has struck out at least one batter in 65 of 69 (94.2 percent) of her pitching appearances in the Maroon and Gold.
• Entering this weekend’s action, the Arizona State pitching staff has struck out at least one batter in all 160 games under fourth-year head coach Megan Bartlett. Overall, the Sun Devils have struck out at least one batter in their last 163 consecutive games played. The last time ASU did not strike out an opposing batter occurred on May 22, 2022, when ASU beat San Diego State, 8-4, in seven innings during the NCAA Tempe Regional.
• Kenzie Brown will take the circle during the Littlewood Invitational having been selected as the Big 12’s Pitcher of the Week following a standout weekend throughout the Kajikawa Classic. Brown is the first student-athlete in program history to be selected as a league weekly award winner. The honor was also the first conference weekly honor for the Laky City, Ill., native.

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