TEMPE – With a returning All-American in the pitching circle and core pieces still in the batting lineup, third-year head coach Megan Bartlett and the Sun Devil Softball program will look to begin the 2026 season on the right foot when Arizona State opens the Kajikawa Classic against Toledo at 12:45 MST on Thursday, Feb. 5.
The matchup between the Sun Devils and Rockets will be the first of five games for Bartlett’s squad over a four-day span with a contest against No. 3/3 Oklahoma highlighting the action.
GAME SCHEDULE:
- Thursday, Feb. 5 – vs. Toledo, 12:45 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
- Thursday, Feb. 5 – vs. No. 3/3 Oklahoma, 6:15 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
- Friday, Feb. 6 – vs. Texas State, 6:15 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
- Saturday, Feb. 7 – vs. -/RV Northwestern, 6:15 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
- Sunday, Feb. 8 – vs. Memphis, 12:45 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
The full Kajikawa Classic schedule can be found here.
TELEVISION:
|
Day, Date |
Game |
Play by Play |
Analyst |
|
Thu., Feb. 5 |
Toledo vs. Arizona State |
Alex Coil |
Kelly Burke |
|
Thu., Feb. 5 |
Oklahoma vs. Arizona State |
Alex Coil |
Kelly Burke |
|
Fri., Feb. 6 |
Texas State vs. Arizona State |
Jesse Ough |
Kelly Burke |
|
Sat., Feb. 7 |
Northwestern vs. Arizona State |
Jesse Ough |
Jody Jackson |
|
Sun., Feb. 8 |
Memphis vs. Arizona State |
Alex Coil |
Jody Jackson |
Only games featuring Arizona State will be available to stream on an ESPN platform.
SERIES HISTORY:
Toledo
- The Rockets and Sun Devils first met on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1989, when Arizona State earned a 4-2 victory in the first of a two-game doubleheader on the day. Toledo went on to win the second game, 5-0.
- The 1-1 tie in the series history stood until Feb. 28, 2015, when Arizona State took an 11-2 win over Toledo in six innings at the Louisville Slugger Invitational in Phoenix.
- Throughout the three-game series history, Arizona State has outscored Toledo, 15-7, in 20 innings of game action.
- With a win on Thursday, Arizona State would become the first team in the series history to win consecutive games.
- Arizona State is looking for its first win over Toledo since Feb. 28, 2015, when the Sun Devils won, 11-2, in six innings.
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma and Arizona State have a 29-game series history that dates to March 15, 1979, when the Sooners bested the Sun Devils, 3-0, in Tempe.
- Since that first-ever meeting, the Sooners have gone on to take a 15-14 advantage in the series history entering Thursday night’s contest.
- In nine all-time meetings between the two programs in Tempe, Oklahoma holds a 5-4 edge.
- Arizona State will be looking for its first win over the Sooners since Feb. 15, 2015, when the Sun Devils won, 8-4, in Tempe.
Texas State
- The Bobcats are coming to Tempe with Arizona State claiming a 5-3 lead in the series history.
- However, Texas State has won the last two meetings: in Austin (2-0 on Feb. 27, 2022) and in Tempe (12-2 on Feb. 22, 2024).
- The Sun Devils are looking for their first win over Texas State since Feb. 17, 2018, when Arizona State won, 4-3, in eight innings.
- Arizona State has a 4-1 all-time record against Texas State in games played in Tempe.
Northwestern
- Arizona State claims a 12-8 all-time record against Northwestern entering this weekend’s action.
- However, the Sun Devils are looking for their first win over the Wildcats since May 28, 2022, when ASU won, 7-4, in eight innings during Game 2 of NCAA Tempe Super Regional.
- The only member of the ASU softball program who was involved in that contest is current graduate assistant Jordyn VanHook, who entered as a pinch runner for Alynah Torres in the top of the fifth.
Memphis
- Of the programs visiting Farrington Stadium this weekend, Memphis is the most recent addition to the Arizona State history.
- The two programs met for the first time on Feb. 16, 2008, when ASU won, 12-1, in five innings, in Tempe.
- Eight years later, the Tigers returned to Tempe – this time apart of the Littlewood Classic – and, again, ASU bested Memphis, 11-3, in five innings.
LEADING OFF:
- 2025 marked the last time a true freshman pitcher started in the pitching circle for Arizona State on Opening Day. On Feb. 6, 2025, Cambree Creager, a 5-foot-11 right-handed pitcher, tossed four innings of one-run softball en route to earning the win in the Sun Devils’ 7-1 victory over Maryland. Over the course of the 60 pitches Creager threw to 16 batters, she scattered four hits, struck out two and allowed one earned run, before giving way to Kenzie Brown, who struck out six over three en route to earning a three-inning save.
- Arizona State returns 76.3 percent of innings pitched by its pitching staff from a season ago. Kenzie Brown (174.1 innings pitched) and Meika Lauppe (112.0) both went over the century mark in innings pitched throughout the 2025 season. Julianne Tipton (50.0) and Cambree Creager (39.0) rounded out the staff but did not return for the 2026 season.
- The Sun Devils are looking to win consecutive season-opening games for the first time since the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Arizona State opened the 2022 campaign with an 8-0, five-inning win over Cal Baptist and then beat CSUN, 6-3, in eight innings to begin the following season. After dropping the 2024 opener, 2-0, to Northwestern, ASU bounced back with a 7-1 thumping of Maryland to start last season.
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