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No. 20/23 Sun Devil Softball Preview: at Kansas

Arizona State to travel to Lawrence, Kan., for first-ever road game against the Jayhawks

No. 20/23 Sun Devil Softball Preview: at KansasNo. 20/23 Sun Devil Softball Preview: at Kansas

Emily Schepp prepares to throw to first base during a recent Arizona State practice.

by Chris Brown

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Lengthening a list of program firsts occurring throughout the 2026 season, the Sun Devil Softball (28-9, 3-6) will play its first-ever game against the Kansas Jayhawks (25-10, 6-3) in Lawrence, Kan., when Arizona State open a three-game Big 12 Conference series against KU at 3 p.m. MST / 5 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 2.

SERIES SCHEDULE: 

  • Thursday, April 2 – at Kansas, 3 p.m. MST / 5 p.m. CDT (ESPN+)
  • Friday, April 3 – at Kansas, 2 p.m. MST / 4 p.m. CDT (ESPN+)
  • Saturday, April 4 – at Kansas, 10 a.m. MST / 12 p.m. CDT (ESPN+)

TELEVISION:

  • Each game of the three-game conference series between Arizona State and Kansas will be available to stream on ESPN+ with Leif Liasic (play by play) and Cacy Williams (analyst) on the call.

THE OPPOSITION:

  • Entering the weekend, Arizona State holds a 20-8 all-time record against Kansas, dating back to the first-ever meeting on Friday, May 18, 1973, when the Sun Devils won, 1-0, at the first-ever AIAW Women’s College Series held in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • Thursday afternoon’s game between Arizona State and Kansas will mark the first-ever contest between the two softball programs that will take place in Lawrence, Kan.
    • The Sun Devils and Jayhawks have played at least one game in Tempe, Ariz.; Fullerton, Calif.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Columbus, Ga.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Sunnyvale, Calif.; Lincoln, Neb.; Houston, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Norman, Okla.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Omaha, Neb., but never Lawrence, Kan.
  • 2025 marked the first time Arizona State and Kansas squared off as conference opponents.
    • The Sun Devils took the three-game series in Tempe: 6-1, 0-8 (6 inn.), 4-3.
      • The series win marked ASU’s second Big 12 Conference series win since joining the league prior to the 2025 season.

LEADING OFF:

  • By appearing in all three games in Lawrence, Brooklyn Ulrich (197) will have appeared in 200 career collegiate softball games, joining Kaylee Pond (203) as the only active Sun Devil softball student-athletes to appear in 200-or-more career collegiate softball games.
  • Following her four-home run trip in North Carolina last week, Katie Chester will enter Thursday’s game with a team-leading 14 home runs. Chester’s 14 home runs are the most by a Sun Devil during a single season since Jordyn VanHook hit 19 in 48 games played throughout the 2023 season.
    • With her next home run, Chester will join a nine-player tie for 10th on the program’s single-season home run list.
  • If Ashleigh Mejia, who hit three home runs last week, connects for two more home runs against Kansas, Mejia (8) will join Katie Chester (14) and Kaylee Pond (12) with 10-or-more home runs during the 2026 season.
  • After being hit by three pitches in Saturday’s contest at North Carolina, Kaylee Pond (9) will become the 18th different Sun Devil to be hit with 10-or-more pitches during a single season.
    • Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Arizona State has had at least one Sun Devil hit by 10-or-more pitches in a single in seven of the last eight seasons (2017-19, 21-23, 25) entering this weekend.
  • If two Sun Devil batters are hit by a pitch throughout the weekend, Arizona State will be credited with 40 hit by pitches, marking just the sixth time in program history ASU has been credited with 40-or-more hit by pitches during a single season.

FOLLOW US

For the latest information on the team, follow @SunDevilSoftball on X, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TheSunDevils on X, Instagram and Facebook.