Softball

Sun Devils Host No. 25 Tennessee

Feb. 11, 1998

ON TAP: No. 23 Arizona State will begin its 1998 season hosting a single game against No. 25 Tennessee, Thursday, February 12, at 6:00 p.m. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. All home games will be played at the Sun Devil Club Stadium, located behind the football practice field adjacent to Karsten Golf Course. Following the Tennessee game, ASU will head up to the Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix to host the annual Coca-Cola Classic Softball Tournament, February 13-15.

ABOUT THE LADY VOLS: Under fourth year head coach of Jim Beitia, the Lady Vols have compiled an impressive 99-36 record, including a 45-22 mark last season. Tennessee finished second in the SEC Eastern Division, posting a 20-7 record while also making a postseason appearance in the SEC Tournament. Tennessee is a junior dominated team, returning nine along with two freshmen, one sophomore and one senior. Of the returning players, catcher Carrie Swinford registered a .369 batting average with 16 doubles, four triples and three home runs. In the circle, the Lady Vols return all three pitchers who had a combined 1.22 earned run average. Junior Buffy Walker tallied a 21-9 record, striking out 143 while posting a 0.71 ERA.

ABOUT THE COKE CLASSIC: Once again this year, the Coke Classic will showcase some of the top teams in the country. Of the 18 teams competing in the three day tournament, representing 13 states, eight will be ranked in the top 25, (#1 Arizona, #2 Fresno St., #3 Washington, #12 UMass, #14 Long Beach St., #18 Utah, #21 Florida St., #23 Arizona St., #25 Tennessee). A total of 50 games will be played on four different fields beginning Friday, Feb. 13 at 9:00 a.m. and ending Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2:00 p.m. To get to the Rose Mofford Sports Complex take I-17 north to Dunlap Ave. Turn right (East) on Dunlap to 25th Ave. then turn left (North) on 25th for about 1 mile. The Sports Complex and parking will be on your right side.

POWER CONFERENCE: Again this year, like many others in the past, the Pacific-10 Conference boasts some of the best softball in the country. Five of the eight schools in the conference are ranked in the top 25, with three schools ranked in the top seven. (#1 Arizona, #3 Washington, #7 California, #17 UCLA, #23 Arizona State).

DEVILS AT THE COKE CLASSIC: Arizona State will play six games in three days, beginning on Friday with games against the Universitry of Detroit (3:30 p.m.) and Utah State (5:30 p.m.). On Saturday, it will be a rematch of the '97 Rose Bowl--softball style, as ASU takes on Ohio State (3:30 p.m.) followed by Alabama (5:30 p.m.). Sunday, the final day of the Coke Classic, will have ASU squaring off against UNLV (Noon) followed by Cal State Fullerton (2:00 p.m.).

WELCOME BACK: After redshirting the 1997 season due to an off season accident, senior co-captain Erin Hull rejoins the '98 squad looking to continue her outstanding play. A Pac-10 honorable mention choice, Hull batted a team second-best .343, including three doubles, four triples and one home run. Hull's 72 hits in '96 was also the second most on the team and placed her fourth all-time on ASU single-season hit list. She will also add more speed to an already quick team. Hull swiped 25 bases (out of 28) and her career total of 39 ranks her second all-time in ASU history. In addition, Hull's career batting average of .322 ranks her seventh all-time (min. 200 ab's).

RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL: Last year the Sun Devils set a new school stolen bases record, swiping 107 out of 124 chances (86%). ASU finished second in the Pac-10 and had four players listed among the top 10 in the conference. Once again this season, Arizona State will feature a lot of team speed. In addition to Hull's return, freshman Jennifer Langenhuizen joins the team. The 1997 graduate of Horizon High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.) set the Arizona state stolen base base record with 140. Ironically, Langenhuizen took the crown away from current ASU teammate Melissa Miller (McClintock HS) who held the old record of 133. Also providing speed offensively and defensively will be senior Raja Woods, who lead the team last season in stolen bases with 26 (out of 27).

A COACHING ICON: Head coach Linda Wells, one of the winningest active coaches in the NCAA, enters her ninth year at the helm of the Sun Devil softball program. Wells has led the Sun Devils to five NCAA regional appearances in eight seasons, while compiling 264 wins. In her career, Wells has amassed 615 victories, placing her in an elite group of Division I coaches. During her tenure at ASU, Wells has coached three players, earning a total of five All-American awards. Two of the three players are currently on Wells' coaching staff; assistant coach Ann Pedersen, in her fourth year and fifth year senior Lisa Dacquisto. Also helping with coaching duties this year are graduate assistant Leah Beach and fifth year senior Tina Ruff.

SPECIAL 'K': Senior Roxanne Tsosie has been one of ASU's more dominate pitchers. The honorable mention Pac-10 pick and team co-MVP, Tsosie enters the 1998 season with 292 career strikeouts, needing just five strikeouts to surpass Donna Stewart for third all-time on ASU's career strikeout list. Last season, Tsosie fired her first no-hitter against Evansville, recording a career-high 14 K's.

SUN DEVIL NEWCOMERS: As the seal breaks on the 1998 season, Arizona State will welcome four new players, two junior college transfers and two from local high schools. Junior Jennifer Gall comes to ASU after a stellar campaign at Long Beach City College where she was a second-team All-American selection. Additionally, Gall was a two-time first-team all-SCC conference and all-Southern section pick. Sophomore Andrea Rodgers joins the Sun Devils after a year at Solano CC. Rodgers brings a good bat and a very strong arm where she will be using it behind the plate this year. Rodgers joins former Solano teammates Holly Smith and Raja Woods. Freshman Devyn Braga (Chaparral High School) was a first-team all-region, all-state and all-city performer her senior year. Also during her senior year, Braga set the Chaparral school record in batting average with a .507. Freshman Jennifer Langenhuizen (Horizon High School) earned first-team all-Arizona honors last season, as well as setting the state's all-time stolen base mark (140). Langenhuizen also holds the school's batting average record of .378.

 DATE       OPPONENT (rank)         TIME
 Feb. 12    !Tennessee (25)         6 p.m.
 Feb. 13    #Detroit                3:30 p.m.
            #Utah St.               5:30 p.m.
 Feb. 14    #Ohio St.               3:30 p.m.
            #Alabama                5:30 p.m.
 Feb. 15    #UNLV                   Noon
            #Cal State Fullerton    2 p.m.
 Feb. 20    %Michigan St. (22)      3:30 p.m.
            %Illinois St.           5:30 p.m.
 Feb. 21    %Ball St.               5:30 p.m.
            %Iowa (5)               7:30 p.m.
 Feb. 22    %Wisconsin              Noon
 Feb. 27    ^Texas A&M              6 p.m.
            ^Florida St. (21)       8 p.m.
 Feb. 28    ^Michigan (4)           Noon
            ^Nicholls St.           2 p.m.
 Mar. 1     ^TBA                    TBA
 Mar. 1     ^TBA                    TBA
 Mar. 13    &Centenary              11 a.m.
            &San Jose St.           1 p.m.
            &Drake                  5 p.m.
 Mar. 14    &TBA                    TBA
            &TBA                    TBA
 Mar. 15    &TBA                    TBA
 Mar. 17    Iowa State              6 p.m.
 Mar. 20    +Stephen F. Austin      5:30 p.m.
            +New Mexico             7:30 p.m.
 Mar. 21    +Stephen F. Austin      5:30 p.m.
            +New Mexico             7:30 p.m.
 Mar. 22    +Iowa St.               Noon
 Mar. 28    @ *Oregon St.           1 p.m.
 Mar. 29    @ *Oregon               1 p.m.
 Apr. 3     *Washington (3)         6 p.m.
 Apr. 4     *UCLA (17)              6 p.m.
 Apr. 10    @ *Arizona (1)          6 p.m.
 Apr. 17    @ St. Mary's            1 p.m.
 Apr. 18    @ *Stanford             1 p.m.
 Apr. 19    @ *California (7)       1 p.m.
 Apr. 24    *Oregon St.             6 p.m.
 Apr. 25    *Oregon                 6 p.m.
 Apr. 29    *Arizona                6 p.m.
 May 1      *Stanford               6 p.m.
 May 2      *California             6 p.m.
 May 9      @ *Washington           11 a.m.
 May 10     @ *UCLA                 1 p.m.
 ! Denotes single game.
 * Denotes Pacific-10 Conference game
 # Coca-Cola Tournament, Phoenix, Ariz.
 % Arizona State Classic Tournament, Tempe, Ariz.
 ^ NFCA Leadoff Classic Tournament, Columbus, Ga.
 & National Invitational Tournament, San Jose, Calif.
 + Diamond Devil Classic Tournament, Tempe, Ariz.
 All times are local and are subject to change.
 All home games are bolded.

Stats reflect 1997 season

1    Erin Hull/Sr./Outfield
      .343, 72 H, 47 R, 20 RBI, 25 SB

4    Andrea Rodgers/So./Catcher
      Transfer from Solano CC

5    Holly Smith/Jr./2B/SS
      .285, 47 H, 21 R, 9 2B, 35 RBI

9    Jennifer Langenhuizen/Fr./OF
       All-time Ariz. (HS) stolen base holder

11  Devyn Braga/Fr./SS/OF
      First-team all-state, region, city in 1997

12  Roxanne Tsosie/Sr./Pitcher
      15-12, 2.90 ERA, 6 ShO, 107 K's

17  Lesley-Ann Murphy/So./1B/C
      .190, 4H, 2 2B, 3 RBI

20  Carrie Breedlove/Sr./P/OF
      9-8, 2.80 ERA, 15 BB, 45 K's

22  Melissa Miller/Jr./Outfield
      .280, 7 H, 2 2B, 13 R

23  Raja Woods/Sr./OF/2B
      .362, 59 H, 33 R, 30 RBI, 26 SB

24  Jennifer Gall/Jr./1B/SS/C
      Transfer from Long Beach City College; second-team All-American

32  Kathy Ponce/Jr./P/OF
      1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1 ShO, 2 saves

33  Chris Gill/So./3B/C
      .288, 47 H, 33 R, 9 2B, 28 RBI    

Records against . . .

      
    Pac-10  0-0
    Non-Conference  0-0
    Against Ranked Teams    0-0
    Against Unranked Teams  0-0
    Home Games  0-0
    Road Games  0-0
    Neutral Sites   0-0
    Day Games   0-0
    Night Games 0-0
    Vs. Right Handed Starters   0-0
    Vs. Left Handed Starters    0-0
    Extra Innings   0-0
    One Run Game    0-0
    Two Run Game    0-0
    Shutouts    0-0
    ASU Scores First    0-0
    Opponent Scores First   0-0
    Out-Hit Opponents   0-0
    Out-Hit by Opponents    0-0
    February    0-0
    March   0-0
    April   0-0
    May 0-0
    Last 5 Games    0-0
    Last 10 Games   0-0
    Current Streak  0-0