By TOM CHEE
When you look at senior pitchers Roxanne Tsosie and Carrie Breedlove of the Arizona State Sun Devils, they appear as different as night and day. Tsosie is a quiet, happy-go-lucky native of Bloomfield, New Mexico where the population is countable on your fingers and toes. Breedlove hails from Burbank, California, a town that is right in the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood scene. They may appear on the outside to be the odd couple, but together, they make up the tight-knit, one-two knockout combination that is the Sun Devils' starting rotation.
The differences go only skin-deep. Both players excelled at softball, as well as volleyball and basketball in high school. Both are education majors and both look to bring the ASU softball team to a new level.
"There are probably a lot of things that are similar about us and there are things that are different, but it comes down to the littlest things," said Breedlove. "In the end, it's always been 'let's go out there and win."
Working with a "team first" attitude, Tsosie and Breedlove have helped the Sun Devils rocket to a 14-3 record, with six of the wins being shutouts, and a No. 8 national ranking. They have a combined earned run average of 0.73 and both pack a powerful arsenal of pitches. They have held opponents to just 18 runs while ASU's crafty base running has put up 78 runs.
"When I go out and pitch a good game," said Breedlove, "I know that if Rox were out there pitching, she'd do just as well. If one of us is having a bad day, we know we have each other's back and we support each other 100 percent."
With so much talent and so much praise to go around for their successes, the two friends have been wary of competition and jealousy and have worked to prevent it. "You don't see a lot of support between pitchers when you're growing up," said Tsosie. "People are always saying, 'Well, why is she out there?' We don't feel that way."
Tsosie and Breedlove have had equal amounts of success this season and look to reach similar milestones in their final season. Both are nearing the 50-win plateau with Tsosie needing four more and Breedlove needing eight more. Tsosie is third on ASU's all-time list for career strikeouts with 326. Breedlove needs 13 more Ks to reach 250. Breedlove has received USA Today/NFCA National Player of the Week honors as well as being selected Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week, twice. Tsosie is tied for fourth on the all-time career wins list with 46. But personal achievements aside, these two pitchers have one common goal. That goal is to win.
"You shouldn't worry about where teams are ranked or what number they are," said Breedlove. "You should just go out and beat them."
Things have not always gone so well for this dynamic duo. They have both had years in which they struggled. Breedlove came in their freshman year as the freshman sensation posting a 1.80 ERA, but struggled during their sophomore campaign. It was that year that Tsosie broke out, posting a 1.75 ERA. Both women seemed to struggle during their junior season, however this is the first year that both players have been firing on all cylinders and that means trouble for opposing batters.
"I think we complement each other in the way we throw," said Breedlove. "She throws rise and I throw drop. If there's a problem like teams hitting my drop like crazy, she can come in and work them with her rise."
But even with such great success early on in the season, Tsosie and Breedlove have managed to keep their focus on the task at hand.
"I don't personally like to look that far ahead because then I start stressing," said Tsosie. "Sometimes in a game I'll start to get ahead of myself and everytime I get ahead of myself, people get hits or things don't go right. I just try to live in the now."
Coming into the season, both pitchers saw something special in this team. They knew after the first fall workout that they had a great team on their hands and that their versatility as a team would give them an advantage.
"It almost seems like we have more depth than some of the larger teams because everyone can play any other position," said Breedlove. "We don't have to worry about who's going to cover this position or that position if someone goes down."
Tsosie and Breedlove have 27 games between them before the end of their final regular season as Sun Devils. No one knows what lies ahead for them. Tsosie has expressed interest in playing for the professional fastpitch league in North Carolina. Breedlove looks forward to going into a teaching career. Neither have any regrets about the last four years.
"We've had a lot of memories together over the last four years," reminisces Breedlove. "We've spent so much time together in the bullpen and working out. There are so many things we've gone through and nearly a million inside jokes."
Tsosie has a similar sentiment.
"It's been a fast four years," she relates. "I remember coming in here for the first time and thinking, 'Whoa!' Now I can't believe it's almost over. I'll never forget a single moment of it."