ASU heads to the Bay Area to face No. 2 Stanford

(Photo via Marina Williams/WCSN)

Arizona State softball has its work cut out this weekend, as the team travels to the Bay Area to face No. 2 Stanford for its third road trip in a row.

The Sun Devils (18-15, 2-7 Pac-12 Conference) didn’t have any games last weekend, with the teams’ last time out being a midweek doubleheader against San Diego on March 27.

ASU would’ve liked to sweep the non-conference doubleheader against the Toreros but was only able to walk away with one after an extra-inning win in game two. The reason the game went to extras was because of two runs that were given up in the bottom of the seventh that tied the game. Pitching, especially clutch pitching, has been a problem for the Sun Devils.

Arizona State is prone to giving up runs late in games, which is a major reason for its record being what it is. Overall, the team ranks last in the Pac-12 in ERA with a 3.98 mark, the closest team to ASU is UCLA with a 3.28 ERA. The pitching will need to be sharper than it has been for the Sun Devils to have a shot in this weekend’s series.

Offensively though, ASU can cause some damage. The team is first in the Pac-12 in triples with 14 and tied with California for the conference lead in doubles with 54. Arizona State is a team that goes for the extra base and steals as well. The Sun Devils are currently second in the Pac-12 in stolen bases with 57 and the steals don’t just come often, but efficiently as well. ASU’s 89% success rate on stolen bases is extremely impressive and puts them first in the conference. ASU will need to use its speed to keep them in the upcoming games.

The Sun Devils matchup is the Stanford Cardinal (28-6, 8-1 Pac-12). Stanford is scorching hot right now. It’s won nine out of its last 10 games and is coming off a 3-1 victory over Santa Clara on Tuesday.

In their last full series, the Cardinal took on the No. 22 Arizona Wildcats and left Tucson with two out of the three games won. The Cardinal put up nine runs and seven runs in their two wins, both shutouts.

The pitching staff is Stanford’s strength, its 1.70 ERA is not only the best in the Pac-12 but sixth in the entire nation. It’s also first in the Pac-12 in strikeouts with 264 (one behind Virginia for the national lead) and shutouts with nine. Stanford’s 60 walks and .213 opponent batting average are both good enough for second in the conference, with the latter category being 20th in the nation as well.

The staff is led by sophomore right-hander NiJaree Canady. Canady is one of the best pitchers in the nation and is coming off her fourth Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week win this season after going 12 shutout innings with 20 strikeouts over two games against Arizona. Overall for the year, her breathtaking 0.52 ERA is second in the nation and first among pitchers with eight or more appearances. She’s held opponents to only a .129 batting average, which is the best rate in the nation, and her 172 strikeouts put her second in the country.

Arizona State is going up against a pitching juggernaut and although they can cause damage when they get on base, getting on base will be an extremely difficult task, especially against Canady. ASU’s 179 strikeouts are the most in the Pac-12, and going up against a pitcher with the strikeout ability of Canady means that ASU could be in for a rough series.

Stanford’s offensive statistics don’t stand out in the Pac-12, however. Its .830 OPS and 165 runs scored is only seventh in the conference. The offense can still do damage though, as seen by the 19 runs scored in 17 innings over the course of the series against Arizona just a week ago.

Stanford’s lineup is highlighted by its leadoff hitter, sophomore infielder Taryn Kern. Kern’s .284 batting average might not jump off the page, but Kern walks like almost no one else. Her 31 walks lead the Pac-12 by eight and put her tied for tied for seventh in the nation, leading to an on-base percentage of .525, second best in the Pac-12. Kern sets up offense for her teammates but she can also drive the ball. Her five home runs are the second most on the team. Her on-base skills and respectable power have led to Kern possessing a Pac-12 top-10 OPS of 1.076.

Arizona State can’t underestimate Kern and the Stanford offense, but its toughest task is facing Canady and the dominant pitching of Stanford. For a chance to pull off the upset against the Cardinal and turn their conference play fortunes around, the Sun Devils will need to try to minimize strikeouts, while maximizing each time they get on base and use their speed to their advantage.