(Photo: Michael Baron/WCSN)
Continuing a tradition that goes back to very beginning of the program, the Arizona State softball team will ring in the 2018 season by hosting the Kajikawa Classic, starting on Thursday.
Over the five day tournament, No. 23 ASU will welcome the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Purdue Boilermakers, Nebraska Huskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Indiana Hoosiers, and Saint Mary’s Gaels to Farrington Stadium.
ASU vs. Tennessee – Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. MT
Right out of the gate, the Sun Devils take on one of their toughest opponents of the year. Entering the preseason, the Lady Vols rank at No. 12 after finishing third in the SEC in 2017. Tennessee stood one victory shy of advancing to Women’s College World Series when the team fell to Texas A&M. With one year under her belt at ASU, head coach Trisha Ford is excited to have an early showdown between the SEC and the Pac-12.
“For both of us, there is no better way to start the year,” Ford said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to either come out and execute the way we are executing or it’s a great opportunity to see where we are at and what we need to work on.”
ASU defeated Tennessee 5-4 in 8 innings at the Kajikawa Classic two years ago behind four scoreless frames from then-sophomore pitcher Breanna Macha. In addition, the Sun Devils have established a long history of success in season openers with a record of 39-7 and a 22-year streak of season-opening wins heading into this game.
ASU vs. Purdue – Friday, Feb. 9, at 2:30 p.m. MT
For the second consecutive season, ASU and Purdue meet in the Kajikawa Classic. Last season, the Boilermakers placed 11th in the Big Ten Conference with an overall record of 20-36.
ASU and Purdue have only met on three occasions. In all three contests, ASU dominantly shut out the Boilermakers. In 2001 and 2004, the final scores were 5-0 and 4-0, respectively. In the third game of the 2017 Kajikawa Classic, then-freshman pitcher Alyssa Loza threw five scoreless innings en route to win.
ASU vs. Nebraska – Friday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. MT
In the second half of Friday’s doubleheader, ASU squares off with Nebraska. Rounding out last season at 24-29, Nebraska made the top five within the Big Ten. However, the Huskers missed the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.
The Sun Devils have won the previous 10 meetings against the Huskers dating back to the 2007 season when ASU earned an impressive mark of 66-5. Last year, ASU swept Nebraska, including two mercy-rule victories. In that series, outfielder Fa Leilua hit two home runs and drove in seven total runs.
ASU vs. Notre Dame – Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. MT
Notre Dame enters the Kajikawa Classic for the fourth time in the past decade, but this will be the first time the Fighting Irish play against the Sun Devils at Farrington Stadium. Last season, Notre Dame reached the NCAA tournament for the 19th straight time. The Fighting Irish received votes to be part of the preseason top-25.
ASU and Notre Dame convened in the 2017 Mary Nutter Classic. The Sun Devils won the contest by a final score of 3-1. Macha gained the victory, throwing a complete game and only allowing one run on four hits.
“[Notre Dame] is a very gritty team,” Macha said. “They are competitive. They want to win. They are going to play the entire game.”
ASU vs. Indiana – Sunday, Feb. 11, at 11:30 a.m. MT
With the addition of head coach Shonda Stanton over the summer, Indiana seeks to set a new foundation after finishing 23-31 for 9th place in the Big Ten. IU struggled on the road winning three of its 17 games away from Andy Mohr Field. However, the Hoosiers have a bright spot. Junior pitcher Tara Trainer boasted a 3.17 ERA and was one of two Hoosiers to earn NFCA All-Region honors.
The Hoosiers will begin their sixth consecutive season in Tempe. The Sun Devils and Hoosiers faced off in this tournament last season, where ASU prevailed 4-2 with a key three-run third inning. Then-sophomore pitcher Dale Ryndak put up a solid outing, surrendering two runs on five hits in seven innings.
ASU vs. Saint Mary’s (California) – Sunday, Feb. 11, at 4:30 p.m. MT
To close out the 2018 Kajikawa Classic, ASU clash with Saint Mary’s. The Gaels wound up in the last place in the West Coast Conference with a mark of 17-31. Despite poor offensive production, SMC maintained the second-best pitching in the WCC with a 2.70 ERA.
The game on Sunday will be the first time the two clubs have met since 1998. The Sun Devils are 6-0 all-time against the Gaels, including three shutouts.
Last year, ASU won all seven of their games of the Kajikawa Classic and began the season on a nine-game win streak. As the Sun Devils approach the tournament this week, junior outfielder Skylar McCarty has confidence in the team performing to their best.
“We have a good staff. We’re deeper,” McCarty said. “We have a good balance of having fun and keeping it loose. And when we are loose, we play our best.”
