(Photo: Tyler Rittenhouse/WCSN)
No.17/15 Arizona State softball embarks on their first road trip of the season as they travel this weekend to the 2018 Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
Entering the tournament, the Sun Devils boast a 9-game win streak after going undefeated at home in the Littlewood Classic. With a surge of confidence, ASU heads out to the Golden State to take on Mississippi State, Oklahoma, LIU Brooklyn, Liberty and Cal State Fullerton.
The Sun Devils were 3-2 in the 2017 Mary Nutter Classic with wins against Notre Dame, Texas, and UC Santa Barbara while losing to Texas A&M and Michigan.
ASU vs. Mississippi State – Thursday, Feb. 22, at 2:00 p.m. MT
The Sun Devils play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first game of a doubleheader to open the Mary Nutter Classic on Thursday. This will be the first-ever matchup between the two schools. MSU holds an 8-1 record with their one defeat coming from a 1-0 extra-inning loss against Drake University. One of the bright stars early into the season for the Bulldogs has been freshman Mia Davidson. Davidson leads the team with a .519 batting average, 14 hits, and 11 runs scored. Her two home runs and eight RBIs, tied for the team lead, sparks the MSU offense that averages 5.2 runs per game.
In the circle, the Bulldogs have been near-perfect. In 59 innings of work, MSU has surrendered only 2 earned runs for a miniscule .24 earned run average. At the helm of the pitching staff, seniors Cassady Knudsen and Holly Ward have combined for six wins, five shutouts, and an opponent’s batting average of .134.
ASU vs. Oklahoma – Thursday, Feb. 22, at 7:00 p.m. MT
The Oklahoma Sooners present the toughest challenge of the weekend for Sun Devils as they rank No. 4 in the nation with a record of 6-1. Last year, OU won the Women’s College World Series for the second straight season upsetting No. 1 seed Florida. That championship series included an epic 17-inning showdown, which marked the longest game in the history of the Women’s College World Series. Oklahoma took both games by final scores of 7-5 and 5-4.
The last meeting between the Sun Devils and the Sooners was at the Littlewood Classic during the 2015 season. ASU split the series, losing the first game 5-1 and winning the second game 8-4. In the 8-4 victory, then-freshman Dale Ryndak threw a complete game, giving up three earned runs on eight hits. The Sun Devils won the contest in the bottom of seventh inning on a walk-off grand slam to an exciting finish to the four-game home-stand.
ASU vs. LIU Brooklyn – Friday, Feb. 23, at 11:00 a.m. MT
The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds have struggled to begin the year, only having three wins out of their first 10 games. The Blackbirds’ most recent loss came against Kennesaw State where the Owls run-ruled LIU 10-0 in six innings. The Sun Devils will need to focus on freshman Ryleigh Bermea, junior Patricia Griffin, and senior Nereyda Gutierrez as the trio has paced the top of the LIU offense.
The Sun Devils and Blackbirds last met in 2016 NCAA regionals. ASU edged out LIU in a down-to-the-wire 1-0 victory. With two outs in the final frame, then-freshman Taylor Beccera broke a scoreless deadlock with a line-drive single up the middle to eliminate the Blackbirds from the playoffs.
ASU vs. Liberty – Saturday, Feb. 24, at 8:30 p.m. MT
For the first time in program history, the Sun Devils take on the Liberty Lady Flames. The Lady Flames are on fire to begin 2018 going 8-1 and tying a program record by winning their first six games of the season. Led by 2017 Big South Coach of the Year Dot Richardson, the defending National Invitational Softball champions have outscored opponents, 53-17. The Lady Flames boast a .318 batting average, 5.9 runs per game and 3.3 steals per game. Senior Tori Zavodny hits .448 with a team-leading three triples, nine RBIs, and five stolen bases.
The Liberty pitching staff has also performed very well posting a 1.81 team ERA and four shutouts. Junior Julia DiMartino, reigning Big South Pitcher of the Year, stands 4-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 44 strikeouts, three shutouts, and two saves in 29 innings. Liberty softball team has competed against top 25 teams 59 times in program history, posting a 6-53 record versus nationally-ranked opponents. Last year, Liberty went 0-6 against ranked opponents.
ASU vs. Cal State Fullerton – Sunday, Feb. 25, at 3:00 p.m. MT
To close out the Mary Nutter Classic, the Sun Devils face off against Cal State Fullerton. The Titans are 3-6 on the season and enter Palm Springs on a 5-game losing skid. The Sun Devils seek to draw even with Fullerton, who enters the weekend tilt with a 25-24 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1980.
However, in the last five meetings between ASU and CSUF, the Sun Devils are 4-1. In their most recent matchup in the 2017 Judi Garman Classic, the Sun Devils run-ruled the Titans in six innings behind two 4-run spots and a gem from then-junior Breanna Macha.
Who’s Hot for the Sun Devils?
The Sun Devils have had success at the plate thanks to the tremendous production from transfers Morgan Howe, Maddi Hackbarth, and Kindra Hackbarth.
Junior Morgan Howe: .581 BA, 11 runs, 18 hits, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs
Sophomore Maddi Hackbarth: .500 BA, 9 runs, 13 hits, 3 2Bs, 2 RBIs
Sophomore Kindra Hackbarth: .370 BA, 4 runs, 10 hits, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs
ASU’s pitching has been lights-out in 2018, posting a 1.97 ERA, 62 SOs, and .170 Opp. Batting Avg. with senior Breanna Macha and sophomore Giselle Juarez at the forefront of the rotation.
Senior Breanna Macha: 4-0, 21 IP, 2.33 ERA, 1 CG, 18 SOs
Sophomore Giselle Juarez: 2-1, 26.0 IP, 2.42 ERA, 2 CG, 2 SVs, 35 SOs
What’s On-Deck for the Sun Devils?
After the Mary Nutter Tournament, ASU returns to Farrington Stadium for the Devil Classic and welcome in Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State.
