(Photo: Liesl Babicka/WCSN)
No. 9 Arizona State softball heads out to Salt Lake City for a three-game set against the Utah Utes at Dumke Family Softball Stadium this weekend.
Coming off their loss in the Territorial Cup series against the Arizona Wildcats, ASU (35-9) seeks to bounce back against Utah (20-22), who has struggled mightily this season. Utah currently sits tied in last place in the Pac-12 standings alongside Stanford with a 2-13 conference record.
This is abnormal for a Utah squad that has been one of the better softball teams in the nation for the last half a decade. Going back to their 2013 campaign, the Utes have yet to record a losing season and while currently two games under the .500 mark, they are in danger of falling out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014.
Last year, Utah finished with a 37-16 record, which ranked them 16th in the country. After finishing 5th in the conference standings, the Utes advanced to the Super Regionals after defeating Fordham and BYU. However, Utah fell to the Washington Huskies in a down-to-the-wire series.
Utah began this year nationally ranked at No.15 by USA Today and steadily fell out of the rankings with three losses at the 2018 Kajikawa Classic. The Utes have remained absent from the polls since the opening week of the season.
Between ASU and Utah, the record is evenly split, 9-9. The Utes hold a slight advantage entering this weekend’s tilt as they have captured three consecutive series against the Sun Devils.
In the most recent matchup, Utah squeezed out the series victory with late seventh-inning rallies to mount the comeback in Tempe. In that series, then-sophomore Taylor Becerra collected five hits, scored two runs, and knocked in a run. In the circle, then-junior Breanna Macha pitched a combined four innings, surrendering two runs on nine hits and striking out four Utes batters.
The Sun Devils and Utes both enter the series on losing streaks. While ASU lost the Territorial Cup to Arizona, Utah suffered its fourth Pac-12 sweep of the season against California in Berkeley last weekend.
Sizing the Competition
Utah has a few names that the Sun Devils need to keep their eye on throughout the three-game set.
Sophomore Kelly Martinez leads the Utes with a .336 batting average, 28 runs scored, and four triples. Freshman Julia Noskin anchors down Utah’s leadoff role and possesses the highest walk total and on-base percentage on the team. After those two set the table, the heartbeat of the Utes offense follows from senior Heather Bowen. Bowen holds the most doubles in the Pac-12 conference with 17 and sits in first among Utah hitters with 8 home runs, 37 runs batted in, and a .646 slugging percentage.
As a team collectively, the Utes have the third lowest batting average (.278), slugging percentage (.416), runs batted in (172), and runs scored (190) in the Pac-12.
On the pitching side, Utah has seen a collapse this season, posting a 3.24 earned run average and .247 opponent batting average. At the helm of Utah’s pitching staff is senior Miranda Viramontes. In 15 games started, Viramontes has put up a 2.98 earned run average and 107 strikeouts to go along with four complete games and four saves.
Behind the Utes right-handed leader, senior Katie Donovan has made the most appearances for in the circle this season. Donovan also is the active Pac-12 leader in career strikeouts, saves, starts, and innings pitched. Although this year has shown signs of strife, Donovan plays a big role as a cornerstone to the Utah’s pitching staff since her sophomore season when she posted a career-low 2.47 earned run average.
Who’s Hot for the Sun Devils?
Freshman Danielle Gibson continues to impress in her first season dawning maroon and gold. Gibson has locked down the cleanup spot, batting a team-leading .393 with 11 home runs and 33 runs batted in. Gibson came up with the big hit in the first game against the Wildcats when she lined a walk-off RBI double to seal a 2-1 victory over Arizona.
Sophomore Jade Gortarez has solidified the second spot in the ASU’s batting order. The shortstop hits .297 with 7 home runs, 34 runs scored, and 31 runs batted in. Although she went hitless in the Territorial Cup series, Gortarez went 3-for-3, including a big fly and three runs scored in the rubber match against the Oregon Ducks two weeks ago.
In the circle, sophomore G Juarez has been lights out. Juarez owns the third-lowest earned run average (0.88), the second-most innings pitched (159), and the most strikeouts (232) among Pac-12 starting pitchers. Juarez continues to hold down the fort for the Sun Devils in the circle as ASU battles out the rest of the tough conference schedule.
The Sun Devils and Utes square off at Dumke Family Softball Stadium from April 27th through April 29th. The first game is scheduled for Friday, April 27 at 4 p.m. MT. The second contest starts Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m. MT. The finale of the series is set for Sunday, April 29 at 11 a.m. MT.
