(Photo: Alli Cline/WCSN)
Arizona State softball lost five seniors at the end of last season, three of which started all four years, as well as its head coach. But even through the roster turnover, the Sun Devils look poised for another strong season.
The look for this year’s team is still up in the air, but the positions that the Sun Devils have to fill are third base, first base, left field, right field and designated player.
The task may seem daunting, but ASU has the firepower to fill those spots; although, some growing pains are to be expected.
“Although we may have lost the big names I think we are very underrated,” redshirt junior pitcher Kelsey Kessler said. “We have some very talented players that, because they’re not well known, they will be an advantage.”
The returners to the team are not to be overlooked, though, and should provide a good foundation for the Sun Devils.
Junior shortstop Chelsea Gonzales will provide some power in the lineup. Gonzales hit 11 home runs last season and is known for her fantastic glove. Gonzales was selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team last year.
Another locked down position is that in center field, where senior outfielder Jennifer Soria will play as she did last season, posting a near-flawless fielding percentage of .983.
But the heart of this ASU team will be the strong pitching staff it will boast.
Leading the rotation for the Sun Devils will be sophomore Breanna Macha, followed by sophomore Dale Ryndak with Kessler rounding things off.
“They have been so open to change,” co-interim head coach Letty Olivarez said. “I see so much potential, but yet they have grown so much in just the little time that I have had them.”
Macha and Ryndak both had outstanding freshman seasons last year. The two combined for 32 wins and 234 strikeouts on the year.
Kessler is entering her first year of eligibility with the Sun Devils and is expected to produce right away. In her sophomore season at Kansas, she went 20-15 with a 2.47 ERA.
The Sun Devils are not only experiencing a turn over on the field, but off of it as well with the new coaching staff. ASU will now be coached by co-interim head coaches Olivarez, who will focus on the pitching staff, and Robert Wagner, who is more offensive-minded.
“It has actually worked out pretty nicely,” Olivarez said. “Obviously he is more in control of hitting and I am more in control of pitching, so we have separate duties. Then when we all hit the field we just take over everything. It has been a pretty easy transition.”
The non-conference schedule poses the Sun Devils tough challenges with matchups against Tennessee, Kentucky, Minnesota and Missouri.
Along with the four non-conference tournaments that ASU will host, the Pac-12 is one of the deeper conferences in the nation, and this season the Sun Devils will matchup against fives teams that are currently ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches rankings.
“To me the rankings are not accurate,” Gonzales said. “We just try and focus on winning each game at a time. We focus on the opponent but it does not matter ranking wise what they are against us.”
Those matchups are a series with Arizona, California Berkley, Washington, Oregon and UCLA.
If ASU can rise up to the challenges presented to them this year, the ultimate goal to everyone on this team will be to get to the Women’s College World Series.
“Our expectations have not changed since last year and I do not think they will ever change,” Macha said. “This is what this program wants to be known for, and wants to get back to, is that World Series.”
The Sun Devils will open up their season when the Kajikawa Classic kicks off on Feb. 11 against Utah State.
You can contact Jacob Franklin via e-mail or on Twitter @Jacob_Franklin4
