Devils on pace for historically bad finish ahead of Pac-12 tournament

(Photo via Sam Polgreen/WCSN)

After getting swept by UCLA to finish the regular season, the Arizona State softball heads into the final Pac-12 Conference tournament in last place with a record of 19-30 and a conference record of 3-21. Last year, the Sun Devils’ 22-26 record and 6-18 in Pac-12 play also landed them at the bottom of the conference.

The last time they finished last in the Pac-12 in back-to-back years was almost 20 years ago in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The main difference is that in those two years, they finished with winning records of 33-31 and 30-26.

In 2004, the team had just three conference wins and went 6-22 against ranked teams. They were swept in all three games by their rival Arizona, which was ranked No. 1 in the country. The Wildcats had Women’s College World Series aspirations but were upset in the regional round by Oklahoma. 2004 featured a powerful Pac-10 conference with seven ranked teams, four of which made the WCWS. UCLA eventually went on to beat California in the final round for the Bruins’ second straight national championship.

2005 was more of the same, but the Devils improved to four conference wins after upsetting No. 2 California in the regular season finale. They went 4-19 against ranked teams and actually beat California twice to split the season series with them. Despite finishing last, ASU still qualified for the NCAA tournament. The Devils made it to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Regionals before losing to Hofstra 2-1.

2004 and 2005 were the final two years of legendary head coach Linda Wells’s tenure at ASU. In her 16 years at the helm, she went 563-415, the most wins in school history, and appeared in the NCAA Regional round 12 times and the WCWS twice with the Devils.

Even though both squads finished in last place, there are quite a few differences between the 2004 and 2024 seasons when it comes down to stats. In 2004, the overall batting average in the season was .255 and dropped down to .167 in conference play. This year, the Devils batted .284 all season long but just .242 in conference play. Although the drop isn’t as significant, the pitching staff didn’t provide as much help as in 2004.

The team ERA was 2.45 overall and 4.19 in the Pac-10 season in 2004, compared to 4.82 all season and 5.93 in conference play this year. The overall play in 2004 was more well-rounded, which led to more wins in close games. The Devils’ pitching staff allowed 10 or more runs twice all year in 2004. This year, 10 or more runs were scored on the Devils nine different times.

What doesn’t show up on stat sheets is injuries. ASU has been devastated by injuries to key players. Sophomores left fielder Yannixa Acuña and right-handed pitcher Kylee Magee were both hit by the injury bug, interrupting promising second-year campaigns. Acuña hasn’t played since March 15 because of a leg injury, and Magee struggled with a wrist injury that’s kept her out since March 2.

Freshman outfielder Jada Lewis sustained an injury about a month after Acuña, playing her final game of the season on April 14 against Utah. Losing graduate center fielder Kelsey Hall was a huge hit to the Devils, as she suffered a leg injury in the last game of the regular season Sunday against UCLA. She left the stadium with a brace and crutches.

Redshirt freshman utility player Maddie Pomykalski never even got to see the field at ASU. The Texas transfer saw her collegiate career come to an abrupt end with an injury that forced her to retire altogether from softball.

A team that has been through so much continues to fight, and could possibly play its last game of the season on Wednesday against Oregon State in the single-elimination Pac-12 tournament.

The Beavers come into this game after dropping two of three games to California to cement their position in the tournament as the eighth seed. The Beavers (21-28, 9-15 Pac-12) and Devils (19-30, 3-21 Pac-12) are the only two teams in the Pac-12 with losing records.

The Beavers have a league-worst .230 team batting average, with just 26 home runs as a team. Junior catcher Lici Campbell leads the team with nine homers, along with 24 RBIs, but she went just 2-for-8 in the California series. In the final game of the series the Beavers won 6-5, she hit a home run and was responsible for five of the team’s runs.

The Beavers aren’t a fast team either with just stolen just 23 bases all year, a mark that sits ninth in the Pac-12. The Devils have caught 16 runners trying to steal a base. Senior catcher Sara Kinch has five of them, leading the team. She will likely get the start on Wednesday against the Beavers, as she is the primary catcher for the Devils’ primary pitcher, senior righty Deborah Jones.

The Beavers post a team ERA of 3.61 and have struck out 218 batters. The Devils have struck out 265 times, so staying disciplined at the plate and forcing walks is key. Graduate shortstop Alesia Denby is the player that the Beavers need to watch out for. She’s hit a home run in three straight games, and the Beavers have given up 50 homers this year.

Wednesday’s game will be a challenge for ASU, having to replace Hall’s production offensively and defensively, in addition to her locker room presence as well. After every out made in the outfield this year, the Devils have a tradition where the center fielder and either the left or right fielder, depending on where the out was made, will hug. It’s the little things like that where her presence will be missed the most, and could affect the outfield play.

The Devils haven’t won less than 20 games since 1975 when they only played 18 games, and they are in danger of not meeting that total with a loss on Wednesday. It’s been a tough first two years for head coach Megan Bartlett but with the conference tournament, ASU has a chance to shake this season’s trends, despite the uphill battle it will take to do so.