Heading into the final weekend of non-conference play, the ASU softball team is searching for consistency in all aspects of the game.
The No. 5 Sun Devils (30-2) host UC Santa Barbara in a three-game set that kicks off Friday night.
ASU hopes to use this weekend as preparation for the grueling 21-game Pac-10 schedule that lies ahead.
“We need to fine tune things,” senior catcher Kaylyn Castillo said. “Get the pitchers back with more movement and fine tune their spins. Hitting-wise, get back into a comfortable zone and get pumped up.”
The Gauchos (12-11) got off to a decent start in 2011 after posting a six game winning streak to open the season. UCSB has experienced different results of late, losing six of their last nine games.
Despite the Gauchos’ recent results, ASU’s is focusing on victory.
“I’m not as worried about Santa Barbara as I am of us taking care of business,” ASU coach Clint Myers said. “The idea is that if we don’t go out and do the things that we’re supposed to do and can do, then we’re not going do the things that are going to allow us to be successful in the Pac-10.”
ASU will face a Gaucho pitching staff led by freshman Adriana Collins, who enters this weekend with a respectable 2.80 ERA and an 8-6 record. Collins has started 14 games this season, completing 10 of them.
The ASU pitching staff has been dominant through the first 32 games of the season. As a staff, the pitchers boast a combined 1.70 ERA.
Freshman Dallas Escobedo owns a 13-1 record with a 1.33 ERA, and fellow freshman Mackenzie Popescue and junior Hillary Bach have been consistent in the circle as well. Popescue currently sports a 1.37 ERA in 14 appearances, while Bach has a 2.75 mark and an 8-0 record.
The pitching staff has been particularly good at maintaining leads late in games. ASU is 28-0 this season when leading after the fourth inning.
Stepping into the batter’s box against the Sun Devil hurlers will be a talented UCSB lineup.
Freshman outfielder McKenzie Kane carries a red-hot bat for the Gauchos. Kane has burst onto the scene this season with a .386 batting average, 13 runs and 32 hits.
Junior outfielder Allison Taylor is also off to a strong start with a .347 batting average.
The Sun Devils will counter with their own potent lineup.
Junior shortstop Katelyn Boyd enjoyed a strong weekend at the plate in the Judi Garman classic. She is now batting .483 this season with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 38 RBIs.
Senior centerfielder Lesley Rogers, who usually bats after Boyd, comes into the weekend with a .390 average, 26 runs scored and 21 RBIs.
In the Sun Devil starting lineup, all nine batters own a batting average of .316 or higher, and four of those starters are hitting .400 or better.
ASU hopes to maintain consistency at the plate by employing an aggressive approach.
“We need to have the same mentality all the time,” Rogers said. “When we are being super aggressive at the plate, you can see it in our play. We’re scoring tons of runs, clutch hitting, everything’s going our way.”
Myers hopes to learn from mistakes suffered during the team’s shutout loss against UM on March 17.
“We left too many people in scoring position,” Myers said. “A ground ball would have scored a run with the people we had there at third base in the Michigan game. We couldn’t get a ground ball. That’s just something that we’ve got to be able to execute. I understand good pitching beats good hitting, but it should not beat us.”
With the opening of Pac-10 play only a week away, it would be easy for ASU to overlook the Gauchos. However, all the attention is on the next three games.
“We’re really excited for Pac-10, but we just really have to focus on this weekend,” Rogers said. “If we can play well this weekend and get into a groove and feel good. That’s going to be really important for Pac-10.”
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu
