With talent from top to bottom, the Pac-10 remains the nation’s most competitive conference in all of collegiate softball.
Strong pitching has been at the forefront of each team’s success. From ASU freshman Dallas Escobedo and UCLA senior Donna Kerr, to UA’s Kenzie Fowler and Stanford sophomore Teagan Gerhart, there is no shortage of talent in the circle.
Heading into the fourth week of conference play, seven out of the eight teams remain in the top-25 national rankings.
After three weeks of Pac-10 action, several teams have begun to separate themselves from the rest of the Pac.
1. ASU -- 39-5, 6-3 Pac-10 (No. 2 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 2 NFCA)
The Sun Devils remain in the top spot after winning all three of their Pac-10 series.
ASU is fresh off taking two of three from reigning National Champion UCLA.
The Sun Devils continue to benefit from an incredible freshmen-pitching duo of Dallas Escobedo and Mackenzie Popescue.
Escobedo has made it a habit of plowing through opposing lineups. The right-hander now possesses a 19-3 record with an astounding 1.50 ERA.
Fellow freshman Mackenzie Popescue has been stellar in the circle as well. In her last start, she shut down the Bruins, hurling a four-hit shutout.
Behind the pitchers, the Sun Devils boast an extremely deep lineup. Each game, there’s someone new who steps up with the big play or hit.
All of ASU’s starters are hitting .310 or higher, and six of those hitters have knocked in 30 or more runs.
ASU faces its biggest test of this season when it heads down south to Tucson this week for a three-game set against in-state rival Arizona.
2. Arizona – 35-8, 6-2 Pac-10 (No. 7 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 7 NFCA)
The Wildcats boast yet another talented roster in 2011.
Sophomore pitcher Kenzie Fowler has established herself as one of the nation’s best pitchers. In 34 appearances, she has a 21-6 record and a 1.69 ERA.
Senior outfielder Brittany Lastrapes carries a big stick at the top of the lineup with her .467 average, 15 doubles and 32 RBI.
Junior outfielder Karissa Buchanan and senior outfielder Lauren Schutzler are hitting .420 and .413, respectively. Then there’s senior catcher Stacie Chambers who leads the Pac-10 with 16 home runs.
The Wildcats have the tall task of facing off against Escobedo and the Sun Devils this weekend.
3. UCLA – 29-9, 5-4 Pac-10 (No. 13 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 11 NFCA)
Whether or not the Bruins make a run at the Pac-10 title and have a shot at defending their national championship rests heavily on the arms of senior Donna Kerr and freshman Jessica Hall.
Kerr is a reliable veteran who has proven she is capable of shutting down her opponent’s lineups. Last Friday, Kerr silenced ASU and the Pac-10’s top scoring offense, for 6 1/3 innings. She allowed just a single run and three hits while striking out six.
Hall is a powerful southpaw who has notched 14 wins this season with a 2.36 ERA.
The Bruins have struggled of late by losing four of their last six contests, but can’t be overlooked just yet.
4. Washington -- 30-6, 5-4 Pac-10 (No. 10 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 9 NFCA)
Freshman first baseman and pitcher Kimi Pohlman and junior outfielder Niki Williams are two of the conference’s best hitters, and they lead the way for a potent Huskie lineup.
Pohlman is hitting an incredible .480 on the season with 61 hits and 44 runs, while Williams isn’t far behind with her .424 average.
While the Huskies’ offense is clearly loaded, the young pitching staff will have to step up in order to compete down the stretch. UW recently avoided the sweep against UA, but will be tested in its next six games on the road at UCLA and Stanford.
5. Stanford – 30-8, 5-4 Pac-10 (No. 11 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 10 NFCA)
After being swept in the opening weekend of the Pac-10 season by UA, the Cardinal have rebounded with two straight series wins over UCLA and Oregon State.
Gerhart has been lights out in the circle with her 1.77 ERA and 16-6 record. Senior pitcher Ashley Chin has also pitched well, and owns a 14-2 mark with a 1.93 ERA.
Junior infielder Ashley Hansen is one of the Pac-10’s strongest hitters. She leads the league in batting average, slugging percentage, and doubles.
Behind Gerhart’s pitching and Hansen’s hot bat, Stanford could be poised to make a move even higher up the Pac-10 standings. The Cardinal face a pair of daunting road tests in the coming weeks with trips to Cal, Oregon and ASU.
6. California – 28-8, 5-4 Pac-10 (No. 12 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 12 NFCA)
Sophomore catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt and sophomore pitcher Jolene Henderson were crowned this week’s Pac-10 Player and Pitcher of the Week.
Both players were instrumental in Cal’s sweep over Oregon last weekend.
Ziegenhirt batted .500 in the series while reeling in six RBIs. Henderson not only won three contests, but earned a save as well. In the Golden Bears’ four games last week, including a non-conference bout against St. Mary’s, Henderson did not allow a single run.
She also leads the Pac-10 in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts and wins.
Cal takes on northern California rival Stanford in a three game set this weekend.
7. Oregon – 30-11, 2-7 Pac-10 (No. 19 ESPN/USA Softball, No. 21 NFCA)
It’s been a challenging three weeks for the Ducks as they have been limited to two runs or less in seven Pac-10 games.
Sophomore pitcher Jessica Moore is now sporting a 15-6 record and a solid 1.51 ERA. She has the ability to keep her team in the game every time she toes the rubber.
UO catches a small break by hosting Oregon State at home this week, and the only remaining road trip for the Ducks is a tough one against UA. UO will then host Stanford and UCLA to close out the regular season.
8. Oregon State – 18-16, 1-8 Pac-10
The highlights have been few and far between for OSU nine games into the Pac-10 schedule.
The Beavers’ lone Pac-10 win came against UA. OSU managed to limit the Wildcats to just one run and eight hits.
Since that win, the Beavers have struggled to compete among the Pac-10’s best. The team enters this weekend’s series against the Ducks mired in a five game conference losing streak.
Sophomore pitchers Tina Andreana and Marina Demore and junior Paige Hall have combined for a 2.90 staff ERA.
However, the Beaver lineup has continually struggled to score runs. As a team, OSU is batting just .243 with 13 home runs.
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu
