None of the Pac-12 teams have played each other, but there is still an early pecking order in softball’s best Division I conference. Rankings are according to ESPN.com/USA Poll.
1. No. 1 California (8–0)
The Golden Bears started their season off with a bang, defeating No. 9 Tennessee 13–5. Behind junior pitcher and infielder Jolene Henderson and senior pitcher and infielder Valerie Arioto, who has a team-leading .625 batting average, California hasn’t really had a tough game this year.
Arioto is the clear leader of the team, as her seven home runs and 0.00 earned run average shows her balance at both at the plate and on the mound.
2. No. 4 ASU (10–2)
Despite a slip-up against McNeese State and a heartbreaking loss to No. 9 Tennessee in the Kajikawa Classic, the Sun Devils have shown their talent early on.
Led by outstanding pitching, ASU has jumped on opponents early in recent games, not letting the opposition gain any momentum.
A key position to watch will be third base, which remains questionable despite freshman Haley Steele’s two home runs in the Littlewood Classic.
3. No. 5 UCLA (10–0)
After this weekend, the softball world will know just how good the Lady Bruins are.
Throughout the Cathedral City Classic, which starts on Friday, UCLA will play No. 13 Georgia, No. 8 Texas and No. 11 Missouri.
Senior outfielder Katie Schroeder leads the way with a .538 batting average. However, what makes UCLA dangerous is the team has six players who have started every game and are batting over .380.
4. No. 7 Washington (10–0)
The Huskies haven’t faced any stiff competition so far this season, so it’s hard to judge this team.
That will change as the team faces five top 25 teams in the Cathedral City Classic this weekend, starting off with No. 3 Florida.
One thing to watch is how the play of pitchers sophomore Kaitlin Inglesby, freshman Kasey Sanchek and sophomore Bryana Walker holds up against difficult competition.
5. No. 16 UA (8–3)
The early play of junior pitcher Kenzie Fowler has to worry some Wildcat fans.
This season, Fowler has allowed 12 earned runs despite being 2–0. Sophomore Shelby Babcock has taken over as the top pitcher, but she has accumulated all three of the team’s losses.
Of course, all is not doom and gloom for the Wildcats, as every loss has been by a single run.
6. No. 15 Stanford (8–3)
The Cardinal have been inconsistent to start the 2012 season and nothing shows that more than their recent 11-3 loss and 8-2 win in back-to-back games against Nevada on Feb. 18.
Junior Teagan Gerhart has been the main pitcher for Stanford and has been on the mound for 52 of the team’s 70 innings.
Her 52 strikeouts are impressive, but the team’s first test will be against undefeated No. 6 Oklahoma on Friday in the Cathedral City Classic.
7. No. 21 Oregon (3–2)
The team that has played the least amount of games in the conference sits in a pretty comfortable position. Competitive teams such as Oklahoma State, No. 22 Nebraska and Northwestern, provide an opportunity for the Ducks this weekend.
As other teams in the conference play really difficult slates in the Cathedral City Classic, Oregon could vault themselves up the power rankings with five winnable games.
The real question is whether one senior contributing every game will affect the consistency of the team.
8. Oregon State (7–3)
With a shocking 22–5 win over BYU as well as an 11-3 win over No. 22 Nebraska, the Beavers have turned some heads early this season.
Since all three losses are by a combined three runs, the Beavers could be a much bigger surprise had a couple of things gone differently.
The key has been the batting order giving the four pitchers plenty of run support.
It will be interesting to see if Oregon State can keep dividing up its innings as juniors Marina Demore and Tina Andreana, and senior Paige Hall all earned 13-plus innings.
9. Utah (6-3)
Like a couple of other teams in the Pac-12, the Utes haven’t played any stiff competition. However, the team doesn’t seem to play much until the start of conference season.
This could lead to an inflated record as Utah heads into its first year in the Pac-12.
Seniors Whitney Holm and Generra Nielson lead the Utes. Holm is clearly the toughest out at the plate hitting at a .538 clip and driving in 19 of the team’s 47 runs.
Nielson has held down the fort starting seven of the team’s nine games and accumulating 59 strikeouts with a 1.79 ERA.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
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