Favorite: ASU (45-10, 16-8 Pac-12), RPI: 11
Offense: If there’s one word to describe ASU’s offense, it’s depth. All 10 regulars in ASU’s lineup are hitting at least .300. In the regular season, ASU became known for the home run; hitting 89, which ranked fourth in Division I. Six players hit at least nine home runs in the regular season, and sophomore catcher Amber Freeman was named Pac-12 Player of the Year.
Pitching: Junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo dominated No. 3 Oregon in the last regular season series, earning USA Softball Pitcher of the Week honors. Escobedo threw 13 innings against the Ducks and allowed five hits and two runs, while striking out 19. In the regular season, ASU rotated between Escobedo and fellow junior pitcher Mackenzie Popescue, but Popescue has regressed since Pac-12 play. She began with a 3.54 ERA in conference play.
Overall: This is coach Clint Myers’ eighth season at the helm of ASU. In his first seven seasons, ASU has advanced past regionals all seven times, and six times to the Women’s College World Series, winning two national championships. At times, ASU looked shaky in the regular season in road series defeats at Utah, and UA, but at home, the Sun Devils are difficult to beat with a 35-3 record. Myers is also 25-3 at home in the playoffs.
Contender: Georgia (38-19, 14-9 SEC), RPI: 30
Offense: Georgia’s team strength stems from their explosive offense, and it’s one of the best in the country. Georgia hit 90 home runs, tied for second in the regular season. The Bulldogs lead the country in slugging (.593). However, it’s not all about power for Georgia; it also ranks eighth in batting average (.337) and near the top-25 in stolen bases (88).
Pitching: On the mound, Georgia is a very young team with two freshmen and one junior starter. The inexperience shows as Georgia sits 10th in the SEC with a 3.18 ERA. Freshman Geri Ann Glasco leads the Bulldogs in wins (17), but she also serves as Georgia’s leading home run hitter (19).
Overall: Georgia could give the Sun Devils fits if this becomes a high-scoring regional. It’s been mentioned all season, but Escobedo is prone to the long ball, allowing 32 home runs in the regular season. Their biggest strength (home runs) plays into the hands of a weakness ASU has.
Meyers's take: “You know that they’ve got power, they’ve got one more home run than we do. I thought we were a pretty good power team this year.”
In the mix: San Diego State (35-18, 13-5 Mountain West), RPI: 48
Offense: Junior designated player Lorena Bauer (.421, 13 home runs) and junior outfielder Patrice Jackson (.368, 16 home runs) make up a powerful 1-2 punch in the middle of San Diego State’s lineup. However, the rest of the team lacks depth and are hitting .265 with 14 home runs.
Pitching: The pitching duo of fifth-year senior Rebecca Arbino and freshman Danielle O’Toole has pitched well. Both sport ERAs below two and as a staff and San Diego State ranks 18th in the country in ERA (1.94).
Overall: This is the sixth consecutive year the Aztecs qualified for the postseason, and ninth overall in program history. They haven’t advanced past regionals in any appearance. In 2009 and 2011, San Diego State played in the Tempe regional, but both times, the Sun Devils advanced to the Super Regional.
Myers’s take: “They’re scrappy. They’ve been the giant killers as long as I know. San Diego (State) will come out and compete as hard as possible against Georgia.”
Also Invited: San Jose State (42-15, 17-4 WAC), RPI: 55
Offense: At the plate, San Jose State doesn’t have the star-power offensively as the other teams in the region do. But with a .356 batting average and nine home runs, senior outfielder Markesha Collins has been a nice offensive player for the Spartans.
Pitching: San Jose State will need to rely on fifth-year senior pitcher Amanda Pridmore if they want to be competitive in the region. Pridmore has thrown nearly two-thirds of the team’s innings and leads the Spartans with a 29-9 record and a 1.51 ERA.
Overall: WAC champion San Jose State is thrilled to be in the postseason. The last time the Spartans qualified for the NCAA tournament was in 1992, and their other trip to the happened in 1990. ASU and San Jose State first met in 1987, with the Sun Devils sporting an 11-1 record against the Spartans, including a 4-0 victory in 2012.
Meyers’s take: “The essence of the team is still the same just like us. They’ve got a couple freshmen getting some playing time. You lose a couple seniors, that part of it changes, but they’re competitive, scrappy. It’s not like we scored a whole bunch of runs (in 2012), same pitcher. She’s pretty good.
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @JJanssen11
