Beating your rival always has its perks, but for No. 21 ASU softball (22-10, 3-2 Pac-12) it’s entirely necessary to get on the right track.
A sweep of rival No. 14 Arizona (27-7, 2-1 Pac-12) will be hard to come by in Tucson, where the Wildcats are 17-0, but even a series victory would make a statement to the rest of the Pac-12 that the Sun Devils are on the rise.
Inconsistency has been an issue for ASU from the very beginning, losing a multitude of games to nationally-ranked teams but taking single games from juggernauts in No. 4 Michigan, No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 13 Baylor.
The Sun Devils’ record against top 25 opponents is 6-7, so getting to .500 or above with a series win over Arizona would be a huge confidence booster as the team heads out on the road once again.
Arizona poses the biggest threat to ASU in Pac-12 play so far. The eight-time national champion Wildcats is looking like a contender in the conference once again, the winner of five straight games and seven of their last eight, including a 2-1 series victory over No. 17 California.
Arizona is led by two sluggers in sophomore utility player Katiyana Mauga and senior catcher Chelsea Goodacre, who have combined for 25 of the Wildcats’ 46 home runs this season (54 percent).
The Sun Devils have two more total homers (48) and possess a dangerous lineup of their own, but the dinger count is far more balanced on the ASU side. Senior catcher Amber Freeman and senior first baseman Bethany Kemp are tied for the team lead with nine apiece.
ASU head coach Craig Nicholson looks forward to an offensive show between bitter rivals.
“We’re going to have to keep scoring runs,” Nicholson said. “I expect to see some high scores like we saw (last) weekend.”
The potential for powerful contributions from the batter’s box is there for both teams, but where Arizona has the slight edge is their pitching, led by sophomore Michelle Floyd (15-4, 2.38 ERA).
This series will not only be a test for the entire Sun Devil team, but primarily for the young pitchers: freshmen Breanna Macha and Dale Ryndak.
Macha is 11-5 with a 3.54 ERA and 91 strikeouts, and Ryndak boasts a 9-4 record with a slightly better 3.43 ERA.
Both pitchers have been through the wringer this season and pitched 92.4 percent of the possible innings, so the Sun Devils are hoping that experience, rather than fatigue, will be a factor as Pac-12 play continues.
This is an ASU team still searching for its true identity in a tough conference. However, the question of whether or not the Sun Devils are contenders will be answered over the next month. Including this weekend’s series against Arizona, ASU has ten consecutive road games to play, with the final three coming in Eugene against the No. 2 Oregon Ducks.
First pitch of the Territorial Cup series against Arizona is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, March 27, in Tucson.
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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