No. 22 ASU softball will host the Kajikawa Classic to begin the season on Thursday in a tournament including several teams, including two others in the top 25.
Thursday, Feb. 11
ASU vs. Utah State - 4:30 p.m.
ASU will begin against the Utah State Aggies, who only won 19 games in 2015. Senior pitcher Noelle Johnson will make her third start. In 40 game appearances, Johnson composed of a 4.04 ERA and struck out 131 batters.
She's not all pitching, though, she's also productive on offense. Johnson had the third-highest batting average on the team (.352) and had 26 RBIs. ASU will also have to look out for senior outfielder Sarah Chow, who posted the Aggies' highest batting average at .413 and had 64 hits.
ASU vs. San Jose State - 7 p.m.
The Spartans finished last season with a 37-19 overall record. San Jose State poses some of the highest numbers on offense out of all the teams that ASU faces. Senior Jessica Madrid leads the team with the highest batting average (.439) and doubles (19). Senior Jessie Hufstetler led the team last year with 11 home runs and 69 RBIs. ASU will need to anchor down on defense if it wants to come up with a win.
Friday, Feb. 12
ASU vs. No. 8 Tennessee - 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee will be of the toughest game for the Sun Devils during this tournament. The Volunteers finished the 2015 season with a (47-17) overall record.
Senior pitcher and utility player Rainey Gaffin was listed a part of the USA Softball Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2016 season. Gaffin had a batting average of .315 and a slugging percentage of .505, and will also pose challenges on ASU defensively.
Additionally, ASU will also have to look out for sophomore Meghan Gregg, who led the team with 13 home runs last year in her freshman campaign.
Saturday, Feb. 13
ASU vs. East Carolina - 7:30 p.m.
The Pirates finished their 2015 season with a 16-37 overall record. Senior shortstop Casey Alcorn led the team to 27 RBIs and had a batting average of .290, the highest for the team. Senior pitcher Sarah Christian was the primary pitcher for the Pirates last season, pitching 181.2 innings with an ERA of 2.81 and striking out 121 batters.
Sunday, Feb. 14
ASU vs. Portland State - 1:30 p.m.
Portland State only had 16 wins last year, but the majority of the starting rotation returns for 2016.
Seniors Kristen Crawford and Karyn Wright and junior Meagan Hendrix combined made up 88 percent of the innings pitched last season. The big bat on the team last year was senior short stop Ashley Smith, who had a .331 batting average and hit eight doubles.
ASU vs San Diego - 3:45 p.m.
The San Diego Toreros ended their season with a (29-23) overall record. The Toreros have a lot of younger players stepping up to the plate and delivering big numbers for the team. Sophomore pitcher Paige Von Sprecken had 38 game appearances and had a total of 136 strikeouts. Sprecken also appeared at the plate with 72 at bats and a batting average of .222. Sophomore utility player Kailey Hill led the team to 12 home runs 31 RBIs. She also had the highest batting average for the Toreros at .365.
Monday, Feb. 15
ASU vs No.18 Kentucky - 3:00 p.m.
Kentucky's 32-win season led it to a ranked preseason, posing another challenge for ASU in its opening weekend.
Senior infielder Nikki Sagermann led the team with a .303 batting average and had the most doubles. Additionally, the Wildcats' pitching will give them an advantage with three year starter Kelsey Nunley. Last year, Nunley pitched a total of 211 innings with 194 strikeouts.
Related Links:
ASU softball: Behind the plate with Sun Devil catching
ASU Softball: In the circle with Sun Devil pitching
Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
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