The Pac-12 Conference holds a high standard, coming in this year with six teams in the NCAA Top 25 rankings by NFCA Coaches.
Based on the results of these power rankings, the teams are judged off their records in pre-conference play, strength of opponents faced and player statistics.
All teams have yet to enter Pac-12 play, but have faced off with multiple teams in preparation for conference.
The Huskies came into the season ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Top 25, and have proved they deserve that high ranking. Their pre-conference record stands at 12-3, with big wins over No. 2 Michigan and No. 12 Oklahoma.
The Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Top 25. Based on past records, the Ducks outclass the rest of the Pac-12 during conference games. For pre-conference, Oregon holds a 12-4 record with wins over No. 20 Fresno State and No. 17 Missouri.
In the circle for the Ducks is Cheridan Hawkins. Although her ERA is higher than most pitchers in the Pac-12 (3.31), she has managed to strike out 69 batters.
Although OSU is not ranked on NCAA Top 25, the Beavers have one of the higher pre-conference records, coming in at 14-2. Two of their wins have been over No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 18 Kentucky.
The Beavers' pitching stands out. The ace in the circle is Meehra Nelson, who has an ERA of 1.50 with 84 strikeouts.
The No. 19 Sun Devils are ranked at the top of the Pac-12 list for holding a 15-2 pre-conference record. Although their record is first in line, their pre-conference opponents haven’t been as difficult as other teams in the Pac-12. They beat No. 14 Tennessee in an upsetting extra inning game, but lost to No. 18 Kentucky and No. 21 Minnesota.
Chelsea Gonzales is the head of offense, holding a .467 batting average with six home runs and 22 RBIs for ASU.
The top pitcher for Arizona is Danielle O’Toole, who has posted an impressive 1.92 ERA with 54 strikeouts. On offense for the Wildcats knocking in 17 RBIs is Mo Mercado, who also has four home runs this season.
No. 15 Arizona started off pre-conference with an 11-5 record, with impactful wins against No. 5 LSU and No. 14 Tennessee.
The Bruins come into the pre-conference ranked No. 11 in the NCAA Top 25. Their pre-conference schedule was among some of the more difficult schedules in the Pac-12, with UCLA losing to No. 1 Florida. Their pre-conference record is 9-6, which includes a key win over No. 16 Texas A&M.
UCLA has two players who were named apart of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 watch list: Allexis Bennett and Delaney Spaulding. Both players are critical to the Bruins offense.
The Utes started the pre-conference play strong, holding a 12-5 record. Although they hold a high position in the Pac-12 rankings, their pre-conference schedule wasn’t up to par. Two of Utah’s losses were against No. 1 Florida and No. 12 Oklahoma.
Katie Donovan has pitched the most for innings for Utah. She holds a 1.59 ERA with 39 strikeouts.
The Bears snuck into No. 25 on the NCAA poll as their pre-conference schedule has consisted of wins against No. 18 Kentucky and No. 23 Notre Dame. Their overall record is 9-4.
In the circle for the Bears is Nisa Ontiveros, who holds a strong 1.38 ERA, one of the better ERAs out of all pitchers in the Pac-12.
A win against No. 17 Missouri helped contribute to Stanford's 7-7 record. Despite the ranked victory, the Cardinal's record is the lowest in the Pac-12 conference.
Haley Snyder is the ace of the team, holding a 3.61 ERA with 29 strikeouts. Bessie Noll leads the offense with a .405 batting average and 11 RBIs.
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Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
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