ASU softball graduate student outfielder Yannira Acuña's rapid start to the 2023 season shouldn't be surprising. Acuña entered the season on various preseason top-100 rankings.
But Acuña's impact has extended off the field as a leader this year, starting with the initiative she took this offseason, being the first to alert incoming head coach Megan Bartlett about her desire to return to Tempe amid a flurry of transfers.
"The first kid, the day I got the job, one of my first phone calls was Yanni," Bartlett said.
She said retaining Acuña was "incredibly important." On the phone call, Acuña pledged her loyalty to Bartlett and assured her she would do her part. Bartlett said she was "all in from go."
Acuña, who entered 2023 as Softball America's 2022 NCAA Most Improved Player has been a fixture for ASU softball since she arrived in 2019 as a freshman. Acuña's versatility has earned her 127 starts as a Sun Devil, 121 runs, 88 RBIs and 29 home runs.
2023 in Tempe has offered a unique opportunity to Acuña, and she said she's "here to embrace" all the changes made to the ASU softball team, from coach Bartlett's arrival to ASU's acquisition of her sister, freshman outfielder Yannixa Acuña.
"It's my last season, so I just want to cherish every moment I have with my teammates, especially with my sister being on the team," Acuña said. "And then, having a new coaching staff, I'm just here to embrace it and enjoy my last season."
Acuña is in the essential leadoff role this season, where she has expressed her intention to expand her leadership as a facilitator.
"I try to get a base hit every at-bat as a leadoff hitter since my role has changed," Acuña said. "I try to get on base so my teammates can score me."
In the Littlewood Classic opener on Thursday, BYU snapped Acuña's 13-game hit streak in its 10-5 win over ASU.
"We got together, and we were like, 'look, that wasn't us yesterday. We know better. We can do better,"' said senior infielder Jordyn VanHook in response to the loss.
Visibly, on the field, Acuña took the team forum to heart and influenced ASU's explosive offense in many ways over games for the remainder of the tournament. The next game against Portland State saw Acuña open with a home run from the leadoff spot.
Over the weekend, Acuña accumulated eight hits, two RBIs, and a home run. Against Illinois State, she got three hits, two runs, an RBI and a double. Acuña's four home runs have her ranked No. 14 in the nation.
Despite the substantial numbers she and her teammates have produced this season, she understands earning momentum is a collaborative work in progress.
"It goes up and down sometimes. We're still trying to figure it out and how to keep it going for seven innings straight," Acuña said. "The momentum we try to feed off of each other and the energy that not only the people on the field are creating but the players on the bench."
There's no doubt that Bartlett has the utmost confidence in Acuña's abilities to lead the Sun Devils. Bartlett said she feels Acuña, senior outfielder Jazmine Hill and senior infielder Jazmyn Rollin could be at the top of the lineup on any team in the country.
Acuña is currently top 15 nationwide in doubles, hits and home runs, and the team is riding a four-game winning streak, its second string of wins in its early season.
Acuña and the Sun Devils planned to travel to Cathedral, California this weekend for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, but opted out due to weather concerns. The Sun Devils will stay in Tempe for a three-game series against Iowa State starting on Feb. 24, in which they will have a chance to extend their current four-game win streak.
Edited by Kathryn Field, Reagan Priest and Grace Copperthite.
Reach the reporter at asmit263@asu.edu and follow @AlfredS_III on Twitter.
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