When asked what matchups he had circled on his calendar in the early season, ASU softball coach Clint Myers didn’t answer the question.

Instead, without hesitation, he answered in what would seem a cliché coming from most coaches.

“There are no easy weekends,” Myers said as he contemplated an endless combination of lineups at his desk.

Myers approaches every game as if it were against a top-ranked team, even though his squad is among them.

The Sun Devils enter the season ranked fifth in the preseason poll by the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association and seventh by ESPN.com/USA Softball.

Even with such high regard early and a trip to last years Women’s College World Series after a 47-19 season, Myers refuses to see success as a certainty.

“The idea is to take it step-by-step,” Myers said. “History is a lesson, the present is what you have to take care of and the future is what you work toward.”

With that in mind, Myers has been hard at work preparing his team for another season of Sun Devil softball.

Offense

The key to the Sun Devils’ offense in 2010 will likely be scoring early and often.

In 2009, ASU went 30-1 when leading after two innings and 26-5 when scoring five or more runs.

This year, however, the Sun Devils will have to score runs without Kaitlin Cochran, who graduated last year as statistically the best offensive player in ASU history.

But with a number of offensive weapons returning this season and a few improvements expected, the team is still confident in its abilities at the plate.

Junior first baseman Mandy Urfer said ASU’s offense could be the best in the Pac-10 this season.

“Our team is really looking good offensively,” Urfer said. “We’ve really been focusing on mental preparation.”

Urfer struggled a bit with consistency last year, hitting .260 with eight home runs and 25 RBI.

“My goal for this year is to just really stay, in the big situations, really calm and collected at the plate,” Urfer said.

Urfer’s eight longballs were third-most among players returning this season, behind sophomore shortstop Katelyn Boyd’s 10 and junior third baseman Krista Donnenwirth’s nine.

Donnenwirth’s status for the season remains up in the air following a suspension for an offseason rules violation. If she does miss significant time, the offense will be missing a key piece. Donnenwirth batted cleanup in 2009, hitting .322 with 47 RBI.

Boyd will likely shoulder the greatest offensive load early in the season. Despite putting up big numbers last season, Boyd said she’s focused mostly on winning.

“Obviously, I want to do as well if not better than last year,” Boyd said. “I’m not really worried about numbers. That will just happen on it’s own.”

Myers, who regularly monitors the batting cage before games for hot hitters, stressed that the team will have to hit consistently more than anything.

“Great hitting teams are consistent hitting teams,” Myers said. “No peaks, no valleys.”

Myers said he has no plans for his batting order yet and will let it fall into place as the season develops.

“They’re all swinging it pretty good,” Myers said. “They’ll all get their turns to see what they can do.”

Juniors Lesley Rogers and Kaylyn Castillo and senior Caylyn Carlson combined last season for 98 RBI. Myers believes that sophomore Talor Haro could surprise offensively this season, as she has been hitting well in practice.

ASU’s 440 runs last season ranked second in the nation, just behind rival UA. The team’s overall batting average of .322 was fifth in the nation. With a similar roster returning, the Sun Devil offense should be a potent force once again.

Defense

It often seems that offense is the staple of ASU softball, but without a solid defensive lineup, the Sun Devils’ success at the plate would have likely gone unnoticed.

“With the schedule and how it’s set up, defense is going to be huge,” Urfer said.

ASU’s 65 errors last season were most among the eight teams in the WCWS. While that puts them just 20 fewer than Division I-worst Florida International and 36 more than Division I-best Georgia, the numbers may be a bit skewed by Myers’ willingness to sacrifice defense for runs.

“In the end it’s going to come down to who can get the job done at the plate and play defense,” Urfer said.

Urfer is locked in a close competition for first base with senior Katie Crabb. Urfer said Myers is more likely to play the hottest hitter over the most solid fielder.

First base isn’t the only position still undetermined. In fact, Myers could only say that shortstop (Boyd) and one outfield spot (Rogers) were mostly decided.

The competition, Myers said, speaks to the deep talent on this year’s team. Ultimately, though, defensive goals are universal rather than specific.

“Our goal is to be a better defensive team,” Myers said. “That’s why you can’t pick an individual.”

Pitching

If Hillary Bach can match her efforts from last season — a 2.82 ERA and a 31-11 record, third best in the Pac-10 — the ASU pitching staff should once again be a strong point.

But before everyone else, Bach expects herself to top her freshman season.

“No limits,” Bach said of what she can accomplish this season. “I know I have Arizona State behind me, so I can approach the mound confidently.”

Bach’s confidence is only one of the many strengths the Sun Devil pitching staff possesses. Senior Megan Elliot brings experience and leadership to a staff that will have to improve over last year’s 3.22 ERA and Pac-10-worst 191 earned runs.

When Bach and Elliot are limiting runs, they’re nearly unstoppable. When opponents score two or fewer runs, ASU is 30-2.

Elliot battled inconsistency last season, but is confident she has toned her mental game.

“I’ve progressed a lot,” Elliot said. “I’ve gained a lot more confidence in myself, so I expect to go out there and do what I know I can do.”

Elliot said she has worked on throwing all seven of her pitches for strikes, something Bach also emphasized as key to improving on the mound.

“Elite pitchers have the same number of pitches, but it’s how well you can execute those and how consistently,” Bach said.

The mental toughness Elliot has obtained will be even more important if it rubs off on Bach. The combination of experience and growth could push Bach to new heights. If all she does differently is reduce runs allowed, her season will still be a success.

While all elements of the Sun Devils’ game will have to be consistently sharp, Boyd articulated the most widespread sentiment.

“I want to do whatever it takes to win games,” Boyd said. “I want to succeed for the team and not myself.”

Reach the reporter at tlockman@asu.edu