When it comes to talent, the Sun Devil softball team has all the skill it needs to repeat last year’s national title run.

But that’s never been a question.

This season, it’s the idea of a young team and the expectations that loom. The task would be challenging to anyone.

So the question arises in the early games of this season, when emotions and nerves are running high — is talent enough?

“Skill-wise we are good,” junior infielder Ashley Muenz said. “But we need a little more work on our mental game. We just need to work on the little things like communication.”

Muenz, who had a home run in Sunday’s 7-4 loss to UTEP and an RBI double in the Saturday’s against Penn State, acknowledged the idea that there is still room for improvement in the early part of the season.

“It’s coming,” she said. “We are doing well; we’re playing well as a team, but we’re still getting the little things out of the way. It’s great that the younger girls are stepping up.”

One of those, freshman pitcher Hillary Bach, claimed a complete-game shutout against Portland State on Friday, striking out four and allowing only three hits in the game.

“Everybody brings talent to the table, and it’s good to see such young girls doing that,” Muenz said. “They’re all ready to go.”

The Sun Devils (5-1, 0-0 Pac-10) went 4-1 over the weekend in the annual Kajikawa Classic, earning wins against UCF, Portland State, Penn State and CSU Bakersfield in addition to their come-from-behind victory over McNeese State in the first game of the season on Thursday.

“We learned from our mistakes earlier in the game [against McNeese State], and we came back and we won the game in extra innings,” senior outfielder Kaitlin Cochran said. “It wasn’t exactly how we planned the game to go, but we still pulled it out and I think that showed a lot of heart on our part.”

Cochran blasted two home runs in the tournament, including a three-run shot in the fifth inning against UTEP. And even though it wasn’t enough to put the Sun Devils on top, the two home runs shortened the lead and gave the team something to work towards next weekend.

“We kind of got out of ourselves a little bit today,” Cochran said. “We made a comeback in the middle of the game, but it’s just the way the game goes. It’s just one of those days, but we’re ready to come back.”

And so the plan for next weekend’s Littlewood Classic tournament remains the same.

“I think we are just going to stick with our plan,” Cochran said. “Always remember to play within ourselves and not worry about the opponents or anyone in the other dugout. We’re going to go out there and play the game the way we know how to.”

Reach the reporter at emiley.darling@asu.edu.