The ASU softball team spent the final two weeks of its season 3,000 miles from home. The Sun Devils were hoping to be on the road a little longer.
After sweeping through the NCAA Amherst Regional near Boston, ASU came up short last week with two losses against Florida in the Super Regionals, ending a string of four straight trips to the Women's College World Series.
But for the Sun Devils, who finished their season with a record of 44-17, plenty of reason for optimism remains.
The pitching staff headed by Hillary Bach, who followed up a stellar freshman campaign with a 25-8 record and 2.37 ERA this season, will receive a boost next year.
Joining the rotation will be Dallas Escobedo, a product of St. Mary's High in Phoenix whose exploits during her prep career were the stuff of legend in the softball community.
During her senior season, Escobedo was 33-3 with a mind-boggling 0.58 ERA. She threw 10 no-hitters, including three perfect games, on her way to striking out 500 batters. The phenom is rated by most as the No. 1 prep player in the country.
The 1-2 punch of Escobedo and Bach should prove tough to handle for opponents in a Pac-10 conference where dominating starting pitching is vital to success (see: National Player of the Year, star Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie).
Another key return for ASU will be Katelyn Boyd, whose stellar sophomore season earned her distinction as a First-Team All-American, an honor bestowed by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Despite suffering two broken fingers this season, Boyd played in all 61 games, hitting .415 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI.
The Sun Devils won't be short on leadership next season with Mandy Urfer and Lesley Rogers poised to lead the team as seniors. Both had career years in 2010, hitting .352 and .389, respectively. With a wealth of postseason experience between them, these seniors will be looked to guide what should be a talented team in 2011 as it looks to return a national championship banner to Tempe like the one it captured in 2008.
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu
