The ASU softball team expects freshman first baseman Nikki Girard to play against Stanford despite breaking her left pinkie.
Girard broke the finger Sunday when Oregon State freshman first baseman Natalie Hampton stepped on her hand during a pickoff attempt. Girard, playing designated player, stayed in the game and went 0-for-2 after she was picked off.
“I told her she didn’t need it; she could cut it off,” ASU coach Clint Myers said. “She’ll just have to make the pitchfork this way. She’s a kid that wants to play. She’s not going to let an injury keep her out of the lineup.”
Myers said Girard took fewer reps than normal in practice. She could wind up playing designated player again to eliminate the fielding aspect of the game and still keep her in the batting order.
“She’s not smart yet to understand that a reduction of reps isn’t taking yourself out of the lineup. It’s just a reduction of reps so your body can heal a little faster,” Myers said.
Girard is not letting the small injury prevent her from playing No. 14 Stanford this weekend.
No. 2 ASU (34-3, 5-1 Pac-12) faces Stanford in an odd two-day, three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
Junior pitchers Dallas Escobedo and Mackenzie Popescue will each start a game on Saturday. Those results will determine who starts the series finale.
Stanford (26-10, 4-5 Pac-12) and ASU are each coming off series wins against No. 15 UCLA and No. 24 Oregon State.
“Stanford’s a good team,” Myers said. “They’re a Pac-12 team that’s been in the postseason every year. They’re well-coached, well-disciplined; they play it the right way, so it’s going to be a great test. It will be a good series.”
Stanford’s biggest strength comes on the mound. Cardinal senior pitcher Teagan Gerhart holds a 14-5 record with a 1.43 ERA. She won 32 games for Stanford last season.
“They got a good staff,” Myers said. “They got the old-timer back (Gerhart) that has beaten I think everybody in the conference. They got some arms. It’s coming down to execution, performance and everything else.”
Stanford doesn’t quite possess the offensive firepower that ASU does. As a team, Stanford is hitting .287 with 18 home runs on the season.
Every starter in ASU’s lineup is hitting above .300. The Sun Devils also lead the entire Division I (out of 290 teams) in scoring with 7.76 runs per game. ASU also ranks second in batting average (.356) and slugging percentage (.607).
The first two games of the series will air on the Pac-12 network Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. respectively.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu
