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(04/18/13 10:37pm)
It would be easy for the No. 2 ASU softball team to look past its road series against the Utah Utes with a big series against No. 10 Cal on the horizon.
Record-wise, the Utes (19-23-1, 4-11 Pac-12) will probably be the weakest team the Sun Devils (38-5, 9-3 Pac-12) will face the rest of the season.
Last year, Utah was in for a shock when they moved from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12.
“It was a pretty big adjustment,” coach Clint Myers said. “Let’s face it, (the Pac-12) is the best conference in the country. You’re playing postseason teams every weekend.”
Utah endured the growing pains and went 2-22 in the conference in 2012. It’s been a little better for the Utes in 2013 with a 4-11 conference mark.
“I would say last year was pretty rough for them,” sophomore catcher Amber Freeman said. “They definitely had a wake-up call, because this is probably the best conference in the country. They’re having a better year, and it seems like they’re adjusting.”
Utah has won three of its past six conference games, which included its first Pac-12 series victory earlier this month against No. 18 UCLA.
ASU is taking the approach that it can only control its half of the game. Regardless of who the Sun Devils face, their goals remain the same.
“Who we play is a little bit irrelevant, because we approach every game the same way, whether it’s Arizona or Alabama or UCLA or Florida or any of those teams," Myers said. "Certain games get a little more hype, but what we’re expecting to do and what we’re trying to do remains constant all the time.”
The series against Utah marks only the third true road series of the year for ASU. The Sun Devils also played a neutral-site tournament on the road. They’ve played a large amount of games at home, which included 26 in a row at home to start the season.
ASU has played 32 games at Farrington Stadium with a record of 30-2 and only 11 games away from home with a record of 8-3.
“When teams play at home they always play better,” Freeman said. "We just need to go there and play our best softball and come home with three (wins).”
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu or follow on Twitter @JJanssen11
(04/16/13 11:24pm)
Junior outfielder Alix Johnson apologized for a suspension that resulted in her absence the last two weekends from the ASU softball lineup.
Johnson and junior outfielder Mary Spiel were suspended for breaking team rules, according to coach Clint Myers. The pair was with the team last weekend.
They watched the Washington series from ASU’s dugout. They joined huddles and remained part of the team.
Myers said the suspended duo was in the dugout, “because they’re still on the team, (and it) doesn’t mean we don’t like them. They made a mistake, and they’re paying for it.”
Myers is not revealing the nature of the suspensions and said they were an “internal” matter.
“They’re doing quite well with it,” Myers said. “Hopefully, we’ll have them back soon. That’s up to them.”
Johnson took to her public Twitter account Sunday night to apologize for breaking team rules. She deleted the account sometime after the apology and before Tuesday afternoon.
“To my friends, my family, teammates, fans, and all my public supporters, I would like to apologize for my poor decisions made recently in breaking our softball team rules,” she tweeted.
“I know that my actions were wrong and affected a lot of people in different ways and for this, I’m truly sorry. I have taken full responsibility for my actions and accepted the consequences I have been given for the poor decision that I made.
“I hope over time that I can convince everyone, especially my teammates, that I have learned from these mistakes and that ASU and ASU softball will be able to count on me to be there for them in an(y) capacity that they may need me. Thank you all for the constant support!”Freeman named finalist for USA Softball Player of the YearFor some, following up a breakout freshman year can be difficult.There are added expectations and increased pressures that follow a great season.In sophomore catcher Amber Freeman’s freshman year, she hit .346 with 12 home runs and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.As a sophomore, Freeman has one-upped her stellar rookie campaign.She is hitting .379 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs. She was recently named a top-25 finalist for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.“It was exciting,” Freeman said. “I wasn’t really having that many expectations, but to be on the top-25 list with those type of players, that was very exciting for me being only a sophomore, too."Freeman is the only catcher on the list and is one of six underclassmen to be named a finalist.The finalists will be narrowed down from 25 players to 10 on May 8. Then the list will be cut to three players May 22, and the winner will be announced May 28 at the Women’s College World Series.
No masks for ASU pitchers
When ASU took the field against Washington, the audience noticed something a little different from a Huskies pitcher.
Washington junior pitcher Kaitlin Inglesby was wearing a pitcher’s mask to protect her on the mound. A mask helps defend the face against line drives.
“(It's) for some people, not for me,” junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo said. “I guess she got hit in the face by her teammate. I’ve been fortunate enough, knock on wood, not to have been hit."
The practice of pitcher’s masks is more common in lower levels of softball and isn't regularly seen at the college level.
The mound sits 43 feet from home plate. On line drives, there may not be enough time for a pitcher to get their glove up to block an incoming softball.
A regulation softball has a circumference between 11.875 inches and 12.25 inches and a weight of between 6.5 and seven ounces, according to the NCAA rulebook.
“I know a lot of young girls and more pitchers are starting to wear them more often,” junior pitcher Mackenzie Popescue said. “It’s whatever makes the pitcher feel comfortable.”
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu or follow on twitter @JJanssen11
(04/14/13 9:01pm)
ASU sophomore first baseman Bethany Kemp only saw two pitches at the plate, but she made her at-bat count with the go-ahead single, giving the No. 2 ASU softball team (38-5, 9-3 Pac-12) the 2-1 win and the series victory over Washington (32-12, 10-5 Pac-12) on Sunday.
(04/14/13 1:29pm)
After scoring a season low one run, ASU softball coach Clint Myers made a couple lineup adjustments to spark the No. 2 Sun Devils (37-5, 8-3 Pac-12).
(04/13/13 3:37pm)
One of the hardest things in softball is to remain consistent.
(04/11/13 11:11pm)
Junior outfielder Bailey Wigness bunts a ball during the Sun Devils' 3-0 win over Bradley on Feb. 10. Wigness will fill in for junior outfielder Alix Johnson, who has been suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons in ASU's home series against Washington this weekend. (Photo by Sam Rosenbaum)
(04/11/13 11:07pm)
Correction: Due to reporting error, an earlier version of this story and photo caption misspelled Ted Horton-Billard's last name and provided the wrong age for when he learned sign language. It has been updated with the correct spelling and age.
(04/11/13 10:17pm)
With junior All-American outfielder Alix Johnson suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules, junior outfielder Bailey Wigness has taken her spot in the order as the No. 2 ASU softball team takes on Washington for a three-game weekend series.
(04/08/13 11:29am)
You either love or you hate referees. There is no indifference for fans. A call in favor of your team and they’re your favorite person on the field, a call against it and they are your sworn mortal enemy. Some referees and umpires even get hate mail for calls they’ve made such as umpire Don Denkinger or the crew of the controversial Monday night football game last year between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers.
(04/07/13 7:54pm)
A day after the ASU softball team slugged its way to 23 runs, the Sun Devils managed just three in a 4-3 loss to Stanford.
(04/07/13 1:30am)
Instead of the expected pitching duel, offensive fireworks ensued from the ASU and Stanford softball teams.
(04/05/13 12:00am)
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
(03/30/13 10:40pm)
In an explosive fourth inning, it felt like the ASU softball team was taking batting practice, rather than competing in an actual game.
(03/30/13 3:16am)
Junior catcher Lucy Aubrecht isn’t the sleekest Sun Devil on foot.
(03/29/13 7:16pm)
Junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo had been there before.
(03/29/13 12:22am)
In its Pac-12 home opener, the No. 2 ASU softball team will take on a much-improved No. 23 Oregon State team.
Oregon State went 36-23 last year (9-14 Pac-12) and appeared in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007. Considering it won 10 conference games in the prior three seasons combined, that’s a big improvement.
In her first season at the helm, Beavers coach Laura Berg is one of the catalysts for the turnaround. She was an assistant for Oregon State in 2012 before being named head coach in August.
On the field, freshman first baseman Natalie Hampton leads Oregon State (23-6) with her .433 batting average and 10 home runs.
The Beavers haven’t played a conference game yet, and last year ASU (31-3, 2-1 Pac-12) split two games with Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.
“They’re in the Pac-12,” coach Clint Myers said. “Everybody in the Pac-12 is good. We got to come out with our A-game and play consistent softball."
In last weekend’s series against UCLA, ASU took two out of three games. But it struggled with runners in scoring position, leaving 32 runners on base.
“We’re spending a little time on situational hitting,” Myers said. “We’re doing a good job of getting people on. We’re just not doing a good job getting them in.”
One reason for some of the perceived struggles was that a ton of the hits ASU had were singles. It’s very difficult to score if a team needs four hits in an inning to produce a run.
On the season, 65 percent of ASU’s hits were singles, and 71 percent of the 28 hits in the UCLA series were singles. The struggles are a little surprising, considering ASU is one of the country’s top hitting teams in batting average (.361, third) and slugging percentage (.603, second).
A bright spot in the series was the play of freshman first baseman Nikki Girard. Girard went 4-for-9 with two home runs and drove in six runs.
“Nikki’s a very good player,” Myers said. “She’s starting to understand the game, and we’re hoping that her performance level stays right at that level.”
The series runs Thursday through Saturday, and the teams are not playing on the usual Sunday slot due to the Easter holiday. Friday’s 7 p.m. game is sold out, according to ASU Athletics.
ASU will appear on the Pac-12 Network for the first time on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“As a team it’s our first TV game,” junior center fielder Alix Johnson said. “Especially for the youngsters on the team, they’ve never experienced that, cameras everywhere, microphones, interviews. That should be exciting for them, and you have to get pumped when it’s on TV. All your family, friends that are out of town are watching.”
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu
(03/27/13 12:00am)
ASU junior outfielder Alix Johnson may be known more for her offense than her defense.
(03/24/13 7:54pm)
ASU junior pitcher Mackenzie Popescue escaped a seventh inning jam for a six-out save as ASU softball team (31-3, 2-1 Pac-12) defeated UCLA (24-6, 1-2 Pac-12) in a 5-4 thriller.
ASU took the series from UCLA on the road to open Pac-12 play behind 11 hits and five walks.
The Sun Devils jumped ahead 5-0 early. It seemed they would cruise to an easy victory as they did the previous day in a 10-3 win over UCLA.
ASU hit five singles in the first two innings without scoring a run and left the bases loaded in the second.
In the third inning, freshman first baseman Nikki Girard hit a two-run home run to left. The shot was her third of the season, and the second in the series against UCLA.
After the third inning, UCLA replaced freshman pitcher Paige McDuffee after just 70 pitches. She hadn’t pitched since March 2 and has battled arm injuries in the past, so she may have operated on a tight pitch count.
UCLA junior outfielder/pitcher Jessica Hall moved from first base to the mound to relieve McDuffee. ASU scored three runs off Hall in her first relief inning that day behind four hits. Girard continued her strong play in the series with an RBI single in the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, UCLA started to chip into the 5-0 deficit. UCLA freshman designated player Britney Rodriquez launched a two-run home run of her own off ASU junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo.
Escobedo retired the Bruins in order in the fifth inning, but in the sixth she was forced out of the game. To lead off the inning, UCLA sophomore shortstop Stephany LaRosa homered to center, the fourth homerun UCLA hit off Escobedo in the series.
Escobedo walked the next two hitters in the sixth and in came Popescue out of the bullpen. Popescue recorded three consecutive groundouts to escape the inning, but UCLA picked up another run and trailed 5-4 entering the final inning.
In the seventh, Popescue walked two hitters with one out, meaning the tying and winning runs were on base. LaRosa flied out to right and Popescue retired the final hitter on a groundout, ending the threat and giving ASU the series victory.
Escobedo (16-3), picked up the decision, but she only struck out one hitter in five-plus innings of work, an anomaly for her, considering she entered the series striking out 11.3 hitters per seven innings.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu
(03/24/13 5:55pm)
After Friday's game, when the No. 2 ASU softball team stranded eight runners on base, it started Saturday's matchup in a similar fashion
(03/23/13 2:22am)
Just about everything went right for the No. 2 ASU softball team in their nonconference schedule.