(Photo: Michael Baron/WCSN)
After a successful 2017 season, the Arizona State softball team has its eyes set on a deep playoff run with the new season right around the corner.
In her first season, head coach Trisha Ford lead the Sun Devils to a 31-22 overall record and an NCAA regional appearance for the first time since 2015. This marked the program’s 23rd consecutive winning season and the 23rd time the program has won 30 plus games in a single season.
ASU was able to capture success in non-conference play with a mark of 19-5. However, the gauntlet of Pac-12 play stymied the Devils, resulting in a below .500 conference record on the season. The 2017 season ended for ASU after a second loss in the NCAA regional to North Carolina in the Oxford, Mississippi tournament.
The Sun Devils will look to advance even further into the postseason this year, with Ford saying players ”don’t come to ASU and not expect to go to Oklahoma City.”
Among the keys for ASU are the bats of junior infielder Taylor Becerra and junior outfielder Skylar McCarty. Becerra and McCarty both respectively batted .331 and .303 last season for the Sun Devils.
“Last year, I slapped and stuff like that, but I didn’t use my bunting like I should have,” Becerra said. “Coach really wanted me to implement my short game so this fall I bunted a lot, got on a lot and that’s just one thing I realized that I can have in my back pocket.”
McCarty led the Sun Devils at the lead off position for a majority of the last season, but she sees herself in a different situation this season.
“I don’t see myself batting leadoff because I have a different role,” McCarty said. “Last year, was put the ball on the ground and run it out. This year, I am looking to hit for power and slapping became my secondary tool instead.”
Becerra and McCarty will have try to replace two Pac-12 First Team seniors in Shortstop Chelsea Gonzales and Catcher Sashel Palacios. The Devils will have to look to compensate for Gonzales and Palacios who had 13 home runs and 49 RBIs, and 10 home runs and 40 RBIs respectively.
Fresno State transfer, Maddi Hackbarth will look to take over the catching void left by Palacios. Hackbarth started 20 games at catcher for the Bulldogs, posting a .243 on-base percentage with a .292 slugging percentage. She is one of five transfers suiting up for ASU this season.
“They have molded fantastically,” Ford said. “They are great players. Three of them I’ve had history with, so I knew what I was getting.”
While Arizona State might have lost their two best offensive performers, the Sun Devils are returning in waves with pitching. ASU is returning their entire pitching staff lead by seniors Breanna Macha and Dale Ryndak.
Macha was ASU’s go to pitcher with 19 games started and a 2.23 ERA. She credits Ford’s guidance in helping her post such a strong season
“If you look at my statistics from sophomore year to my junior year, my ERA went down about three (points),” Macha said. “I went from a five ERA to a two last year. Her mental philosophies, and her mechanical stuff, she has helped me so much.”
The wild card for the staff will be Giselle Juarez who was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team a year ago. Juarez finished the season with a 2.72 ERA in 20 appearances for the Devils.
ASU will look to their highly rated freshman class to help bolster the roster. Ford was able to sign three infielders in Bella Loomis, Danielle Gibson and Rylee Maston, one outfielder in Ashley Moss, and a utility player in Denae Chatman.
“I think they fit into this program just as well as the girls from before,” Macha said. “They all want to compete. They are all gritty athletes, and I think that is the type of player coach Ford wants here.”
Arizona State’s season will begin with non-conference games against Tennessee, Purdue, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Indiana and Mount St. Mary’s. ASU will be in two tournaments prior to the start of Pac-12 play, with one being Littlewood Classic in Tempe and the Mary Nutter Tournament outside of Los Angeles. T
The Sun Devils home Pac-12 schedule this season will feature series against Washington, Oregon, California and the rival reigning Pac-12 champion Arizona.
