This week in Pac-12 softball
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• Pac-12 softball made a splash in the opening week and continues the tough competition with games against some of the top teams in the country this upcoming week.
• Six teams are ranked in this week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, as CALIFORNIA made the leap into the top 25 and is No. 23 after going undefeated at the Kajikawa Classic. The other teams ranked are No. 2 OREGON, No. 10 UCLA, No. 12 ARIZONA, No. 14 WASHINGTON, and No. 21 ARIZONA STATE.
• The league went a collective 36-12 (.750) in the first week of play, marking the seventh-straight year Pac-12 softball has gone .650 or better in season openers. The winning record comes thanks to phenomenal newcomer talent, with freshmen posting three of the top 10 batting averages and over a third of the league’s strikeouts this weekend. For more, see the notes on page three.
• Oregon’s Jenna Lilley (.526 BA/9 R/10 H/7 RBI) took home Pac-12 Player of the Week. Fellow Duck Cheridan Hawkins (0.00 ERA/25 K/3 W) was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week, and Arizona’s Trish Parks (.444 BA/5 RBI/1.08 ERA/10 K) was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
• Once again, Pac-12 softball will receive unprecedented exposure, thanks to a record 78 games to be televised on the Pac-12 Networks, along with ESPN’s coverage of the Women’s College World Series.
UPCOMING PAC-12 SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
Thursday, February 12
Drake at #12 Arizona (1), 5 p.m. MT
Oregon State vs. North Dakota St. (2), 3:30 p.m. PT
Friday, February 6
Loyola Marymount at #12 Arizona (1), 4 p.m. MT
Wright State at #12 Arizona (1), 6 p.m. MT
North Texas at #21 Arizona State (3), 6 p.m. MT
Illinois State at #21 Arizona State (3), 8:15 p.m. MT
#23 California vs. UC Davis (4), 11:15 a.m. PT
#23 California vs. Sacramento State (4), 1:30 p.m. PT
Oregon State vs. CMU (2), 11:30 a.m. PT
Oregon State at San Diego State (2), 7 p.m. PT
Cal Poly at Stanford (5), 3 p.m. PT
#4 Alabama at Stanford (5), 5:30 p.m. PT
#10 UCLA vs. Northwestern (6), 9 a.m. PT
#10 UCLA vs. New Mexico (6), 1:30 p.m. PT
Utah vs. Long Beach State (7), 3:45 p.m. PT
Utah vs. Seattle (7), 6 p.m. PT
#15 Washington vs. Boston U (3), 12:15 p.m. MT
#15 Washington vs. #3 Oklahoma (3), 2:30 p.m. MT
Saturday, February 7
San Jose State at #12 Arizona (1), 4 p.m. MT
Loyola Chicago at #12 Arizona (1), 6 p.m. MT
Boston U at #21 Arizona State (3), 6 p.m. MT
#3 Oklahoma at #21 Arizona State (3), 8:15 p.m. MT
California vs. UC Davis (4), 9 a.m. PT
Oregon State vs. Seton Hall (2), 1 p.m. PT
Oregon State vs. North Dakota State (2), 6 p.m. PT
#4 Alabama at Stanford (5), 12:30 p.m. PT
Pacific at Stanford (5), 5:30 p.m. PT
#10 UCLA vs. Hawai’i (6), 6 p.m. PT
#10 UCLA vs. Utah State (7), 11:15 a.m. PT
Utah vs. Cal State Fullerton (6), 11:15 a.m. PT
Utah vs. CSU Northridge (7), 6 p.m. PT
#15 Washington vs. North Texas (3), 10 a.m. MT
#15 Washington vs. Illinois State (3), 12:15 p.m. MT
Sunday, February 8
Drake at #12 Arizona (1), 1 p.m. MT
#3 Oklahoma at #21 Arizona State (3), 1 p.m. MT
California vs. UC Riverside (4), 1:30 p.m. PT
California at Fresno State (4), 3:30 p.m. PT
Cal Poly at Stanford (5), 11:30 a.m. PT
#10 UCLA vs. Boise State (6), 11:15 a.m. PT
Utah vs. Nevada (6), 1:30 p.m. PT
#21 Washington vs. North Texas (3), 12 p.m. MT
Monday, February 16
#2 Oregon at Houston (DH), 4 p.m. CT
Utah at UNLV (6), 10 a.m. PT
#21 Washington at Grand Canyon, 12 p.m. MT
(1) Hillenbrand Invitational, Tucson, Ariz. (2) 25th Campbell/Cartier Classic, San Diego, Calif. (3) Littlewood Classic, Tempe, Ariz. (4) Fresno State Tournament, Fresno, Calif. (5) Stanford Nike Invitational, Stanford, Calif. (6) Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic, Las Vegas, Nev. (7) Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic, Henderson, Nev. Rankings from ESPN.com/USA Softball. All game times local to site and subject to change.