By sweeping Utah in Tempe last weekend, Arizona State softball extended its winning streak to 20 games and improved to 12-0 in Pac-12 play, good for first place and the best conference start in program history.

Oklahoma's loss to Texas on Saturday also means the Sun Devils now have the longest active winning streak in the country.

What's the secret to their success?

Prolific power

• The Sun Devils rank second in the nation in slugging percentage (.663) and fourth in home runs per game (2.03).
• They lead the Pac-12 in those categories plus runs (264), batting average (.343) and on-base percentage (.443).
• ASU has hit 33 homers in Pac-12 play, 13 more than the next school (Oregon).
• ASU has played 12 conference games, tied for the fewest in the Pac-12, yet leads in runs scored with 107, 35 more than the next team (also Oregon).
  • That's 8.9 runs per game in Pac-12 play.

A deep lineup

• Five Sun Devils have nine or more homers.
  • Cydney Sanders (14)
  • Jazmyn Rollin (12)
  • Jazmine Hill (10)
  • Yannira Acuña (9)
  • Alynah Torres (9)
• Six starters are hitting .355 or better.
  • Yannira Acuna (.462)
  • Cydney Sanders (.442)
  • Alynah Torres (.387)
  • Savannah Price (.372)
  • Emily Cazares (.361)
  • Jazmine Hill (.355)
• Acuña and Sanders are No. 1 and No. 3 in the Pac-12, respectively, in batting average. Sanders is second in RBI (47).

A balanced pitching staff

• Despite pitching in a hitter-friendly park, three Sun Devils are ranked in the top 11 in the Pac-12 in ERA.
  • Marissa Schuld (No. 6, 1.55 ERA)
  • Lindsay Lopez (No. 7, 1.58 ERA)
  • Mac Morgan (No. 11, 2.36 ERA)
• All three pitchers have logged at least 62 innings but none more than 74.
• The Sun Devils make their opponents work for their runs, walking the fifth-fewest batters in the country.
  • Schuld is No. 1 in the country in walks per seven innings (0.52).

Winning in every kind of way

• Eight of ASU's 20 wins during the streak have come via the run-rule, including four mercy-rule wins in conference play.
• Yet, the Sun Devils are also 3-0 in one-run games and 2-0 in extra-inning games during that stretch.

No, ASU has not been feasting on weak competition

• Nine of ASU's 12 Pac-12 games were against opponents ranked in at least one national poll.
• The Sun Devils swept then-No. 14 Arizona on the road for the first time since 2011.
  • Schuld threw ASU's first perfect game since 2017 in the series finale.
• They then swept then-No. 14 Oregon on the road the very next weekend.

 

 

 

 

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For more Pac-12 softball coverage, head to Pac-12.com/sport/softball.