ASU Softball to Host Annual Alumni Game Friday

TEMPE – The Arizona State University softball team will host its annual Alumni Game this Friday, Oct. 17 at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., beginning at 7 p.m. PT. The free event is open to all softball fans, offering a chance to get a glimpse of this season’s Sun Devil squad while also getting the opportunity to once again see ASU favorites from the past, as the two will square off against each other in a friendly competition.

This annual event is meant to be a special time for all Arizona State Softball alumni to get back to their alma mater and participate in a friendly game against the current 2014-15 Sun Devils.

 This year’s game features a myriad of former standouts, including numerous WCWS National Champions that are slated to be in attendance with over 20 alumni scheduled to participate in some shape over the course of the weekend.

Fans attending will be in for a treat and the current Sun Devil hitters will have their work cut out for them as this year’s alumni roster features the two greatest pitchers in Sun Devil history in the form of Katie Burkhart and Dallas Escobedo.

Burkhart and Escobedo rank first and second in ASU history in wins and strikeouts, respectively, accumulating a total of 233 wins and 2,892 strikeouts between them.  Burkhart was the winning pitcher at the 2008 WCWS while Escobedo led the Sun Devils to the title in 2011.

Alongside Escobedo, the 2014 Alumni Team will feature two other recent graduates in the form of 2011 NCAA Champions Mackenzie Popescue and Bailey Wigness. Popescue was a multiple-time All-Pac-12 and All-Region selection, as was Wigness – who also finished her career as one of ASU’s most accomplished student-athletes of all time and a three-time Academic All-American.

Among the others scheduled to be at the event are two-time national champs Dani Rae Lougheed and Mandy Urfer as well as 2011 NCAA champion Lacy Bartlett (Goodman) and 2008 WCWS Champions Caylyn Wagner (Carlson), Jessica Sessions (Mapes) and Kristen Brown (Miller).

It’s not only recent graduates slated to attend, as plenty of former Sun Devils from decades past will also be at the game, including two-time AIAW National Champion and multiple-time All-American Judy Hoke, who competed for the Sun Devils in the early 1970s. Kim Bickford, Tami Brown, Annette Nelson (De La Cruz), Kelly Valles (Fiehler) and Laurie Woodcock represent the graduates from the 1980s and Stefanie Muscat, Cheri Keller, Susanne Reynolds-Berger, Kim George (Stone) join the alumni from the 90’s rosters.

Adriana Garcia, Amber Anderson (Turner), Naomni (Himmita) Hixon, Bridgette Borzillo (Caron) will join the alumni as representatives from the early-to-mid 2000’s Sun Devils.

“I look forward to an exciting evening of softball," Nicholson said. "Our program has a rich tradition of excellence on and off the field and events like Friday’s provide us with a great opportunity to showcase that to our fans."

Prior to the game, the alumni are invited to join a Diamond Devil Booster Club Tailgate beginning at 5 p.m.Postgame alumni will have the opportunity to mingle with the current team and coaching staff. 

Fan admission will be free of charge, with the entirety of the Sun Devil family welcome to celebrate Devils of the present as well as Devils of the past