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Pac-12 softball, Washington sixth week leading nation

Mar 28, 2018

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Pac-12 softball and Washington has led the nation for the last six consecutive weeks. Washington has been No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and USA Softball/ESPN.com since February 17th, but has consistently been in the top five since the preseason. UCLA and Oregon have also consistently been in the top 10 since the preseason. Arizona has been in the top 13 since the preseason.

Joining No. 1/1 Washington in this week’s polls is No. 3/4 UCLA, No. 5/2 Oregon, No. 8/7 Arizona State, No. 11/9 Arizona, No. 22/21 California and No. RV/25 Oregon State. The four teams in the top ten of the USA Today/NFCA poll is second to the five SEC teams, but Arizona closely follows in 11th. The five teams in the top ten of the USA Softball/ESPN.com poll is the most of any conference.

This week is highlighted by a pair of series pitting ranked foes: No. 5/2 Oregon travels to No. RV/25 Oregon State and No. 22/21 California travels to No. 11/9 Arizona. No. 8/7 Arizona State has four non-conference games on its schedule for the week with two games against BYU and two against North Dakota State. Five non-conference games appear on the schedule on Tuesday, including a doubleheader between Portland State at No. 5/2 Oregon.

The series between then-No. 1/1 Washington and then-No. 9/9 Arizona highlighted last week’s competition with the Huskies taking all three close games (2-1, 4-3, 2-0). Then-No. 12/10 Arizona State bested then-No. 20/20 California in the series hosted by the Golden Bears. Then-No. 4/4 UCLA went 3-0 in the series against No. RV/24 Oregon State.

Washington’s Sis Bates picked up the fifth Pac-12 Player of the Week honor of the season for the Huskies (.455 avg, .636 SLG%, 2 runs, 5 hits, 1 RBI). Arizona State’s Giselle “G” Juarez picked up her third-consecutive Pitcher of the Week honor (4 wins, 22.0 IP, 37 K, 0.00 ERA in 4 games). Juarez was also honored with the NFCA National Pitcher of the Week and USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week. Arizona State’s Danielle Gibson picked up the first freshman on the week honor of the season for the Sun Devils (.385 avg, .462 SLG%, 5 hits, 3 RBI).

The Pac-12 tops the NCAA statistics in eight categories, including five team and three individual categories. UCLA leads the nation in batting average (.371), on base percentage (.449) and scoring (7.40). Oregon is ranked first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.76) and Washington is first in W-L percentage (.941). Pac-12 teams appear in the top-10 in 12 of 14 NCAA categories.

In the individual categories, Utah’s Heather Bowen is ranked first in doubles (14) and Stanford’s Montana Dixon is first in hit by pitch per game (.54). Three Pac-12 student-athletes are tied for first in shutouts: Washington’s Taran Alvelo, Arizona State’s Giselle Juarez and Arizona’s Taylor McQuillin each have eight shutouts. Pac-12 student-athletes appear in the top-10 in 20 categories in the individual statistics.


UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Thursday, Mar. 29    
#5/2 Oregon at #RV/25 Oregon State P12N 4 p.m. PT
#3/4 UCLA at Utah P12N 5 p.m. PT
#1/1 Washington at Stanford P12N 6 p.m. PT
#22/21 California at #11/9 Arizona Live Stream 6 p.m. PT
Friday, Mar. 30    
#5/2 Oregon at #RV/25 Oregon State P12N 3 p.m. PT
North Dakota State at #8/7 Arizona State Live Stream 4 p.m. PT
#3/4 UCLA at Utah P12N 5 p.m. PT
#22/21 California at #11/9 Arizona Live Stream 6 p.m. PT
BYU at #8/7 Arizona State Live Stream 6:30 p.m. PT
#1/1 Washington at Stanford P12N 7 p.m. PT
Saturday, Mar. 31    
#3/4 UCLA at Utah P12N 12 p.m. PT
#22/21 California at #11/9 Arizona Live Stream 12 p.m. PT
North Dakota State at #8/7 Arizona State Live Stream 1:30 p.m. PT
#1/1 Washington at Stanford P12N 3 p.m. PT
#5/2 Oregon at #RV/25 Oregon State P12O 3 p.m. PT
BYU at #8/7 Arizona State Live Stream 4 p.m. PT
Tuesday, Apr. 3    
#22/21 California at Pacific   4 p.m. PT
Portland State at #5/2 Oregon   4 p.m. PT
Fresno State at Stanford Live Stream 6 p.m. PT
Portland State at #5/2 Oregon   6 p.m. PT
CSUN at #3/4 UCLA   6 p.m. PT

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

Teams Pac-12 Record Overall Record
Arizona State 5-1 27-4
Washington 4-2 32-2
UCLA 4-2 28-2
Oregon 2-1 25-5
Arizona 3-3 24-6
Oregon State 2-4 19-13
Utah 2-4 17-12
Stanford 1-2 20-10
California 1-5 24-8

PAC-12 SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

  Player of the Week Pitcher of the Week Freshman of the Week
Mar. 26 Sis Bates, WASH G Juarez, ASU Danielle Gibson, ASU
Mar. 19 Jessie Harper, ARIZ G Juarez, ASU Hope Brandner, OSU
Mar. 13 Shannon Rhodes, ORE G Juarez, ASU Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Mar. 6 Julia DePonte, WASH Miranda Elish, ORE Gabbie Plain, WASH
Feb. 27 Kirstyn Thomas, WASH Taylor McQuillin, ARIZ Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Feb. 20 Taylor Van Zee, WASH Megan Kleist, ORE Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Feb. 13 Kirstyn Thomas, WASH Taran Alvelo, WASH Briana Perez, UCLA