Pac-12 Softball Weekly Release - March 31, 2022

Schedule // Standings // Statistics // NCAA Statistics // Record Book

SAN FRANCISCO - Pac-12 softball heads into its eighth week of action with four conference series on the schedule. No. 3 UCLA and No. 16 Arizona State are off to hot starts in league play and both look to remain unbeaten against Pac-12 opponents. 

THIS WEEK AHEAD: A pair of top-20 matchups are in store as No. 19 Arizona will host No. 11 Washington in Tucson for a three-game weekend series, while No. 3 UCLA will host No. 12 Oregon in Los Angeles for another three-game set. All six games will be aired on Pac-12 Networks. A total of 13 games will be played this week, with 12 games available through Pac-12 Networks and other live stream outlets.  

IN THE RANKINGS: UCLA continues to lead four ranked Pac-12 teams in this week's USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll at No. 3, and is followed by No. 11 Washington, No. 12 Oregon, No. 16 Arizona State and No. 19 Arizona. Oregon State, Stanford and California are receiving votes, as the Cardinal looks to make a return to the rankings while the Beavers and Bears look to claim a spot in the top-25 for the first time this season.

Six teams are ranked in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings: UCLA is No. 2, Oregon is No. 13, Washington is No. 14, Arizona State is No. 15, Oregon State is No. 23, Arizona is No. 24, while Stanford is receiving votes.

RPI REPORT: In the NCAA's most recent RPI report the Pac-12 has four programs in the top-25, which is the third most among all leagues (SEC & ACC). UCLA leads the conference at No. 4, Oregon is No. 5, Arizona State is No. 15 and Washington is No. 18. 

Oregon has 20 wins against RPI top-100 opponents which is tied for the second-most in the country (Oklahoma - 27). 

UCLA currently holds a 7-3 record against top-25 RPI opponents which is tied for the best winning percentage in the nation (Virginia Tech). UCLA's seven wins has the Bruins tied with Virginia Tech and Alabama with the most wins against RPI top-25 foes. 

UCLA also currently holds the second-longest active winning streak in the nation (21), only behind Oklahoma (30). Arizona State is tied with fourth-longest active winning streak (14) with Virginia Tech and Murray State.

ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS: UCLA's Briana Perez is first among among active NCAA players in at bats (758) and runs scored (243). Perez also ranks tied for second in triples (17), third hits per game (0.383), fifth in total bases (474), eighth in games played (234) and 10th in runs batted in (181). UCLA's Aaliyah Jordan is ranks fourth among active players in run batted in (197) and fifth in doubles (60). UCLA's Megan Faraimo ranks second in ERA (1.20) and third in strikeouts per seven innings (10.36). 

Washington's Olympian Gabbie Plain is second among active players in games started (114), wining percentage (0.836), strikeouts (964) and shutouts (41). Plain also ranks third in innings pitched (740), fifth in completed games (75), sixth in pitching appearances (150), sixth in ERA (1.48), ninth in strikeouts per seven innings (9.12) and 17th in saves (9).

Oregon State's Mariah Mazon ranks second in innings pitched (761.7), third in completed games (78), eighth in saves (10), 10th in games started (99), and 11th in pitching appearances (138) and strikeouts (746).  

IN THE RANKINGS: Through seven weeks of action, Arizona State ranks second in the nation in slugging percentage (0.662), third in on-base percentage (0.444), fourth in home runs per game (1.87), seventh in batting average (0.344), eighth in doubles (54), ninth in doubles per game (1.80), 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.22). The Sun Devils are led lead by Yannira Acuna, Cydney Sanders, Jazmine Hill and Marissa Schuld. Acuna ranks third in the nation in on-base percentage (0.606), slugging percentage (1.013), fourth in doubles (12), and seventh in batting average (0.494). Sanders ranks fifth in batting percentage (0.594) and slugging percentage (1.000), while Rollin ranks ninth in the nation in home runs per game (0.42). Schuld lead the nation strikeout-to-walk ratio (19.25) and walks allowed per seven innings (0.50). 

Oregon ranks seventh in scoring (7.31), ninth in fielding percentage (0.979), 10th in doubles per game (1.79) and 12th in doubles (52). Oregon State ranks third in strikeout-to-walk ratio and sixth in shutouts (13). Mariah Mazon leads the Beavers pitching staff as she also ranks fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.67) and seventh in ERA (0.70). 

Stanford ranks second in triples per game (0.48), ninth in both shutouts (11) and ERA (1.65). UCLA ranks first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.68), third in ERA (1.14) and shoutouts (15), fourth in win/loss percentage (0.903), fifth in scoring (7.45), and ninth in batting average (0.304). The Bruins are lead by Lauren Shaw, Kelli Godin, Megan Faraimo, and Briana Perez. Shaw ranks fourth in ERA (0.45), while Faraimo is seventh in strikeout per seven innings (12.1), eight in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.06), ninth in victories (13). Godin ranks 10th in sacrifice bunts per game (0.29), while Perez ranks third in triples (5). 

Utah's Sydney Sandez and Ellessa Bonstrom leads the Utes as Sandez ranks third in walks allowed per seven innings (0.55) and ninth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.00) while Bonstrom ranks ninth in on base percentage (0.587). Washington ranks ninth in walks (127) who is led by Gabbie Plain and Baylee Klingler. Plain ranks tied for first in hit batters (1), sixth in shutouts (6), while Klingler ranks first in run batted in per game (1.50) and total bases (98), second in RBIs (45) and slugging percentage (1.043), third in home runs (14), and fifth in home runs per game (0.47). 

NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Washington's Olivia Johnson claimed the first D1 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week honor of the season (Feb. 15) after bursting onto the scene during opening week in Mexico. 

She was named MVP of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge as she reached base safely in her first 14 plate appearances, going 7-for-7 with three home runs, eight RBIs and drawing seven walks (five intentional). The freshman marked the best start to a season or career by any Husky, as she was the first Husky freshman to hit back-to-back home runs in first two plate appearances, as well as the first to start a season or career going 7-for-7. Johnson finished the tournament with a .700 average, five runs scored, 1.800 slugging percentage and a .833 on-base percentage.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Defending Pac-12 Champion UCLA was voted by the Conference's softball head coaches as the league's preseason favorite for the second consecutive season as the Bruins collected a total of 63 points. The Bruins finished the 2021 season with a record of 47-7 (19-2 in Pac-12), a No. 5 ranking in the final USA Today/NFCA poll and made their sixth-straight appearance to the Women's College World Series. UCLA returns 10 student-athletes who appeared in at least 40 games and 17 total letterwinners who accounted for 63 percent of its hits and 82 percent of its runs from a season ago. 

Washington came in second (55), while Arizona (45) and Oregon (45) are tied for third. Arizona State totaled 37 points to finish fifth, and Stanford (31), Oregon State (25), California (12) and Utah (11) rounded out the poll. 

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS: Eight NFCA DI All-America team members are returning for the 2022 season, including Arizona’s 2021 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Batting Champion Janelle Meoño, Oregon’s fifth-year senior Brooke Yanez, UCLA’s Megan Faraimo, Maya Brady, Aaliyah Jordan and Briana Perez, and Washington's fifth-year senior Gabbie Plain and senior Baylee Klingler.

WATCH LISTS: Nine Pac-12 student-athletes appear on the USA Softball Top 50 Collegiate Player of the Year watch list. Arizona’s Janelle Meoño, Oregon’s Brooke Yanez, Stanford's Alana Vawter, UCLA’s Megan Faraimo and Aaliyah Jordan, Briana Perez, Utah’s Alyssa Barrera, Washington’s Baylee Klingler and Gabbie Plain.

OLYMPIANS MADE HERE: The Pac-12 boasted 20 Olympians on the rosters of five different countries at last summer’s Tokyo Games, including eight of the 15 on Team USA. Returning Olympians on campus this season include Arizona's Giulia Koutsoyanopulos (Italy), Washington's Gabbie Plain (Australia) and Oregon State's Tarni Stepto (Australia).

Oregon State head coach Laura Berg and Washington head coach Heather Tarr were Team USA assistants in Tokyo and in October, Tarr was named the new leader of the 2022 U.S. National Team. Since becoming UW's head coach in 2005, Tarr has become the winningest coach of any sport in Huskies' history.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Full Schedule) 

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings) 

PAC-12 SOFTBALL WEEKLY AWARDS