Pac-12 Softball Weekly Release - May 5, 2022

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

SAN FRANCISCO - Pac-12 softball reaches the final two weeks of the regular season as Arizona State reclaims the top spot in the conference standings. 

THIS WEEK AHEAD: One top-15 matchup will be on deck this week as No. 12 Arizona State will host No. 4 UCLA in Tempe for a three-game series with conference regular-season championships implications on the line. The series will be aired on Pac-12 Networks throughout the three-game series. A total of 12 games are on deck this week, as every game will be available through Pac-12 Networks or through a live streaming outlet.

IN THE RANKINGS: UCLA continues to lead five ranked Pac-12 teams in this week's USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll at No. 4, and is followed by No. 9 Washington, No. 12 Arizona State, No. 22 Oregon and No. 25 Arizona while Stanford is receiving votes.

Five teams are ranked in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings: UCLA leads the way at No. 4, Arizona State is No. 9, Washington is No. 10, Stanford is No. 24, and Oregon is No. 25, while Oregon State and Arizona are 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. 6, Washington is No. 10, Arizona State is No. 13 and Oregon is No. 15.

UCLA currently has 9 wins against top-25 RPI opponents which is tied for fourth-most in the nation, while also having at least 28 wins against a top-100 team which is the seventh-most in the nation. 

Oregon's strength of schedule is currently ranked the toughest in the nation. 

Washington is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in the nation (11), while being the only team in a power-5 conference that has won 10 out of their last 10 games. 

ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS: UCLA's Briana Perez is first among among active NCAA players in at bats (804) and in runs scored (251). Perez also ranks third in triples (18) and hits per game (0.382), fifth in total bases (502), 10th in games played (248) and 11th in runs batted in (189). UCLA's Aaliyah Jordan is ranked seventh among active players in both doubles (60) and in runs batted in (197), while ranked 16th in total bases (419). UCLA's Megan Faraimo ranks second in ERA (1.25), fourth in strikeouts per seven innings (10.25) and 15th in shutouts (23). 

Washington's Olympian Gabbie Plain is second among active players in both wining percentage (0.846) and shutouts (44), third in strikeouts (1,017), fourth in both innings pitched (790.0) and games started (121), fifth in ERA (1.49), sixth in both pitching appearances (159) and completed games (80), 11th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.01) and 21st in saves (9). 

Oregon State's Mariah Mazon ranks second in innings pitched (818.0), fourth in completed games (85), seventh in both games started (111) and strikeouts (812), 10th in pitching appearances (150) and 11th in strikeouts (812). 

Arizona State's Cydney Sanders ranks first in the nation in slugging percentage (0.982) and fifth in batting average (0.434).  

Stanford's Alana Vawter ranks ninth in the nation in ERA (1.59) and 20th in shutouts (19). 

IN THE RANKINGS: After 12 weeks of action, Arizona ranks fifth in the nation in batting average (0.336), 10th in both home runs per game (1.68) and slugging percentage (0.590), while also ranking 11th in both on base percentage (0.410) and scoring (6.66).The Wildcats are led by Carlie Scupin, Allie Skaggs and Sharlize Palacios. Scupin ranks 13th in the nation in home runs (17), tied for 21st in RBIs (50) and 23rd in home runs per game (0.36). Skaggs ranks eighth in home runs (19), ninth in home runs per game (0.40), tied for 21st in RBIs (50) and 23rd in slugging percentage (0.830). Palacios is ranked 13th in RBIs (53) and 18th in runs batted in per game (1.13).  

Arizona State ranks third in the nation in slugging percentage (0.650), fourth in both home runs per game (2.00) and on base percentage (0.439), fifth in scoring (7.17), eighth in winning percentage (0.833), ninth in batting average (0.334) and 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.46). The Sun Devils are led by Yannira Acuña, Cydney Sanders and Marissa Schuld. Acuña ranks fourth in the nation in slugging percentage (0.982), fifth in runs batted in per game (1.26), ninth in runs per game (1.19), 10th in on base percentage (0.563), and 16th in slugging percentage (0.865). Sanders ranks eighth in home runs per game (0.40), 13th in home runs (17), on base percentage (0.561) and RBIs (53), 15th in walks per game (0.76) and 17th in batting average (0.434). Schuld leads the nation in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (16.60) and walks allowed per seven innings (0.48).

California's Sophomore Tatum Anzaldo leads the Bears as she ranks fifth in the nation in hits (65), as she is the conference leader in that category.

Oregon ranks 14th in the nation in fielding percentage (0.976), 22nd in home runs per game (1.36), 23rd in slugging percentage (0.523), 24th in in scoring (6.18) and 28th in stolen bases per game (1.73). Senior Allee Bunker ranks 14th in the nation in toughest to strikeout (26.2), which places her as the sole leader in the conference.

Oregon State ranks fifth in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.15), seventh in shoutouts (17) and 14th in ERA (1.87). The Beavers are led by Kiki Escobar, Sarah Haendiges and Mariah Mazon. Escobar ranks 15th in the nation in hits (65), while Haendiges ranks 17th in the nation shutouts (7). Mazon ranks 20th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.33).

Stanford ranks third in the nation in triples per game (0.46), seventh in shutouts (17), 12th in ERA (1.85) and 15th in fielding percentage (0.976). Alana Vawter leads the Cardinal behind the mound, as she ranks 12th in shutouts (8), 16th in victories (20) and 21st in innings pitched (174.2).

UCLA ranks first in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71), second in ERA (1.28), fourth in both shutouts (18) and winning percentage (0.867), 21st in both batting average (0.313) and scoring (6.29) and 25th in fielding percentage (0.973), hit batters (15) and triple per game (0.27). The Bruins are led by Briana Perez, Lauren Shaw and Megan Faraimo. Perez ranks eighth in the nation in triples (6) and 12th in triples per game (0.13), while Shaw ranks fifth in ERA (0.72), 12th in walks allowed per seven innings (0.86), 15th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.00) and 25th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.17). Faraimo ranks second in saves (6), 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.90), 12th in strikeouts per seven innings (11.1), 18th in strikeouts (229) and 20th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.03).

Utah's Sydney Sandez and Ellessa Bonstrom lead the Utes as Sandez ranks sixth in walks allowed per seven innings (0.71) and ninth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.92), while Bonstrom ranks 25th in on base percentage (0.521) and 26th in sacrifice flies (4).

Washington ranks ninth in the nation in home runs per game (1.68), 11th in slugging percentage (0.565), 13th in fielding percentage (0.977), 19th in shutouts (13), 21st in winning percentage (0.750), 23rd in scoring (6.25) and 25th in on base percentage (0.396). The Huskies are led by Gabbie Plain and Baylee Klingler. Plain is tied for first in the nation in hit batters (1) and fifth in shutouts (9). Klingler ranks second in both RBIs (63) and total bases (142), third in both runs batted in per game (1.43) and slugging percentage (1.014), forth in both home runs per game (0.48) and home runs (21) and seventh in batting average (0.450), 20th in toughest to strikeout (23.3) and 28th in hits (63).  

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. 

Johnson 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.

Stanford's Alana Vawter is the first Pac-12 student-athlete to claim the D1 Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honor this season (April 12) after recording two shoutouts against Santa Clara and then-No. 3 UCLA.

Vawter finished the week with a 2-1 record against Santa Clara and UCLA, while posting a 0.70 ERA with a pair of shutouts to go along with 15 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched, while only allowing two earned runs. After suffering her only defeat of the week against the Bruins in the series opener, she quickly bounced back to throw a four-hit shutout to clinch the Cardinal's first ever series win over UCLA since 2013. Her win against then-No. 3 UCLA was the highest-ranked win of her career, while it was her third top-25 win of the season. In her shutout victory over the Bruins, she was the first pitcher to toss a complete game shutout against UCLA in the 2022 season. 

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: To begin the season nine Pac-12 student-athletes appeared 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, Aaliyah Jordan, and Briana Perez, Utah’s Alyssa Barrera, Washington’s Baylee Klingler and Gabbie Plain.

On Wednesday, April 20 - USA Softball announced the Top 25 Finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Five Pac-12 student-athletes made the list, which include - Arizona State's Yannira Acuña and Cydney Sanders, UCLA's Holly Azevedo and Megan Faraimo, and Washington's Baylee Klingler. 

On Wednesday, May 4 - USA Softball announced the Top 10 Finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Washington's Baylee Klingler was named among the 10 finalist. This is the second consecutive year a Husky has been named as a top 10 finalist (Gabbie Plain & Sis Bates - 2021). Klingler is currently the front-runner for the Pac-12 Triple Crown title as she currently leads the conference in batting average (0.450), home runs (21) and RBIs (63). 

DRAFT DAY: Washington's Gabbie Plain was among only 13 draftees from the 2022 Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft. Plain will have the opportunity to make her professional debut on Wednesday, June 29 at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill. Throughout her historic career, Plain became the second Husky in program history to record 1,000 career strikeouts and the fourth with 100-plus wins. Plain also has a lengthy list of honors which include - 2021 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, three-time All-American, three-time Pac-12 First Team honoree, two-time NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete, two-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll recognitions, Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, NFCA National Freshman of the Year Finalist, three-time All-Region nods and the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalists.

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