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No. 8 Seed Softball to Host Northwestern in Super Regionals

by thesundevils.com
May 27, 2022

TEMPE, Ariz.- For the first time since 2018, No. 8-seed Sun Devil Softball (42-9) will play in Super Regionals as they face No. 9-seed Northwestern (43-10) as Arizona State continues its post-season run with a trip to the Women's College World Series on the line at Farrington Stadium.
 
The series between the Sun Devils and the Wildcats will begin Friday night at 5 p.m. MST on ESPNU followed by game two on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. MST on ESPN2. If a game three is needed, it will be played on Sunday with a time and network to be determined.
 
At each Super site, two teams play in a best-of-three tournament format. The winners from each site advance to the NCAA Women's College World Series. The WCWS is held in Oklahoma City from June 2-June 9/10.
 
This is the 11th Super Regional appearance in program history for ASU and they are one of five Pac-12 teams that punched themselves a ticket for this weekend as the Sun Devils join Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona and No. 5 seed UCLA in the Round of 16. This is the 17th consecutive appearance in the postseason for ASU and the second time under head coach Trisha Ford, also the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, that the team has advanced to Super Regionals.
 
In the Tempe Regional, the Sun Devils picked up two wins over San Diego State and a win over Cal State Fullerton. In the first game against SDSU, ASU had a tie for the most runs scored in a postseason game en route to its 100th win in postseason play. Also in that game against the Aztecs, the Sun Devils had eight runs in the first inning, which was the most runs scored in a single inning for Sun Devil softball in the postseason.
 
In the Super Regionals clinching victory on Sunday, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Cydney Sanders hit a program milestone in total home runs as she hit her 21st of the season, which set a record for the most in one season for Arizona State.
 
In game one of the Tempe Regionals against the CSUF Titans, it was a comeback victory which featured a grand slam from Kristiana Watson to lead to the Sun Devils' 40th win of the season, the first time reaching 40 or more wins for the Sun Devils since the 2018 season. Starting pitcher Mac Morgan had a career-high nine strikeouts in her 17th win of the season.
 
Fans can keep up with all the news and action of ASU softball this weekend by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter and Facebook and @SunDevilSB on Instagram.
 
TEMPE SUPER REGIONAL SCHEDULE VS. NO.9 SEED NORTHWESTERN
Game 1- Friday, May 27 at 5 p.m. on ESPNU
Game 2- Saturday, May 28 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2
Game 3 (if necessary)- Sunday, May 29 at TBD
 
STRAIGHT FACTS

  • Currently at 98 team home runs on the season, Sun Devil Softball has the opportunity this weekend to tie the program record in team home runs (99), which was last accomplished in 2008.
  • ASU looks to add on to its 10-5 all-time record against Northwestern in a series that dates back to 1986. The two programs last met on Feb. 8, 2020 in the Kajikawa Classic where the Sun Devils took down the Wildcats 6-5 in Tempe.
  • Arizona State is the conference leader in various categories of batting which include: RBIs (335), walks (186), home runs (98) and hit by pitches (64).
  • Cydney Sanders was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week three times throughout the regular season and was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and was also named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first team and All-Freshman Team. Her 21 home runs of the season not only lead the team, but are the most in a single season for the program and her .424 batting average is second most in the Pac-12 among conference teams competing this weekend.
  • Additionally named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first team were Yanni Acuña and Alynah Torres. Acuña's batting average (.431) leads the conference within the five Pac-12 teams competing in a Super Regional. Torres' batting average of .350 is third on the team as well as her slugging percentage (.713) and has been struck out just 10 times in 160 at-bats.
  • Acuña (.565) and Sanders (.555) continue to lead the conference in their on-base percentages.
  • Mac Morgan leads the pitching staff in wins with 18, Marissa Schuld is the leader in strikeouts (82) and Lindsay Lopez leads the team and conference in saves with six on the season.
  • The NFCA announced that Lopez, Sanders, Acuña and Hill were all named to the Division I West All-Region First Team while Torres was named to the Second Team.
  • Acuña and graduate third baseman Bella Loomis were named to the CoSIDA NCAA Division I District 8 All-American Academic Team.
  • NFCA announced that Cydney Sanders is a Top Three Finalist in the Freshman of the Year Award.

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