Feb. 9, 2021
Arizona State’s Kindra Hackbarth (right) was having a monster season before the pandemic ended it. She led the Pac-12 with 39 hits. (Photo by Marlee Smith/Cronkite News)
TEMPE – The last time Arizona State’s softball team was prepared to take the field, the Sun Devils were on a bus traveling to Los Angeles to face UCLA at the Bruins’ Easton Stadium in a Pac-12 Conference opener.
They never got there.
En route, the 22-7 Sun Devils, who were ranked 15th nationally in a March 8 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, learned that Pac-12 officials had halted the season due to COVID-19. They returned to Tempe and didn’t play another game in 2020.
RPI: 15.
Ballpark: Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field (1,277)
Postseason history: 22 NCAA Regional appearances, 2 Super Regional appearances, 3 World Series appearances.
Ace of the staff: Kelsey Oh. The senior right-hander had the 2020 season cut short with a foot injury. Oh finished 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 16 walks in 32.2 IP.
Impact player: Kenzi Maguire. The graduate senior will be in her sixth season of college softball. Maguire started all 23 games at shortstop in 2020 for the Gamecocks, batting .328 with five doubles, nine RBIs, 14 walks, nine hit by pitches and 22 runs scored.
DII softball: Kutztown head coach Judy Lawes wins game No. 1,000 of her career