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2021 NCAA Softball Tournament Tempe Regional preview, players to watch, predictions and more

By Ethan Lee

Baseball plate stock photo, softball plate stock photo, baseball base, softball baseNorth Florida Christian Softball Regional Final Vs University Christian 051419 Ts 2377
Baseball plate stock photo, softball plate stock photo, baseball base, softball baseNorth Florida Christian Softball Regional Final Vs University Christian 051419 Ts 2377 /
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Aug 31, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; General view of the Arizona State Sun Devils logo prior to the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; General view of the Arizona State Sun Devils logo prior to the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Even though the Sun Devils are hosting this regional in the NCAA Softball Tournament, Arizona State has the fewest wins of the four teams competing in Tempe.

The Arizona State Sun Devils get the pleasure of hosting three teams who have earned more wins than them so far this season. That doesn’t mean that the Sun Devils shouldn’t be hosting, they’ve proven to be a quality team all season and are No. 14 in the latest RPI rankings. Arizona State is good and there’s a good chance that they’ll be the last team standing once the Tempe Regional is wrapped up.

Season overview

Despite the fact that Arizona State struggled at times against conference opponents, the Sun Devils didn’t get to this point by being a fluke. They certainly beat plenty of good teams along the way. And of course, they beat plenty of not-so-good teams as well. Going 32-14, sitting at No. 14 in the RPI rankings, and beating teams like Washington, Stanford, Oregon, and Arizona two to three times each shows that the Sun Devils are in the midst of a good season.

Best wins

Arizona State shined in its series against Arizona. Not only did the Sun Devils knock down a very good team, but they also took care of a very good team that happened to be their rival. There is the whole 15-1 loss that happened in the midst of that four-game series, but Arizona State managed to take the other three meetings.

  • April 16 vs. Arizona – 4-3
  • April 17 vs. Arizona – 8-1
  • April 18 vs. Arizona – 4-3

Worst losses

Should Arizona State find a way to get past this regional, they’ll almost certainly be greeted by the UCLA Bruins in what would be the Los Angeles Super Regional. Arizona State has played that team there before and it didn’t go well.

  • March 19 at UCLA – 1-2
  • March 20 at UCLA – 1-6
  • March 20 at UCLA – 0-4
  • March 21 at UCLA – 0-9 in five innings

Players to watch

  • Maddi Hackbarth – Hackbarth is one of the best hitters Arizona State has to offer. So far, Hackbarth has a .397 batting average, 20 home runs, and 58 RBIs.
  • Lindsay Lopez – With eight complete games, a 2.35 ERA, and 84 strikeouts, Lopez is one of two phenomenal pitchers who has thrown over 100 innings pitched on Arizona State’s roster.
  • Allison Royalty- Royalty happens to be the second of those phenomenal pitchers with over 100 innings pitched. So far she’s struck out 121 batters in 124.2 innings pitched and has 7 complete games along with a 3.20 ERA.

Final thoughts

The Sun Devils have a roster assembled that can get them to a Super Regional, and possibly even on to Oklahoma City, but they’ll need to get through the challenges that the rest of the teams in the 2021 Tempe Regional present. With two dominant pitchers and some proficient hitting, that is certainly possible.