This week in Pac-12 softball

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THIS WEEK IN PAC-12 SOFTBALL
• Five Pac-12 softball teams are ranked in the top-20 of the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, including No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 WASHINGTON, No. 7 ARIZONA, T-No. 10 OREGON and No. 17 ARIZONA STATE. The Bruins were voted the No. 1 team in the country for the second week with 31 first-place votes. Utah (22), Oregon State (13) and Stanford (8) also received votes.

• The Pac-12 is home to two of the three remaining DI softball teams with perfect records, including UCLA (15-0) and Oregon (14-0). The Bruins and Ducks are the only two undefeated teams with 10+ games played.

• The conference boasts a 110-25 (.814) overall record against NCAA competition, going 5-4 against ranked opponents last weekend. The week included wins over top-10 competition in then- No. 7 Florida, No. 18 Missouri and No. 25 Northwestern.

• Oregon State head coach Laura Berg recorded her 200th-career win when the Beavers took down Idaho State (8-3) on Feb. 19.

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Pac-12 has several mid-week matchups including a highly-competitive top-5 showdown on Thursday (Feb. 27) as UCLA hosts No. 3 Texas at 6:00 p.m. The Pac-12 will take on an additional six top-25 opponents. CALIFORNIA and Washington head to Fullerton for the Judi Garman Classic. ASU hosts Maryland, Wisconsin and Southern Utah for the Sun Devil Classic.

NATIONAL STAT LEADERS
Three Pac-12 teams’ batting averages rank in the top-15 with UCLA in second (.401), Washington in fifth (.362) and Oregon 14th (.349).

Four Pac-12 teams are ranked in the top-15 in earned run average with UCLA in fourth (1.19), OREGON sixth (1.34), Stanford in ninth (1.41) and Oregon State in twelvth (1.49). Four teams are ranked in the top-25 on base percentage with UCLA ranked second (.477), Washington 12th (.442), Oregon 14th (.439) and Arizona State 23rd (.419). All four teams are also ranked in the top-20 in scoring with UCLA ranked second (8.67). The Pac-12 has six players in the top-25 for RBI, with UCLA’s Aaliyah Jordan in ninth with 21.

Pitching staffs around the league rank among the nation’s toughest as seven teams rank top-25 in shutouts; Arizona’s Alyssa Denham is in a three-way tie for first in shutouts with four. UCLA leads the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 12.60, followed by Oregon at No. 6 (6.11) and OSU at No. 19 (3.82). UCLA’s Mega Faraimo ranks second in strikeout-to-walk ratio with 23.50.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
PLAYER:
Haley Cruse, Sr., OF, Oregon (San Diego, Calif.)
5 GP, 18 AB, 12 hits, 10 runs, 6 RBI, .667 AVG, .684 OBP
Led then-No. 15 Oregon to five wins last weekend, tying for the lead among all players at the 29-team Mary Nutter Classic with a .667 batting average. Helped Oregon extend its perfect record to 14-0, featuring a 6-3 win over then-No. 25 Northwestern. Finished the weekend as the sole leader in OBP with a .684 on-base percentage and led the tournament in hits and runs scored. Scored or drove in 16 of Oregon's 39 runs and led off each of the first four games of the weekend with a base hit, coming around to score three of those times.

PITCHER: Megan Faraimo, So., P, UCLA (Vista, Calif.)
3 app, 3 wins, 19.2 IP, 36 K, 0.71 ERA
Helped then-No. 1 UCLA extend its prefect record to 15-0, recording three wins at the Mary Nutter Classic, including a 5-4 win over then-No. 7 Florida. The winner of three of UCLA's four games, striking out 36 and limiting opponents to a .094 batting average. Had double-digits in strikeouts in all three games, including 10 in a three-hit complete game win over Texas A&M (9-1) on Friday. Had 16 Ks over seven innings in a 3-1 win over Wisconsin. Held the Badgers, who would go on to beat then-No. 3 Oklahoma, to two-hits in a shutout ballgame.

FRESHMAN: Kelley Lynch, Fr., P/1B, Washington (Newnan, Georgia)
5 GP, .333 avg, 5 hits, 3 HR, 4 RBI ; 2 app, 8.2 IP, 8 K
Helped then-No. 2 Washington to five wins at the Mary Nutter Classic, including ranked wins over then-No. 3 Oklahoma (12-2) and then-No. 25 Northwestern (3-2). Hit two walkoff home runs in Washington’s wins against Wisconsin (5-3) and Northwestern. Already has the most home runs by a Husky freshman since Noelle Hee's seven in 2018 and is the first Husky ever with multiple walkoff home runs in the same season. Had a six-game extra-base hit streak and six-game RBI streak. First Husky freshman since Taylor Van Zee in 2015 with double-digit extra-base hits before the beginning of Pac-12 play. 

As a pitcher has earned wins against top-talent in Oklahoma and then-No. 5 Florida State, and struck out four in a row against Northwestern. Second weekly honor for Lynch, including in back-to-back weeks.


UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Thursday, Feb. 27

 

 

#3 Texas at #1 UCLA

 

6:00 p.m.

Oregon State vs. Nevada

 

6:30 p.m.

Oregon State at Hawai’i

 

9:00 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 28

 

 

Maryland at #17 Arizona State 

ASU Live Stream-2

9:00 a.m.

Cal vs. #4 LSU

 

9:30 a.m.

Drake vs. #10 Oregon                                   

 

10:00 a.m.

#4 LSU vs. #2 Washington                    

 

11:15 a.m.

Southern Utah vs. Wisconsin

 

11:30 a.m.

McNeese State vs. #7 Arizona                     

 

11:30 a.m.

#10 Oregon at Tulsa                                     

 

12:30 p.m.

Maryland at #17 Arizona State

ASU Live Stream-2

3:30 p.m.

#3 Texas vs. #2 Washington

 

 3:45 p.m.

Pacific at Stanford   

Stanford Live Stream

4:00 p.m.

#7 Arizona at #8 Alabama

 

4:00 p.m.

Mount St. Mary’s vs. #1 UCLA

 

4:30 p.m.

Oregon State vs. Seattle

 

5:30 p.m.

Wisconsin at #17 Arizona State

ASU Live Stream-2

6:00 p.m.

St. Francis at Stanford

Stanford Live Stream

6:30 p.m.

Oregon State at Hawai’i                          

 

10:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 29

 

 

Southern Utah vs. Maryland

 

8:00 a.m.

Cal vs. BYU

 

 9:30 a.m.

Louisville vs. #10 Oregon                              

 

10:00 a.m.

Wisconsin vs. Maryland                          

 

10:30 a.m.

Oregon State vs. Seattle                           

 

1:00 p.m.

Southern Utah at #17 Arizona State

ASU Live Stream-2

 1:30 p.m.

#7 Arizona at #8 Alabama                               

 

2:00 p.m.

Fresno State vs. #2 Washington

 

 3:00 p.m.

Saint Francis at Stanford

Stanford Live Stream

3:00 p.m.

#10 Oregon vs. #15 Oklahoma State

 

3:00 p.m.

Nevada vs. Oregon State

 

3:30 p.m.

Wisconsin at #17 Arizona State

ASU Live Stream-2

4:00 p.m.

McNeese State vs. #7 Arizona

 

4:00 p.m.

#1 UCLA vs. Weber State

 

 4:30 p.m.

Rhode Island at Stanford

Stanford Live Stream

5:30 p.m.

#1 UCLA at San Diego State

 

7:00 p.m.

Sunday, Mar. 1

 

 

Illinois-Chicago vs. #10 Oregon

 

     8:30 a.m.

Southern Utah vs. Wisconsin

 

      8:30 a.m.

#13 Michigan vs. #2 Washington

 

9:00 a.m.

Texas-Arlington vs. #7 Arizona

 

 9:00 a.m.

Maryland at #17 Arizona State

ASU Live Stream-2

11:00 a.m.

GCU vs. Cal                                           

 

     11:00 a.m.

Rhode Island at Stan.

Stanford Live Stream

12:30 p.m.

#2 Washington at Cal State Fullerton

 

1:30 p.m.

#1 UCLA at San Diego

 

2:00 p.m.

*All times PST; Rankings according to USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll