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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 three in the top-4. For the third-consecutive week, No. 1 UCLA is atop the poll, followed by No. 2 WASHINGTON and No. 4 ARIZONA. Next is No. 11 OREGON and No. 17 ARIZONA STATE. UTAH (43), STANFORD (27) and OREGON STATE (12) all received votes. The Utes earned the No. 25 spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, the first time being ranked all season.

• UCLA leads the country in win-loss percentage (.952) with a 20-1 record. The conference represents the top three win-loss percentages in NCAA Division I softball adding Washington in second (.905) and Oregon in T-third (.895). 

• The conference boasts a 143-35 (.803) overall record, going 4-4 against ranked opponents last weekend. The week stated with then-No. 7 Arizona toppling then-No. 8 Alabama twice and then-No. 2 Washington defeating then-No. 4 LSU and then-No. 11 Michigan.

• CALIFORNIA's Hall of Fame head softball coach, Diane Ninemire, who has guided Cal to a national championship and a dozen trips to the Women's College World Series in 32 years at the helm, announced Tuesday that she is stepping down immediately from her position. Ninemire boasts a 1,355-687-1 and is the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA Division I softball history. She is the second-winningest coach in the Pac-12 and led the Bears to a 10-9 record thus far in the 2020 season.

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Pac-12 continues its tough non-conference slate as the week’s competition will feature matchups against four ranked opponents, including UCLA taking on No. 16 Michigan and No. 22 UCF. Utah will face a tough weekend of competition as the Utes travel to Oklahoma and will take on No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 14 Oklahoma State. UCLA hosts the UCLA/Long Beach State Invitational starting Thursday and Oregon hosts the Oregon Tournament starting Friday. Arizona hosts the Wildcat Invitational starting Friday and Arizona State hosts the ASU Invitational. 

NATIONAL STAT LEADERS
Four Pac-12 teams’ batting averages rank among the top-20 with UCLA first (.382), Washington sixth (.357), Oregon 10th (.345) and Arizona State 20th (.330).

Five Pac-12 teams are ranked in the top-20 in earned run average with OREGON STATE  third (1.30), UCLA fourth (1.37), Stanford sixth (1.40), Oregon 10th (1.53) and Arizona 20th (1.85). 

Four teams are ranked in the top-20 in on base percentage with UCLA ranked first (.469), Washington sixth (.441), Arizona State 11th (.432) and Oregon 19th (.426). All four teams are also ranked in the top-15 in scoring with UCLA ranked third (8.16).

The Pac-12 has six players in the top-25 for RBI, with Washington’s Baylee Klingler leading the conference in seventh with 27.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Baylee Klingler, So., INF, Washington (Houston, Texas)
5 GP, 15 AB, 11 hits, 4 runs, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .733 AVG, .688 OBP
• Helped then-No. 2 Washington to four wins on the weekend, including wins over then-No. 4 LSU (3-1) and then-No. 13 Michigan (10-2). The Huskies improved to 19-2 on the season.
• Matched career high with four-hit game in Washington’s win over Cal State Fullerton (7-2).
• Retired only four times all weekend, recorded four-straight multi-hit games and notched a five-game RBI streak.
• Matched 2019 HR total in 36 fewer games.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Mariah Lopez, Sr., P, Arizona (Saugus, Calif.)
3 app, 3 wins, 17.0 IP, 23 K, 1.65 ERA
• Helped then-No. 7 Arizona go 5-0 at the Easton Crimson Classic, including two wins against then-No. 8 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
• Defeated the Crimson Tide twice in back-to-back games, the first in a complete-game victory (2-1) and the second in relief (6-5).|
• In second start of the weekend, threw a two-hit, 10-strikeout shutout against McNeese State, giving Arizona the win (2-0). 

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
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 four wins on the weekend, including wins over then-No. 4 LSU (3-1) and then-No. 13 Michigan (10-2).
• Set Washington freshman record for most RBI in the first 20 games of career with 25.
• Eighth freshman in Huskies’ history with 7+ HR in first season (has done so in 20 games).
• Has totaled fourth-most extra-base hits before Pac-12 play by a Washington freshman as well as fourth-most HR before Pac-12 play by a freshman.
• Third-consecutive weekly honor.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE