Notes: No. 2 Ducks Host No. 19 ASU
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 2 ranked Oregon softball team returns home this weekend for a three-game series against No. 19 ranked Arizona State.
The Ducks and Sun Devils start the series at 1 p.m. on Friday. The teams meet again at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday before wrapping up the series at noon on Sunday. All three games will be on Pac-12 Networks.
#2 OREGON DUCKS (32-5, 10-2 Pac-12)
Team BA: .363 | Team ERA: 2.45 | Runs Scored: 281 | Runs Allowed: 109
Recently: Oregon won a series at No. 10 ranked UCLA, two games to one
National Rankings: Oregon is ranked No. 2 in both the NFCA & USA Softball polls
All-Time ASU Series Record: Oregon trails, 56-38-1
Last Meeting: No. 1 Oregon tied No. 3 Arizona State, 2-2 in six innings (5/4/14)
#19 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (27-12, 5-3 Pac-12)
Team BA: .321 | Team ERA: 3.91 | Runs Scored: 285 | Runs Allowed: 174
Recently: Split a DH with NMSU on Monday, swept UTEP on Tuesday
National Rankings: ASU is No. 19 in both top-25 polls
Head Coach: Craig Nicholson (Second Season)
BROADCAST INFO
All three games against the Sun Devils will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks. The games can be streamed online and on mobile devices with a cable TV login on the Pac-12 Now app. Radio will be available on KWVA 88.1 FM with a stream link on the schedule page on GoDucks.com. Live stats will also be available via a link on the softball schedule page at GoDucks.com.
LAST WEEKEND
The Ducks won two-of-three at then-No. 10 ranked UCLA. After falling in the series finale, 8-1, the Ducks rallied back with a five-run seventh inning to win game two, 6-4. Freshman Lauren Lindvall’s three-run homer in the seventh game Oregon a 5-4 lead. Oregon’s bats came out firing as did LHP Cheridan Hawkins in Sunday’s finale, as Hawkins tallied her seventh shutout of the season in a 10-0 run-rule win in five innings. Koral Costa hit a grand slam in the third while Janelle Lindvall hit a grand slam in the fourth to break the game wide open. It was the first time UCLA had been run-ruled at home since 2009. UO has won 20 of its last 22 Pac-12 series.
HOVINGA EARNS PAC-12 WEEKLY AWARD
After tossing 5.1 innings of scoreless relief in Saturday’s comeback win at No. 10 UCLA, senior Karissa Hovinga has been named Pac-12 pitcher of the week. Hovinga posted four strikeouts to help the Ducks to a big win over No. 10 UCLA on the road on Saturday. The senior came on in the second inning with the bases loaded and two outs, retiring the next batter to get UO out of the jam. She allowed just three hits over the next five innings, holding the Bruins scoreless through the rest of the game before Oregon posted a five-run seventh inning to win, 6-4. Hovinga now holds an 8-1 record on the year with a 3.69 ERA. She has 43 strikeouts in 49.1 innings.
OREGON WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Week 1 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 1 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (NFCA National Player)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (USA Softball National Player)
Week 3 Cheridan Hawkins (NFCA National Pitcher)
Week 6 Koral Costa (Pac-12 Player)
Week 6 Gwen Svekis (Pac-12 Freshman)
Week 7 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 8 Geri Ann Glasco (Pac-12 Player)
Week 8 Geri Ann Glasco (USA Softball National Player)
Week 8 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 9 Karissa Hovinga (Pac-12 Pitcher)
MIKE WHITE VS. THE PAC-12
In his 5+ seasons at the helm of the Oregon softball program, head coach Mike White has a losing record against only ASU in conference play. White and the Ducks are 10-5 vs. Arizona, 5-12-1 vs. Arizona State, 9-7 vs. California, 15-3 vs. Oregon State, 10-5 vs. Stanford, 10-8 vs. UCLA, 12-0 vs. Utah (2-0 vs. the Utes in non-conference play) and 10-7 vs. Washington.
WHEN PLAYING ARIZONA STATE
- Arizona State leads the all-time series, 56-38-1.
- UO is 5-12-1 against the Sun Devils under head coach Mike White.
- That is the only tie in White’s career, a 2-2 rain-shortened six-inning game in 2014.
- The Ducks have not won a series against the Sun Devils since 2005, when UO took two of three. Oregon was swept in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
- Oregon has won 20 of its last 22 Pac-12 series, with the two it didn’t win coming against ASU (1-1-1 tie in 2014 and a 1-2 loss in 2013).
- Oregon’s longest winning streak in the series is just four games, coming in 1989 and 1998-99.
- ASU’s longest win streak in the series is seven games, coming from 2008-2010.
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE SUN DEVILS
- The No. 1 Ducks and No. 3 Sun Devils split a highly-anticipated series, 1-1-1, last season in Eugene.
- Alyssa Gillespie hit .400 in the series with four hits, three runs, a double and a triple. She drove in a pair.
- Janie Takeda led the Ducks with three RBIs.
- Koral Costa posted a .556 on-base percentage in the series last year with ASU on two hits and two walks.
- Karissa Hovinga led the Ducks in the circle, allowing just two unearned runs on three hits and a walk in a 12-2 run-rule win. She struck out five in the complete game.
- Cheridan Hawkins had a 2.55 ERA in the series, suffering a loss and pitching in the 2-2 tie. She struck out 12 in 12.0 innings pitched.
- The Ducks made three errors in the series, causing four of ASU’s eight total runs to be unearned.
- Oregon hit .295 in the series while ASU hit .219.
HITTING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank fourth in the nation and are second in the Pac-12 with a .363 batting average.
- Oregon hit a school record .342 as a team last year.
- UO’s .464 on-base percentage is third in the nation and leads the Pac-12.
- Oregon’s .608 slugging percentage is ninth best in the nation and leads the Pac-12.
- The Ducks lead the Pac-12 with 70 stolen bases. Second place is Washington, with 51. The Ducks have only been caught stealing 10 times.
- Oregon ranks 14th in the NCAA, averaging 1.89 stolen bases per game.
- Oregon ranks 18th in the nation, averaging 1.41 home runs per game.
- Of Oregon’s 52 home runs this season, five have been grand slams, including two on Sunday at UCLA.
- Oregon leads the Pac-12 with 13 triples, tied with Cal.
- Oregon has had the fewest at-bats in the league, 986. Washington leads the league with 1,153 at-bats.
HITTING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Freshman Gwen Svekis ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with a .442 batting average.
- Svekis leads the league with a .885 slugging percentage. Koral Costa is seventh with a .789 slugging percentage.
- Costa is fourth in the league with 11 home runs.
- Jenna Lilley is seventh in the league, with a .522 on-base percentage.
- Janie Takeda leads the Pac-12 with 26 stolen bases. She is 26-for-27 on the season. Second best in the league is just 13. Takeda has 93 career stolen bases, just three away from matching the UO record of 96, currently owned by Sari-Jane Jenkins (see below for more records).
PITCHING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank 32nd in the NCAA and are second best in the Pac-12 with a 2.45 team ERA.
- UO’s .206 opponent batting average is tied with UCLA for the best mark in the Pac-12.
- The Ducks are second in the league with 238 strikeouts despite having pitched the fewest innings in the conference at 229.0. Washington has thrown a league-high 272.2 innings this season.
- Oregon pitchers have allowed just 178 hits this season, the fewest in the conference. ASU has allowed 301 hits.
- Oregon has also issued the fewest number of walks in the conference at 72.
- Oregon pitchers have allowed 21 home runs this season, the second fewest in the Pac-12. ASU pitchers have given up a league-high 50 bombs.
- The Ducks have hit 35 batters, the most in the Pac-12.
- Oregon opened the season with three straight shutouts (8-0 vs. Cal Poly, 9-0 vs. #25 Texas and 8-0 vs. Northwestern).
PITCHING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Cheridan Hawkins is seventh in the NCAA with a 1.06 ERA.
- Hawkins is second in the country in his allowed per seven inning, averaging just 3.1.
- Geri Ann Glasco is 70th in the nation with 5.45 hits allowed per seven innings.
- Hawkins is also second in the NCAA with six saves.
- Hawkins is fifth in the nation with seven shutouts.
- After tossing her seventh shutout of the year on Sunday at UCLA, Hawkins has 22 career shutouts, the second most in UO history.
FIELDING NOTES
- Oregon’s .964 fielding percentage ranks 91st in the NCAA and seventh in the Pac-12.
- However, Oregon’s made 34 errors this season, the third fewest in the conference.
TWO DUCKS PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Both Cheridan Hawkins and OF Janie Takeda were named finalists for the USA Softball player of the year award, the organization announced on April 8. Hawkins and Takeda join 24 others on the midseason list, which cut down the preseason top-50 list. Oregon is one of seven teams to have two players on the list, joining Arizona, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and UCLA. The list will be cut down again, to a final 10, on May 6 with the final three be announced on May 20. The winner will be announced on May 26 prior to the start of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. The voting committee is made up of coaches from around the nation, past winners and softball media.
