Nine weeks on top for Washington, Pac-12 Softball

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Washington has led the Pac-12 and the nation for nine-straight weeks in the USA Today/NFCA poll, matching Florida State in 2017 who was voted No. 1 from week one to week nine. UCLA has been in the top 5 in both the USA Today/NFCA and USA Softball/ESPN poll since the preseason and Oregon has been in the top 6.

Five teams are ranked in both polls this week. Washington is No. 1/1, UCLA is No. 3/3 Oregon is No. 4/4, Arizona State is No. 8/6 and Arizona is No. 13/14. Oregon State and California are receiving votes.

The honors were flowing in this week for UCLA’s Rachel Garcia. The sophomore was selected both Pac-12 Player of the Week and Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week, the third student-athlete and second Bruin to do so (Lisa Fernandez, UCLA April 12, 1993 and Tarrah Beyster, Oregon State April 13, 1998). This is the third time in her career bringing in two honors in one week. Last year, she won Pac-12 Freshman and Pitcher of the Week on April 23 and April 11. Garcia was also named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA DI National Player of the Week.

Joining Garcia in the weekly honors is Oregon State’s Missy Nunes who received Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after going 8-for-9 over three games with seven RBI and four runs scored slugging 1.778.

For the second-straight week Pac-12 teams take all four top spots in the NCAA RPI. Washington is No. 1, Oregon is No. 2, UCLA is No. 3 and Arizona State is No. 4. Eight total teams appear in the top 40 of the NCAA RPI. Joining the teams taking the top four spots is No. 11 Arizona, No. 15 Oregon State, No. 33 California and No. 38 UTAH.

This week’s schedule contains a top ten matchup, a top ten series and a top 15 series. No. 2/2 Oklahoma travels to the state of Oregon to play No. 3/3 Oregon on Thursday and a three game series with Oregon State Friday through Sunday.

No. 1/1 Washington travels to No. 4/4 UCLA for a series of the top two teams in the Conference. UCLA (12-3) swept then-No. 12/11 Arizona in their series last week and Washington (12-2) swept then-No. 25/23 California. The series gives UCLA the opportunity to take the top spot in the Conference.

The last top 25 series of the week is between No. 13/14 Arizona and No. 8/6 Arizona State. The teams meet for a rivalry series. All of the top 25 matchups are on the Pac-12 Network with the exception of No. 1/1 Washington at No. 4/4 UCLA on ESPN2.

The Pac-12 tops the NCAA statistics in six categories, including six team categories and two individual categories. UCLA leads the nation in batting average (.359). Washington leads the nation in ERA (0.86) and W-L percentage (.953). California ranks first in hit batters (5). UCLA tops the nation in slugging percentage (.560). Oregon is ranked first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.78). Pac-12 teams appear in the top-10 in 12 of 14 NCAA categories.

In the individual categories, Arizona State’s Giselle “G” Juarez is first in shutouts (10). Oregon’s Megan Kleist is first in strikeout-to-walk ration (13.45). Pac-12 student-athletes appear in the top-10 in 18 categories in the individual statistics.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

PAC-12 SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK