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Pac-12 softball champion to be crowned

May 9, 2018

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In the final week of the regular season, a Pac-12 softball champion will be crowned. UCLA and OREGON are tied atop the Conference standings with an 18-3 record with ARIZONA STATE not far behind in third with a 15-6 record. The teams face Top-25 matchups to determine who will be the regular-season champion.

A Pac-12 team has topped the NFCA poll for 12-straight weeks. UCLA took the No. 1 spot after sweeping WASHINGTON in its series on Apr. 20-22. The Huskies led the nation from Feb. 17-Apr. 17 previously. The Bruins remain at No. 1 this week for the third-straight week.

Oregon comes in at No. 2 for the fourth-straight week in the poll. Joining UCLA and Oregon in the Top 10 is No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Arizona State and No. 9 Arizona. The five Pac-12 teams in the Top 10 is the most of any conference. Also in the poll is No. 24 CALIFORNIA.

In the USA Softball/ESPN poll, five teams are ranked. UCLA is No.1, Oregon is No. 2, Washington is No. 5, Arizona State is No. 6 and Arizona is No. 10. California is receiving votes.

Pac-12 softball has an exciting final week of the regular season, highlighted by top 25 matchups and the crowning of a champion. No. 6/6 Arizona State plays at No. 1/1 UCLA and No. 2/2 Oregon travels to No. 24/RV California. No. 1/1 UCLA and No. 2/2 Oregon look to break their tied record in order to snag the Pac-12 title, but No. 6/6 Arizona State is not out of the running.

If Arizona State sweeps UCLA and California sweeps Oregon, UCLA, Oregon and Arizona State would have the same conference record and be co-champions. If co-champions are crowned, the Conference’s tiebreaker rules will determine the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Games will be played Thursday through Saturday with all games on the schedule on Pac-12 Networks.

Also on the schedule this week are series Thursday through Sunday between No. 9/10 Arizona at Stanford and Oregon State at Utah. Those games will also be on the Pac-12 Networks.

Oregon claims the No. 1 spot in the NCAA RPI once again with UCLA at No. 2 and Washington at No. 5 to round out the teams in the top five. Joining the teams in the top 30 is Arizona State at No. 7, Arizona at No. 12, Oregon State at No. 24 and California at No. 29.

Washington picked up two of the three Player of the Week honors. Julia DePonte is this week’s Player of the Week after her second-career multi-homer game against Oregon State on May 4 (6-1). Gabbie Plain is the Freshman of the Week after earning all three wins in UW’s sweep of Oregon State. UCLA’s Rachel Garcia picked up her third Pitcher of the Week honor of the season after striking out 22 in 14 innings.

The Pac-12 tops the NCAA statistics in three categories, including two team categories and one individual category. Oregon is ranked first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.72). UCLA is first in W-L percentage (.941). Pac-12 teams appear in the top-10 in 12 of 14 NCAA categories.

In the individual categories, Oregon’s Megan Kleist is first in strikeout-to-walk ration (11.88). Pac-12 student-athletes appear in the top-10 in 18 categories in the individual statistics.


UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 10    
#2/2 Oregon at #24/RV California P12N 3 p.m. PT
#9/10 Arizona at Stanford P12N 5 p.m. PT
Oregon State at Utah P12N 6 p.m. PT
#6/6 Arizona State at #1/1 UCLA P12N 7 p.m. PT
Friday, May 11    
#2/2 Oregon at #24/RV California P12N 3 p.m. PT
#9/10 Arizona at Stanford P12N 5 p.m. PT
Oregon State at Utah P12M 6 p.m. PT
#6/6 Arizona State at #1/1 UCLA P12N 7 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 12    
Oregon State at Utah P12M 11 a.m. PT
#9/10 Arizona at Stanford P12A 12 p.m. PT
#6/6 Arizona State at #1/1 UCLA P12N 12 p.m. PT
#2/2 Oregon at #24/RV California P12N 12 p.m. PT

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

Teams Pac-12 Record Overall Record
UCLA 18-3 48-3
Oregon 18-3 44-7
Arizona State 15-6 42-9
Washington 15-8 44-8
Arizona 11-10 38-13
California 7-13 34-16
Oregon State 7-14 26-26
Stanford 2-19 23-29
Utah 2-19 20-28

PAC-12 SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

  Player of the Week Pitcher of the Week Freshman of the Week
May 7 Julia DePonte, WASH Rachel Garcia, UCLA Gabbie Plain, WASH
Apr. 30 DJ Sanders, ORE Megan Kleist, ORE Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Apr. 23 Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA Rachel Garcia, UCLA Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Apr. 16 Rachel Garcia, UCLA Rachel Garcia, UCLA Missy Nunes, OSU
Apr. 9 Gwen Skevis, ORE Miranda Elish, ORE Gabbie Plain, WASH
Apr. 2 Marisa Stankiewicz, ASU G Juarez, ASU Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Mar. 26 Sis Bates, WASH G Juarez, ASU Danielle Gibson, ASU
Mar. 19 Jessie Harper, ARIZ G Juarez, ASU Hope Brander, OSU
Mar. 13 Shannon Rhodes, ORE G Juarez, ASU Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Mar. 6 Julia DePonte, WASH Miranda Elish, ORE Gabbie Plain, WASH
Feb. 27 Kirstyn Thomas, WASH Taylor McQuillin, ARIZ Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Feb. 20 Taylor Van Zee, WASH Megan Kleist, ORE Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
Feb. 13 Kirstyn Thomas, WASH Taran Alvelo, WASH Briana Perez, UCLA