Pac-12 Softball Power Rankings:
This 2020 Pac-12 season shapes up to be a tight race. The top teams will tone down their competition in this last week before the start of conference play. There was no change in this week’s power rankings.
9. California Golden Bears (10-9)
Cal went 1-3 this past week at the Judi Garman Classic with a win over Grand Canyon. The Bears lost to #6 LSU, BYU, and Cal State Fullerton. Sophomore 3B Makena Smith is leading the team hitting .452 with two home runs, six doubles, and 12 RBI.
8. Oregon State Beavers (14-7)
Junior Mariah Mazon is leading the Pac-12 with 93.1 innings pitched with a 0.90 ERA (third in Pac-12). Junior catcher Missy Nunes is powering the Beavers with a .348 batting average, five home runs, six doubles, and 20 RBI. Oregon State went 4-2 with splits to Nevada and Seattle U and swept Hawaii.
7. Stanford Cardinal (18-3)
The Cardinal went 5-0 last week with a win over Pacific and two wins over both Saint Francis and Rhode Island. Senior RF Teaghan Cowles went 8-14 and is now batting .397 with 11 RBI. Freshman pitcher Tatum Boyd is 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA (second in the Pac-12) in 48.1 IP.
6. Utah Utes (12-2)
#22 Utah won both of their games at San Diego and is on an eight-game winning streak. Sophomore 3B Ellessa Bonstrom went 5-7 and is now hitting .436 with three HR, a double and triple, and 12 RBI. Sophomore Sydney Sandez is now 10-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 56.0 IP.
5. Arizona State Sun Devils (16-6)
#16 Arizona State went 4-1 in the Sun Devil Classic with two wins over Maryland, a split with Wisconsin, and a win over Southern Utah. Senior CF Kindra Hackbarth is hitting .424 (fifth in the Pac -12) with nine doubles, four HR and 22 RBI. Senior Cielo Meza is 8-2 record and a 2.02 ERA with 81 strikeouts.
4. Oregon Ducks (17-2)
#13 Oregon went 3-2 at the Tulsa/OSU Invitational with losses to #11 Oklahoma (5-4, 9 innings) and Louisville (4-3). Oregon pitching trio of junior Jordan Dail, junior Brooke Yanez, and senior Samaria Diaz is ninth in the country with a 1.53 ERA, to go with 160 strikeouts. Senior CF Haley Cruse is batting .462 with 11 SB in 11 attempts.
3. Arizona Wildcats (17-3)
#4 Arizona’s two wins at #12 Alabama (2-1, 6-5) were the highlight of a 5-0 week. Senior SS Jessie Harper is batting .373 with seven HR and 22 RBI while fellow senior CF Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza powers in at .371 with five HR, six doubles, and 22 RBI. Senior transfer pitcher Mariah Lopez is 10-2 and has a 1.22 ERA (sixth in the Pac 12).
2. Washington Huskies (19-2)
#2 Washington’s senior All-American SS Sis Bates returned for the Judi Garman Classic after missing the past two weeks due to a concussion. The Huskies defeated #6 LSU (3-1) and #19 Michigan (10-2) but lost to #3 Texas (8-6). Sophomore IF Baylee Klinger is hitting .438 with five HR and 27 RBI. Freshman 1B/P Kelley Lynch has seven HR and 25 RBI.
1. UCLA Bruins (19-1)
After losing to #3 Texas 6-4 on Thursday, #1 UCLA mowed down four unranked opponents at the San Diego Classic. Sophomore Megan Faraimo is second in the nation with 125 strikeouts in 76.1 IP. She is 11-1 and has a 1.01 ERA. Junior OF Aaliyah Jordan is leading the Bruins by hitting .482 with two HR, 11 doubles, and 21 RBI. Freshman 2B Maya Brady is batting .356 with seven HR and 25 RBI. The Bruins will face #19 Michigan and #25 Minnesota this week.
