Arizona State softball finishes its regular season with a three-game series against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by Jace Grenke/Cronkite News)
TEMPE – After two disappointing seasons, Arizona State’s softball team has roared back into the win column and looks to make a run for the Big 12 title and a berth in the Women’s College Softball World Series.
The ASU softball program has a storied history with multiple conference titles, regional and super regional appearances, World Series appearances, and four national championships. The most recent conference title came during the 2022 season when the Sun Devils won the Pac 12.
But in the last two years, the team took an unusual slide.
After that 2022 season, Sun Devils coach Trisha Ford left for a coaching job at Texas A&M. Arizona State replaced Ford with Megan Bartlett, who was an assistant coach at the University of Texas. Before being hired at ASU, Bartlett had one head coaching job which was with Ball State University where she had three consecutive 30-win seasons.
Unfortunately, Bartlett’s first two years at Arizona State didn’t go the way she wanted with two losing seasons, including the Sun Devils’ first losing season since 1994. But now Bartlett has her team rolling with confidence and a commitment to winning, including notable victories over the University of California, University of Oregon and University of Washington.
“We’ve got healthy kids,” said Bartlett, whose team is 33-16 and third in the Big 12 heading into this weekend’s key three-game series at Texas Tech before the conference tournament in May. “This group in particular, though, the freshmen are our first true recruiting class, and they’ve been amazing. And certainly their level of commitment, just buying in, and how hard these kids have worked. Some of it was getting the right kids in the right place at the right time, some of it is just when and where I took over the program, and it was just going to take some time.”
Saying the freshmen on the team have been amazing is almost an understatement. The three true freshmen in the Sun Devils’ starting lineup have all been key contributors to the team’s success this season. ASU’s plate appearances this season have been a highlight, with the three true freshmen accumulating 17 home runs. Ashleigh Mejia has a team-leading 13 home runs, Tiare Ho Ching has four and Takyla Davis has three.
Last year’s team was senior-heavy while this Sun Devil team has a lot of new players, but their confidence is palpable.
“We’re young, we have a lot of new faces,” junior infielder Ayden Allen said. “We had nine seniors graduate last year, so it’s a lot of new energy, a lot of fresh faces, and I think this young energy has been a really big shift for us. I think it’s really a big advantage compared to other teams.”
Arizona State pitcher Kenzie Brown winds up for a pitch against the Baylor Bears at Farrington Softball Stadium on April 17, 2025, in Tempe. (Photo by Jace Grenke/Cronkite News)
The new energy is apparent, with the Sun Devils one of the top teams in the Big 12 statistically as they are ranked top five in batting, fielding and pitching. One of the team’s highlights is Kenzie Brown, a senior pitcher who has the Big 12’s second best ERA of 1.21 and is first in the conference with 246 strikeouts. When Brown is on the mound, her confidence pulsates through the entire team in the field.
“It’s a definite breath of fresh air,” Davis said. “Knowing that we have a pitcher that dominates. It’s easier on us as a defense but when we do get balls we need to make these outs for her.”
The Sun Devils look to keep the majority of their production for next season as the team has only two other seniors on the roster, Tanya Windle and AJ Murphy. Both have been key contributors and were honored this past weekend during the Sun Devils’ final home series of the year.
Arizona State took that series against Baylor, winning two out of three games and riding a six-game conference win streak before dropping the last game to the Bears. Winning the series against Baylor was a huge confidence boost for ASU with the regular season coming to an end.
“It means a lot to us,” Davis said. “Knowing that we need to pull through with these few wins to make it to the postseason, so I think that is our mindset going into every single game.”
For their last regular season series, the Sun Devils will travel to Lubbock, Texas to play against the number one team in the Big 12, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, beginning Friday. The Sun Devils hope to end on a high note before the Big 12 Tournament by playing the same way that has helped them recalibrate a proud program.
“Continue to play the way we are capable of and catch momentum,” Bartlett said. “They are hyper aware of the fact they are fighting for a postseason spot right now and not just in the Big 12 Tournament, but to be able to get (an) at-large (berth) in the NCAA Tournament. They are women on the mission right now.”
