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ASU Softball: Sun Devils to open season in Kajikawa Classic

By Carson Field

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky spikes the pitchfork at center field after the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Colorado Buffaloes 48-23. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky spikes the pitchfork at center field after the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Colorado Buffaloes 48-23. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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ASU softball looks to once again have a winning season after qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in a row last year.

Following a season in which the ASU softball team was eliminated in the regionals, the Sun Devils open their 2018 campaign Thursday in the Kajikawa Classic, a tournament consisting of 76 games and 28 teams.

ASU finished last season 31-22, which was good enough to send them to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th-straight season. The Sun Devils, however, were knocked out after three games in the Oxford Regional.

The six-game opening weekend begins for ASU when the Sun Devils face No. 11 Tennessee Thursday evening. The Volunteers were a strong team in 2017, as they hosted a regional and made it to the super regional round before SEC foe Texas A&M knocked them out.

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Following the Tennessee game, Arizona State starts a Friday doubleheader against Purdue. The Boilermakers struggled last year, finishing 20-36 and lost to the Sun Devils in 2017’s Kajikawa Classic.

Friday’s action continues that evening with a game against another Big Ten opponent in Nebraska, which fell to Arizona State in all three games of last March’s series.

Although the Huskers made the Women’s College World Series in 2013, they failed to qualify for the tournament last season, posting a mediocre 30-30 record.

Saturday only contains one game for the Sun Devils. This game is against unranked Notre Dame. Despite not being in the Top 25, the Fighting Irish are receiving 12 votes for the rankings, and they have made the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999.

Notre Dame lost 3-1 to Arizona State in 2017’s Mary Nutter Classic.

Kajikawa Classic play wraps up for the Sun Devils Sunday when the team once again has a doubleheader.

The first game of the two is against Indiana. Similar to the other two Big Ten schools ASU faces this weekend, the Hoosiers did not make the regionals last season, and they posted a measly 23-31 record overall.

Indiana also fell to the Sun Devils in last year’s Kajikawa Classic by a score of 4-2.

The last game of the tournament for the Sun Devils is against West Coast Conference opponent Saint Mary’s. The Gaels struggled mightily last year with a 17-31 record in a conference that placed only one team in the NCAA Tournament.

Next: ASU Softball: Sun Devils look to take the next step in 2018

Five of the six games Arizona State will play in will be televised on Pac-12 Arizona: Thursday’s game versus Tennessee is at 7:30 p.m. MT, Friday’s game versus Nebraska is at 7:30 p.m. MT, Saturday’s game versus Notre Dame is at 7:30 p.m. MT, Sunday’s games versus Indiana at 11:30 a.m. MT and versus St. Mary’s at 4:30 p.m. MT.

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