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ASU Softball: With a top-eight seed to play for, Devils face #1 UCLA

By Sam Ficarro

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs during the third quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs during the third quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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Riding a seven-game winning streak, No. 6 ASU softball faces No. 1 UCLA with the Sun Devils seeking to earn a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament.

With Selection Sunday just four days away, No. 6 Arizona State looks to secure a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament against No. 1 UCLA in the final series of the regular season.

The Sun Devils are currently playing some of their best softball of the season riding a seven-game winning streak including a three-game sweep of Stanford last weekend.

DeNae Chatman hit deciding home runs in Friday’s and Sunday’s wins as G Juarez got the win Sunday to raise her win total to 22.

Senior Breanna Macha earned the win Friday and Saturday and a save Sunday during Senior Weekend as senior Dale Ryndak got the start on Senior Day.

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Juarez was named a top-10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Wednesday sporting a record of 22-3, an ERA of 0.92 and 259 strikeouts in 181.2 innings pitched.

While the Stanford series was more competitive than some thought, the Sun Devils face the top-team in the nation in the UCLA Bruins for a three-game series beginning Thursday.

The Bruins sit atop the Pac-12 with a 48-3 (18-3 Pac-12) record coming off a sweep of No. 24 Cal in Berkeley.

UCLA is led by one of the best players in the nation in pitcher Rachel Garcia, the reigning national and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Garcia is 19-1 with a 1.01 ERA (third in Pac-12) and 197 strikeouts in 125.1 innings. Along with her stout pitching, she is one of the best hitters on the team batting .379 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs.

Along with Garcia and Juarez as a finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year is freshman outfielder Aaliyah Jordan, who leads the team with a .467 batting average, 10 home runs and 61 RBIs.

UCLA, Oregon and Arizona State are still alive to win the Pac-12 with the Bruins and the Ducks tied for first at 18-3 and ASU in third at 15-6.

For the Sun Devils to earn a share of the Pac-12 title, the Sun Devils will need to sweep the Bruins and for California to sweep Oregon at home.

A win for Arizona State would just about secure a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would allow them to host a Regional and Super Regional, as they currently sit seventh in the latest RPI rankings.

Should the Bruins sweep the Sun Devils, it would put ASU in jeopardy of falling out of the top eight with conference tournaments happening across the country this weekend.

Next: ASU Softball: DeNae Chatman’s home run lifts Devils to sweep

First pitch Thursday and Friday is set for 7 p.m. PT and Sunday’s first pitch is at noon PT. Thursday and Saturday’s game can be seen on Pac-12 Network with Friday’s game on Pac-12 Arizona.

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