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ASU Softball: Sun Devils draw No. 8 seed in NCAA Tournament

By Sam Ficarro

TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: Arizona State Sun Devils masct, 'Sparky' performs during the college football game against the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Huskies 27-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: Arizona State Sun Devils masct, 'Sparky' performs during the college football game against the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Huskies 27-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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After a 43-11 season and a third place in the Pac-12, ASU softball earned the No. 8 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and get to host a Super Regional.

Arizona State’s remarkable three-year turnaround continued on Selection Sunday as the Sun Devils were named the No. 8 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament with the opportunity to host a Super Regional for the first time since 2013.

ASU, led by Pac-12 Coach of the Year Trisha Ford, finished the season 43-11 and third in the Pac-12, who got seven teams into the Tournament.

The Pac-12 conference earned the second most bids for the second consecutive year with the SEC leading the way as all 13 teams earned a bid.

Joining ASU in the big dance is No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 UCLA, No. 5 Washington, No. 14 Arizona, California and Oregon State.

The NCAA Tournament for Arizona State will begin Friday as the Tempe Regional features the Sun Devils, Ole Miss, Long Beach State and New Mexico State.

The first game of the double-elimination Tempe Regional will begin Friday at 4 p.m. PT with Long Beach State-Ole Miss followed by New Mexico State-Arizona State at 6:30 p.m. PT.

ASU has familiarity with the teams in their regional as the Sun Devils have played New Mexico State twice this season, earning a 3-0 win on March 3 and a 5-1 win on May 1, with Breanna Macha earning wins in both games.

The Sun Devils could face Ole Miss for the second straight NCAA Tournament after ASU fell to Ole Miss 2-0 in the Oxford Regional last year, where they were eventually eliminated by North Carolina.

Arizona State is one of the biggest surprises this season as they were picked to finish sixth in the preseason Pac-12 poll and have been led by a strong offensive lineup and ace G Juarez.

Juarez, a finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year, finished as one of the best pitchers in the nation posting a 23-4 record, a 0.92 ERA and 276 strikeouts.

To go with one of the best pitching staffs in the country, Arizona State features a balanced lineup as six batters have driven in at least 25 runs with first baseman Danielle Gibson leading the way with a team-high 12 home runs and 39 RBIs.

Next: ASU Softball: Bruins walk-off Sun Devils in series finale

Should the Sun Devils advance to the Super Regional, they would face the winner of the Columbia Regional featuring No. 9 South Carolina, Hofstra, Liberty and UNC Greensboro.

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