So far we’ve previewed the best teams in the SEC and Big Ten, letting fans know what to expect this season from their favorite teams. This week we’re highlighting PAC-12, the matriarch conference for collegiate softball.

With beginnings as early as 1967, Arizona State Sun Devil softball is one of the oldest programs in the country. It became something of an early powerhouse in the 1970s and 1980s under head coach Mary Littlewood. In her 19 seasons at the helm, the Sun Devils won two national championships with nine world series appearances.

After joining the then Pac-10 conference in 1986, the Sun Devils saw only moderate success competing against the powerhouse schools of the conference for much of the early 1990s and 2000s. With the hire of head coach Clint Meyers in 2006, Arizona State softball saw a resurgence on the national scene. In Meyers' first season as head coach, the Sun Devils won a then school record of 53 games and returned to the Women's College World Series. He needed only two seasons to lead the Sun Devils to their first conference and WCWS titles in 2008, setting a school record with 66 wins that season. Arizona State would add another WCWS championship under Meyers' guidance in 2011. During the Meyers era from 2006-2013, the Sun Devils won two Pac-10 and WCWS titles and only missed a berth in the WCWS once in 2010.

Head Coach Craig Nicholson led the Sun Devils to two postseason appearances in 2014-2015 but resigned in October of 2015 for "personal medical reasons." Assistant coaches Robert Wagner and Letty Olivarez have been named co-interim head coaches until a national search begins to find his replacement.

Continued success for Arizona State will have to happen without three key seniors from the 2015 season. Three-time All-American Amber Freeman led much of Arizona State's offensive firepower last season. Embracing the role of DP, Freeman batted .436 while starting all 58 games last year. The right handed slugger, who also split time behind the plate, tied for the team lead in home runs with 15 and was second with 51 runs batted in. Freeman's successful career at Arizona State landed her a spot in the National Pro Fastpitch league on the USSSA Pride this past summer.


All-American Amber Freeman's offensive firepower will be difficult to replace this season for the Sun Devils

Also graduating for the Sun Devils are power-hitting Haley Steele and Bethany Kemp. Steele batted .335, leading Arizona State's offense with 67 runs batted in and blasting 13 home runs. First baseman Kemp tied Freeman with 15 dingers and knocked in 43 last season as well.

A top returner for the Sun Devils will be Chelsea Gonzales as the junior shortstop boasts both offensive and defensive contributions to the team. Last season as a sophomore Gonzales roped 11 home runs and drove in 41 runs batted in. She also had the second best fielding percentage (.957) of all PAC-12 shortstops with only 10 errors on the whole season.


Shortstop Chelsea Gonzales will be key to both the Sun Devil offense and defense in 2016

Also look for speedy outfielder Abby Spiel to continue her success from last season. Spiel saw increasing involvement in the Sun Devil lineup last season and boasted a .364 batting average, good for second on the team.

Arizona State's pitching staff returns sophomore pitcher Breanna Macha. The righty paced the staff last year with a 3.69 ERA and 18 wins. Expect her to build on her rookie year campaign and become the lead in Arizona State's circle. Adding depth to the staff is transfer pitcher Kelsey Kessler. The Redshirt Junior from the University of Kansas brings two years of post season experience with her to Arizona State.


Sophomore pitcher Breanna Macha looks to build off her successful freshman year in the circle last year

The Sun Devils bring in six rookies this season, and several should expect to impact the team immediately. FloSoftball Hot 100 No. 40 player Taylor Becerra will add depth and speed to Arizona State's middle infield, while FloSoftball Hot 100 No. 39 player Taylor Blair brings athleticism and solid defense to the team in the corner positions. Ulufa Leilua is another corner who will add power to the Sun Devil offense whereas Avianna Davis will add speed from the left side of the plate and in the outfield. Rounding out the freshmen Sun Devils are infielders Missy Eisen and Ciera Schick, both adding versatility and athleticism to the squad.

If the Sun Devil's recent fall ball game against the USSSA Pride is any indication of how their 2016 season will go, they have quite a bit to look forward to. Facing off against the former All-American and Olympic medalists the Pride boast, Arizona State kept the game close, losing 6-2. They collected nine hits off a tough pitching staff and allowed five of the Pride's six runs in a single inning. Given their strong play against pros, the Sun Devils should be very competitive in the strong PAC-12 conference this year.


The Sun Devils played a fall ball exhibition game against members of the USSSA Pride as part of the Pride's "Going West" Fall Tour