How Arizona State softball retooled this season under Megan Bartlett
Arizona State softball might have a different look this season, but the fire has not gone away with head coach Megan Bartlett.
In her first season, Bartlett hit the ground running over the last seven months to restore and retool last year’s team that won its first Pac-12 title since 2011 and hosted an NCAA Super Regional.
The Sun Devils opened its season last weekend on the road with a 4-1 record at the San Diego State Season Kickoff.
The leadup to the start of the season involved many moving parts that have since been stabilized.
Making a rotation from scratch
Aside from Marissa Schuld, Bartlett had to build her pitching staff from scratch when three pitchers transferred elsewhere.
Luckily, she retained freshman Kylee Magee and added transfers Kenzie Brown, Mac Osborne and Deborah Jones.
“The reality of that pitching staff is that they all have interesting backstories,” Bartlett said. “We had to rebuild the entire pitching staff, that was going to be the top priority. We weren’t going to outhit any capable pitching staff. Nobody in college softball is going to do that.”
Osborne flew under the radar at Virginia Tech. Magee had been committed to ASU since she was 13. Brown was someone Bartlett wanted as a big piece for the program. Jones had played for Bartlett at Ball State and is a knuckleballer.
Read more: Newly hired ASU softball head coach Megan Bartlett takes on rebuilding duties
Dealing with some lost power
ASU saw historic highs when the program hit a single-season record of 104 home runs. But several of last season’s best hitters transferred out.
The Sun Devils lost both Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Cydney Sanders and shortstop Alynah Torres to Oklahoma. Sanders dominated with the program record of 21 home runs. Torres hit her stride in her third season at ASU and mashed 16 home runs.
“Offensively, we can roll a little bit, but we had some good ones walk off the board and that was OK,” Bartlett said. “The reality is that a 4-2 win is going to be the same as a 14-2 win. We’re not going to get any more or less credit for it.”
ASU’s offense wasn’t decimated and returning key players like Yannira Acuña and Jazmine Hill. Acuña led the team in batting average (.430), hits (64), runs (63), and doubles (19). Hill was third in home runs (15) and led with seven stolen bases.
“My parents always preached to me growing up that once you start something, you got to finish it,” Hill said. “I played all three years here as a Sun Devil and I’d like to finish as a Sun Devil as well. Just having coach on staff and coming to be our new coach is the icing on the cake.”
Rewiring the battery
Once the pitching staff was figured out, Bartlett and her staff had to find the right catchers to mesh with them.
Assistant coach Jimmy Kolaitis had a strict criterion for selecting who goes behind the dish after ASU was left without any catchers when regular starter Jessica Puk graduated.
Gianna Boccagno, a graduate transfer from Boston College, fit exactly what the staff was looking for with a strong presence and great relationship with the pitching staff. Sara Kinch transferred from Minnesota in December and added extra help.
“Catching at ASU is definitely a tall order,” Bartlett said. “You’ve got to be an amazing receiver, big arm, really have a high level of awareness about what’s going on around you, and then can you hit a little bit.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How Arizona State softball's new team looks under coach Megan Bartlett
