ASU pitcher named to USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List

Arizona State softball pitcher Kenzie Brown was selected to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Brown is ASU’s first representative on the watch list since Kindra Hackbarth in the 2021 season.

In 2025, Brown posted a team-high 19 wins in 35 pitching appearances to go along with 289 strikeouts, the fourth most in Division I softball and second most in the Big 12. Her 11.60 strikeouts per seven innings ranked second in the nation and first in the conference. She also matched the program’s single-game strikeout record by recording 18 strikeouts against BYU on March 6.

The Top 25 finalists for the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced on April 29. 

–Jenna Ortiz

ASU men’s tennis takes down UTSA

Arizona State men’s tennis defeated UTSA, 6-1, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Whiteman Tennis Center.

The Sun Devils improved to a program-best 6-0 start since the program’s reinstatement. ASU is already halfway to reaching its 2024-25 win total and has hit the six-win mark more than a month earlier than in the past year.

ASU will participate in the ITA Indoor Kickoffs hosted by USD at the Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center in San Diego, California, spanning January 23-24.

–Jenna Ortiz

ASU gymnastics to host 50th anniversary celebration

Arizona State gymnastics will kick off Big 12 competition with No. 22 BYU coming to Desert Financial Arena on Friday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m.

The meet will celebrate 50 years of the program, welcoming alumni back to Tempe. Fans will receive a keychain at the east tunnel before the meet.

ASU faced off against the Cougars twice last season, with the Sun Devils losing the first meeting but winning the second. ASU is 13-2 all-time against BYU.

The meet will be live on ESPN+, with live scoring available on Virtius as well. 

–Jenna Ortiz

ASU sophomore named Big 12 Tennis Player of the Week

Arizona State sophomore Niels Villard was named Player of the Week on Jan. 20, following three singles and four doubles wins in four dual matches. ASU’s 5-0 start to the season is the best mark since the program’s reinstatement. 

After picking up three singles wins last week from the third through fifth position, Villard has a team-leading four singles wins. Villard earned the team’s first weekly honor this season.

–Jenna Ortiz

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