NCAA Softball Tournament History: ASU, 2008 National Champions

Four years ago, the Arizona State Sun Devils softball team won their first NCAA softball championship, defeating Texas A&M 11-0 in one of the most lopsided title games in college softball history.

ASU was led by senior pitcher Katie Burkhart, who put together an incredible season, balancing a 41-5 record with an 0.75 ERA. Burkhart also threw two perfect games in 2008 and had 1,670 strikeouts over her four-year career.

As the 6th seed in the Women's College World Series, ASU had to tangle with some impressive teams with loaded resumes, including the Alabama Crimson Tide and the UCLA Bruins. The Sun Devils cruised through the entire weekend with an undefeated 5-0 record, outscoring the competition 24-2 in a dominating display.

Kaitlin Cochran was another key contributor to that team, as her reputation as a prolific hitter preceded her. In 2008, she drew 29 intentional walks, a record. In the title game, Cochran hit a three-run home run and capped off her junior year with a .438 batting average.

The Sun Devils finished the season 66-5 and brought the first softball title back to Tempe in school history. Both Cochran and Burkhart earned First Team All-American honors, and softball coach Clint Myers cemented himself as a significant player on the ASU coaching scene.

Tomorrow, we'll explore the 2011 ASU softball team that won the WCWS last June. Tonight, tune in to ESPN2 at 7:00 PM Pacific time to catch the 2012 ASU team take on a tough Lousiana-Lafayette squad in game one of the best-of-three Super Regional.

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