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ASU Best Teams: No. 3 2017 Women’s Golf vs. No. 6 2012 Softball

Ladies battle

Photos from (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) and Sun Devil Athletics

We continue our best teams from ASU ever this summer with our next matchup. No. 7 1978 Baseball beat No. 2 1967 Baseball in our last matchup. Now it’s No. 3 2017 Women’s Golf vs. No. 6 2012 Softball.

Here’s the current bracket:

No. 3 2017 Women’s Golf

Record: NCAA Champions

Head coach: Missy Farr-Kaye

Notable players: Linnea Strom, Monica Vaughn, Olivia Mehaffey, Roberta Liti, Sophia Zeeb

The rundown: In one of the more recent national titles in Sun Devil Athletic lore, the 2017 women’s golf team made history by securing its eight NCAA National Title - the most among Division I programs.

Second-year head coach Missy Farr-Kaye led her program through cold weather and rain delays to defeat No. 1 Northwestern in what was practically their own backyard at The Rich Harvest Farms golf course in Illinois. The title was Farr Kaye’s third as a Sun Devil, but first as a head coach. Her other two titles came as a player in 1990 and an assistant in 2009.

Monica Vaughn sunk a putt to keep ASU alive as they were nearly eliminated by Stanford in the semifinals, then Linnea Strom delivered a birdie to defeat Northwestern in the final. The trophy that was brought home to Tempe snapped an eight-year championship drought for one of the most historic women’s golf programs in the country.

No. 6 2012 Softball

Record: 53-11, Reached Second Round of WCWS

Head coach: Clint Meyers

Notable players: Katelyn Jones, Alix Johnson, Amber Freeman

The rundown: Led by Katelyn Jones(.419 avg), Alix Johnson(.395) and the lights-out pitching duo of Hillary Bach(22-1) and Dallas Escobedo(24-8), ASU followed up a Pac-10 and WCWS Championship season with another successful year. The Sun Devils were eliminated in the semifinal round of 2012 WCWS to No. 4 Oklahoma who would then go on and lose to No.2 Alabama in the finals. ASU had one player, Amber Freeman, make the All-Tournament team. The Sun Devils ended the season ranked third in the nation in RPI according to the NCAA.

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