Arizona State's women's softball team proved once and for all that it is the nation's very best last night, pounding the Florida Gators 7-2 to win the NCAA championship in Oklahoma City.
The Sun Devils swept the best-of-three series against the formidable Gators in fine fashion, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 21-6 in the two games.
The national championship is ASU's second in four years, an amazing achievement for a program that wallowed in mediocrity for years before head coach Clint Myers replaced Linda Wells at the helm five years ago.
Freshman pitcher Dallas Escobedo threw every inning for the Devils in the eight-team tournament, going undefeated and winning her 37th game of the season against just three losses.
Dallas possesses a mean rise ball that she employs about 95 percent of the time, throwing about 68 mph from a distance of 43 feet. She's just wild enough to keep hitters guessing, and she's got a tremendous will to win--an unbeatable combination.
This year's ASU team was absolutely dominant from top to bottom: Power, speed, stellar defense and, of course, top-drawer pitching spelled the difference.
Myers hardly is the warm, fuzzy type as a coach, and he seems to carry himself with more than a touch of arrogance in his TV interviews. But he must be a hell of a coach, as his players obviously respond to his methodology.
So, all props to the guy--but more importantly, to his national championship Devils!
