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Now officially in the second half of the 2019 season, conference play has begun in nearly every one of the nation’s thirty-two leagues across Division I.
As many teams get ready for a weekend conference series, here are a handful of teams to keep an eye on in week eight.
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Arizona Wildcats
Yet another team with a three-headed pitching monster, the Wildcats carry their perfect 6-0 conference record into the softball version of the Duel in the Desert, against archrival Arizona State.
Arizona has both a high-powered offense to go along with a stellar pitching staff, boasting the likes of Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza and Jessie Harper in the batting order and with senior Taylor McQuillin leading the way in the pitching circle.
Gina Snyder and Alyssa Denham have both looked of quality at times during the season, giving the Wildcats some options on the mound. The trio will have to put up with an equally high-powered Sun Devil offense, with ASU coming off of a weekend series that saw them put double-digit runs on the board in all three games against Utah.
Auburn Tigers
The Tigers have begun SEC play with a 5-1 record, a sharp rebound from a sluggish start to the season.
Mickey Dean’s squad dropped Game 1 of their series against Mississippi State last weekend, the second act in conference play after an opening sweep of Texas A&M.
Now set to take on Georgia at Jane B. Moore Field, the Tigers have an opportunity to record some victories that will look good on paper, despite the recent shortcomings of the Bulldogs.
A series win will not only be good for the Tigers’ resume, it’ll be a positive sign for a team that is without pitching ace Makayla Martin for the foreseeable future, at least until mid-April.
