Katie Burkhart named Pac-10 Softball Pitcher of the Week

April 15, 2008

Arizona State senior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/burkhart_katie00.html"… Burkhart</a> has been named the Pac-10 Softball Pitcher of the Week for April 8-14, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today. Burkhart, last year's Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, had double-digit strikeouts in three of her four complete game outings during the week, guiding ASU to a 3-1 weekend with its only loss coming at the hands of No. 23/23 Washington on Sunday. The senior opened her week with a vintage 13 strikeout performance, allowing only three hits to rival Arizona in an 8-1 Sun Devil victory and followed that up with complete game victories over No. 4/1 UCLA and Washington, combining for 23 strikeouts while allowing only one walk. On Sunday, the Sun Devil offense could not support Burkhart's complete game, 11 strikeout performance as ASU fell 3-0 to the Huskies, but she was right back on the hill on Monday against UNLV as she preserved a 6-5 victory and picked up her second save of the season, striking out one in two-thirds of an inning. No. 1/2 Arizona State hosts its in-state rival, No. 9/7 Arizona, this weekend in a crucial Pac-10 match up. This is Burkhart's ninth career Pitcher of the Week honor and the 55th all-time for Arizona State. ALSO NOMINATED: Sarah Akamine, ARIZ; Missy Penna, STAN; Aleah Macon, WASH.