TEMPE, Ariz. — Junior Sun Devil (18-3) pitcher Meika Lauppe pitched all seven innings of the 10-5 victory over California Baptist University (17-4) on Saturday, Feb. 28.

“Meika threw beautifully today,” head coach Megan Bartlett said. “She got in a couple tight spots, but I think that's where her maturity is starting to show up. She doesn't get rattled, she just gets back to business.”

Lauppe has appeared in every game but one of the ASU/GCU Invitational over the weekend and has pitched 15 innings in four games since Feb. 27.

“You don't find kids that work harder, that are better teammates,” Bartlett said. “That kid just pretty much has every intangible that you would want out of a student athlete and a Sun Devil.”

Against the CBU Lancers, Lauppe faced 32 batters, threw 119 pitches and struck out three.

“That (game) was one of the best I've ever seen her throw,” junior first baseman Katie Chester said, “and to see the confidence that she had on the mound, and knowing that her defense had her back really helped too.”

Lauppe leads the Sun Devils in innings pitched and appearances, while posting a 5-0 record as a starter.

“We need to keep that one (Lauppe) a Sun Devil,” Bartlett said. “I'm saying that to all of our wonderful supporters out there. She got into the MBA program here, and we need to keep Meika Lauppe a Sun Devil. I’m just so happy for her.”

While Lauppe was the stand-out Sun Devil of the night, the bats were hot offensively as well, with three different players hitting it out of the park.

In the bottom of the second inning, junior catcher Emily Schepp sent a homer to deep center field, tying the game at one.

“It feels great to be able to do that and just be there for the offense as well as the pitchers,” Schepp said. “Just to give them reassurance that we'll just always be there to have their back so they can pitch freely.”

The 2026 season is Schepp’s first season in Tempe after transferring from the University of Arizona.

“I love it here,” Schepp said. “I feel like it's very competitive. I mean, everyone here is just a dog, and I love competing with everyone.”

Along with the home run, Schepp went 2-4 with three RBI.

Continuing the long ball trend, Chester later sent the ball flying, once again to deep center field for another ASU run.

The final Sun Devil home run came from sophomore second baseman Tiare Ho-Ching, a three-run home run to deep center field in the bottom of the sixth.

Bartlett had high praise for the value Ho-Ching brings to the squad. 

“She's (Ho-Ching) such a big part of this program,” Bartlett said. “Our lifeblood and what we do and how we do it and why we do it. It's just really nice to have her back in the mix, and now she's starting to kind of get back in an offensive groove.”

In the ASU/GCU Invitational, Ho-Ching has three home runs in her last three games.

“She's just such a rock for us defensively. She's an energy,” Bartlett said. “She's a spark.” 

So far this weekend, the Sun Devils are 5-0 and have scored 52 runs.

“That's kind of what we're doing this weekend, is building everybody's confidence and seeing the depth that we have throughout the whole year,” Chester said. “Having conference play coming up next week, it is a big thing to have confidence like this, because right now we can hit any pitcher, up and down the lineup, one through nine. 

“Everybody's having hits, everybody's spraying a ball, so it's just good.”

The Sun Devils aim to wrap up the invitational undefeated on March 1, before facing their first Big 12 opponent next week.

“We want to have a strong finish tomorrow,” Bartlett said. “We've got another ball game to win. We're going to try and wrap this weekend up 6-0 and head into the Big 12 with some momentum. The girls know how important that is.”