Finding out there is a Pacific-10 Conference power to be reckoned with probably isn’t the news the rest of the Division I women’s softball community wanted to hear.

The reality of the situation came through crystal clear as Arizona State emphatically claimed its first Women’s College World Series crown June 3 by sweeping Texas A&M in the best-of-3 final. Behind the four-hit pitching of Katie Burkhart and a thunderous offensive display, the Sun Devils clinched the championship with an 11-0 win over the Aggies in Oklahoma City.

It is the 21st time in the 27-year history of the event that a team from the Pac-10 has lifted the trophy at the end.

For third-year Arizona State coach Clint Myers, winning the title reinforced the message that he constantly repeated to his team.

“Every single one of my staff was on the same page from day one that we were going to the College World Series and that we would eventually win it,” said Myers, whose team went a combined 10-0 through regional, super regional and WCWS play. “It is something that these ladies learned and started to believe.”

Burkhart threw back-to-back shutouts for the Sun Devils, who finished the year 66-5. She limited Texas A&M to only two hits in a 3-0 victory in the first game of the championship series.

“I had been speechless since we won the game,” said Burkhart, who was named the most outstanding player of the event. “This is the most phenomenal experience I have ever had. This is what I have dreamed about for my entire life.”

 Burkhart struck out 13 batters in her final college game.

Arizona State supported Burkhart’s effort with plenty of offense. The Sun Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, and junior centerfielder Kaitlin Cochran broke the game open with a three-homer in the fifth.

Cochran spent most of the WCWS being intentionally walked by Arizona State’s opponents. At one point she was issued a free pass six straight times.

Perhaps that’s why she wasn’t sure her opposite-field homer to left field was going to leave the park.

“I was looking at the left fielder thinking she would catch it,” said Cochran, who hit her 14th homer of the season and the 49th of her career. “I was just trying to run the bases as fast as I could, because I knew it was a close game at that point.”

Arizona State added seven runs in the top of the seventh, including a home run by second baseman Mindy Cowles.

Texas A&M, 57-10, had no such luck in the batter’s box against Burkhart (below).

“She is really good, and when you come to the World Series, you see every pitcher is an all-American,” said Aggies coach Jo Evans. “We could not make the necessary adjustments that we needed to make, but Burkhart definitely deserves to be holding up that trophy.”

After reaching the program’s goal of a national title, Myers’ next task is convincing his players to keep planning June trips to Oklahoma City.

“For the seniors that are leaving, they were the heart and soul and they will be truly missed,” said Myers, who was a catcher on the Arizona State baseball team in 1972 and ’73. “Next year we will have new heart and soul. This is a tradition we were trying to build, and this year’s team put it on the map.”

Game 1

La.-Lafayette 3, Florida 2

Ashley Brignac and Lana Bowers; Stacey Nelson, Stephanie Brombacher (8) and Kristina Hilberth. W – Brignac. L – Nelson. HR – Holly Tankersley (LL).

Game 2

Texas A&M 1, Virginia Tech 0

Angela Tincher and Kelsey Hoffman; Megan Gibson and Erin Glasco. W – Gibson. L – Tincher.

Game 3

Arizona St. 3, Alabama 1

Katie Burkhart and Kristen Miller; Kelsi Dunne and Ashley Holcombe; W – Burkhart. L – Dunne.

Game 4

UCLA 1, Arizona 0

Taryne Mowatt and Callista Balko; Anjelica Selden and Jennifer Schroeder. W – Selden. L – Mowatt.

Game 5

Texas A&M 2, La-Lafayette 1

Megan Gibson and Erin Glasco; Ashley Brignac and Lana Bowers; W – Gibson. L – Brignac.

Game 6

Arizona St. 4, UCLA 0

Anjelica Selden and Jennifer Schroeder; Katie Burkhart and Kristen Miller. W – Burkhart. L – Selden.

Game 7

Florida 2, Virginia Tech 0

Stacey Nelson and Kristina Hilberth; Angela Tincher and Kelsey Hoffman. W – Nelson. L – Tincher.

Game 8

Alabama 5, Arizona 1

Kelsi Dunne and Ashley Holcombe; Taryne Mowatt and Callista Balko. W – Dunne. L – Mowatt.

Game 9

Florida 2, UCLA 0

Anjelica Selden and Jennifer Schroeder; Stacey Nelson and Kristina Hilberth. W – Nelson. L – Selden.

Game 10

Alabama 3, La.-Lafayette 1

Donna Bourgeois, Brittany Cuevas (6) and Monique Prejean; Charlotte Morgan and Ashley Holcombe. W – Morgan. L – Bourgeois. HR – Holly Tankersley (LL).

Game 11

Florida 6, Texas A&M 1

Stacey Nelson, Stephanie Brombacher (4) and Kristina Hilberth; Megan Gibson, Rhiannon Kliesing (4) and Erin Glasco. W – Brombacher. L – Gibson. HR – Francesca Enea (F) 2.

Game 12

Arizona St. 3, Alabama 1

Kelsi Dunne and Ashley Holcombe; Katie Burkhart and Kristen Miller. W – Burkhart. L – Dunne. HR – Jackie Vasquez (AS).

Game 13

Texas A&M 1, Florida 0

Megan Gibson and Erin Glasco; Stacey Nelson and Kristina Hilberth. W – Gibson. L – Nelson.

Championship series

Game 1

Arizona St. 3, Texas A&M 0

Megan Gibson and Erin Glasco; Katie Burkhart and Kristen Miller. W – Burkhart. L – Gibson. HR -- Krista Donnenwirth (AS).

Game 2

Arizona St. 11, Texas A&M 0

E – Kliesing; Hinshaw. LOB – Arizona St. 3; Texas A&M 5. 2B – Gibson. HR – Cochran; Cowles. SH – Baca. SB – Gibson.

W – Burkhart. L – Gibson. Umpires – Keith Kearney, Mike Bartling, Willie Newman. T – 2:18. A – 6,619.