Baseball shuts out Utah Valley


March 14, 2012

The 11th-ranked Arizona State baseball team, behind four strong innings from starting left-hander Adam McCreery and a pair of first-inning home runs, shut out Utah Valley 9-0 , March 13, at Packard Stadium.

McCreery (1-0) earned his first collegiate win after giving up no runs on two hits while striking out five. After walking the first batter in the top of the fourth, McCreery struck out the next three batters to end the inning. Download Full Image

The Devils (11-4) jumped out to an early three-run lead in the first inning on a pair of home runs by Deven Marrero and Abe Ruiz. Andrew Aplin led off the inning with a single through the right side and Marrero brought him around with a homer to left field that was initially ruled foul, but was overturned after the umpires met. Ruiz hit a solo home run two batters later to put the Devils up, 3-0.

Marrero and Ruiz each finished with two hits and pair of RBI, while Marrero added three runs scored and Ruiz crossed the plate twice. James McDonald led the team with three RBI on two hits.

Four Sun Devil pitchers combined to pitch the final five innings, including right-hander Alex Blackford, who allowed no runs on one hit and collected five strikeouts in two innings. Right-hander Robert Ravago threw a perfect seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts, left-hander Matt Dunbar gave up one hit in the eighth and right-hander Joseph Lopez closed out the ninth.

Wolverines (5-9) right-hander Adam Gunn (1-2) conceded six runs, including four earned, on seven hits in four innings and took the loss. Five other pitchers made an appearance for the Utah Valley.

ASU tacked on a run in the second frame on an RBI single by Drew Stankiewicz that scored McDonald, who reached base on an error by the shortstop.

Trever Allen knocked a two-run single into right field in the bottom of the fourth to push the Sun Devils' advantage to six.

ASU scored another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Ruiz.

The Wolverines threatened in the top of the sixth inning after Billy Burgess drove a hard-hit single to right field with a man on second, but Allen threw him out at home to preserve the Sun Devils' shutout.

Three straight singles in the seventh inning, highlighted by an RBI by both Rouric Bridgewater and McDonald, put the Devils up, 9-0.

The Sun Devils close out their two-game series against Utah Valley at 6:30 p.m. (PT), March 14, at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

2012 Baldy Castillo Invitational accepted entries released


March 14, 2012

2012 Baldy Accepted Entries Get Acrobat Reader

The Arizona State University track and field team has released the accepted entries for the 2012 Baldy Castillo Invitational, set to take place in Tempe, Ariz., beginning March 16 and continuing on March 16. Download Full Image

The competition signifies the start of the 2012 outdoor track and field season for the Sun Sevil track and field team. This year, ASU will welcome squads from Texas A&M, Manhattan, Grand Canyon, UC Riverside, Glendale CC, Scottsdale CC, Mesa CC and numerous other individual competitors.

The Sun Devil men are coming off a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships this past weekend in Nampa, Idaho.

Events begin Friday with the men's and women's hammer throws, set to start at 2 p.m., MST with the men's discus getting underway at 5:30 p.m. Friday's session will also consist of three running events begining 6:30 p.m., with the men's 2,000-meter steeplechase and being followed by the men's and women's 1,500-meter runs. Please note that the women's 2,000-meter steeplechase has been cancelled due to a shortage of competitors.

Saturday's events will get underway with the field events at 10 a.m., with the running events set to begin at 1 p.m., MST. Heat sheets will be released before 5 p.m. MST, March 15..