Baseball travels to Washington State for trio of Pac-12 games
Arizona State (24-16, 9-9) at Washington State (21-16, 7-7)
RADIO
Click here to listen to all three games live on The Fan AM 1060
GAMETRACKER ONLINE
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Click here to follow Sunday's game on Gametracker
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YOUTUBE
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MEDIA GUIDE
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The 23rd-ranked Arizona State baseball team travels to Washington State for a three-game Pac-12 series at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, Wash. First pitch on Friday is set for 5:30 p.m. (PT), while Saturday's game is slated for 2 p.m. (PT) and the series finale on Sunday is set for 12 p.m. (PT).
Can't Make It?:
You can listen to the game on The Fan AM 1060 as Tim Healey and Seth Dhaenens have the call for the Sun Devils Sports Network. Friday's broadcast will begin at 5:15 p.m., while Saturday's is set for a 1:45 p.m. start and Sunday's is slated for 11:45 p.m.. You can also get live, up-to-the-minute stats online with gametracker.
Date/Time:
Friday - April 27 - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday - April 28 - 2 p.m.
Sunday - April 29 - 12 p.m.
Stadium:
Bailey-Brayton Field - Pullman, Wash.
Pitching Matchup:
Friday-
ASU - RHP Brady Rodgers
Washington State - TBA
Saturday-
ASU - RHP Trevor Williams
Washington State - TBA
Sunday-
ASU - RHP Darin Gillies
Washington State - TBA
In The Polls:
NCBWA: #23
Baseball America: #23
Collegiate Baseball: #29
Perfect Game: #24
Devils vs. Washington State
The Sun Devils are 44-11^ all-time against Washington State and swept the Cougars the last time the two teams met on April 15-17, 2011, at Packard Stadium. ASU won 3-1 on April 15 as both starting pitchers allowed a combined two earned runs. Strong pitching by Kramer Champlin and Alex Blackford helped the Devils to an 8-2 win on April 16. ASU completed the sweep with a 10-4 victory behind 14 hits and a solid outing by Jake Barrett. The Cougars took two-of-three from ASU last time the teams met in Pullman in 2010.
^- Some wins in 2007 later vacated due to NCAA sanctions. Records do not reflect vacations.
College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List:
Right-handers Brady Rodgers and Trevor Williams have been named to the initial College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List. The pair, which accounts for two of the four Pac-12 pitchers on the list, have won a combined 13 games this season and headline a pitching staff that ranks second in the Pac-12 and 35th in Div. 1 with a 3.18 ERA. ASU is one of only eight schools to place two or more on the watch list and is the only Pac-12 school to do so. The West Coast leads all geographic areas with 12 players.
Up Next:
The Sun Devils return to Packard Stadium to host Utah for a three-game Pac-12 series May 4-6. All three games will be broadcast live by Sun Devil Sports Network on The Fan AM 1060 and will also be webcast by FoxSportsArizona.com. The games on May 4 and May 5 are slated for a 6:30 p.m. start, while the contest on May 6 will begin at 12:30 p.m.
I'm Lovin' It:
Outfielder James McDonald has collected seven RBI on seven hits and scored two runs in the Sun Devils' past four games. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and a two-run single to help ASU rally from five runs down to beat No. 16 Arizona, 12-8, in Tempe, Ariz. He fell a home run short of the cycle and led the team with three RBI in the series finale against the Cardinal, and also picked up an RBI single in the team's one-run loss to Stanford on Saturday.
Making Them Earn It:
The Sun Devil pitching staff is first in the Pac-12 in walks allowed with 90, seventh in Div. I in walks allowed per nine innings at 2.27 and their strikeout-to-walk ratio is 12th-best in Div. I at 2.9. Rodgers and Williams have a combined 18 walks and 87 strikeouts in 147 innings this season, putting them at 13th (0.93) and 38th (1.29), respectively, in Div. I in walks allowed per nine innings.
Stanford Recap:
The Sun Devils were swept by Stanford in a three-game Pac-12 series in Palo Alto, Calif., last weekend for the first time since 1999. Rodgers gave up a season-high six earned runs and 11 hits en route to the team allowing a season-high 17 runs in a 17-5 loss. On Saturday, ASU rallied to knot the contest three separate times, including a game-tying, two-out RBI double by Michael Benjamin in the ninth inning, before Stanford hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the frame to win, 8-7. On Sunday, the Sun Devils had a chance to tie the game again in the ninth inning, but the Cardinal completed the sweep with a 9-5 victory.
Welcome To Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood:
Right-hander Brady Rodgers has three complete games this season and went the distance in back-to-back games after allowing one earned run in a win over Cal on March 23 and giving up one earned run in a loss to Oregon on March 31. He began the season with 23 consecutive scoreless innings, which is sixth-best in the school history, and has allowed 15 earned runs and just eight walks in 77.1 innings this season. He also went nine innings in an extra-innings contest against UCLA.
Separating From The Pac (Team):
As of April 25, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in home runs (29), triples (16) and total bases (592), and are second in hits (396) and slugging percentage (.434). On the mound, they are second in the Pac-12 in ERA (3.18) and third in strikeouts (261).
Separating From The Pac (Individual):
On the pitching side, right-hander Brady Rodgers and Trevor Williams both rank in the top-10 in the conference in ERA. Rodgers is second with a 1.75, while Williams is eighth at 2.20. Rodgers is also second in innings pitched at 77.1, while Williams is tied for first in wins with seven and runners picked off at four. Jake Barrett is tied for first in games finished at 21 and tied for fifth in saves with six.
Doing The Extra (Base) Work:
Across the board, the Sun Devils can claim the top spot in the Pac-12 in extra-base hits. Abe Ruiz is tied for the conference lead in doubles (14) and home runs (9), and Joey DeMichele is tied for first in triples (5). DeMichele is second in total bases (90), and third in slugging percentage (.596), while Ruiz is fourth in slugging percentage (.586).
A Deep Staff:
Arizona State has used 15 pitchers through 40 games of the season. The Devils only used 11 all season last year. Right-hander Mark Lambson, who appeared in 10 games and threw 23.2 innings in 2011, has not made an appearance yet this season. Eight pitchers have also made at least one start this season and 11 have registered either a win or a loss.