In a long season full of changing trends, the ASU baseball team will have its first of two opportunities today against non-conference opponents to work out any kinks in the armor.
The No. 4 Sun Devils travel to Oklahoma City, Okla., to finish off a four-game set with the Oklahoma Sooners that started back in Tempe March 14-16.
"It's a great trip," ASU head coach Pat Murphy said. "It's great to do it anytime we can. They invite us and we get to play in a great ballpark, a major league caliber ballpark. (The team) misses one day of class but I think it's worth it."
After this week's game ASU (42-9, 10-5 Pac-10) will face UC Irvine at home next Tuesday before getting back to the Pac-10 schedule May 12 at Oregon State.
ASU took two of three from the Sooners at Packard Stadium earlier this year, but Oklahoma grabbed the first game, which snapped the Sun Devils' longest winning streak of the season at 19 games.
At the time Oklahoma was ranked No. 30 in the country, but the team has fallen on hard times this season during conference play.
Oklahoma was 11-3 after defeating ASU in the first game of the series, but since then has gone 5-21 including a 10-game losing streak and an eight-game losing skid.
The two wins they collected against Oklahoma State last weekend marked their first Big-12 series win of the season. Still, ASU junior Nick Walsh knows the Sooners cannot be taken lightly.
"We have to go to Oklahoma and play at Bricktown, and I remember their fans are always talking trash so it's a tough place to play," Walsh said.
Offensively the Sooners (16-24, 4-14 Big-12) are led by senior outfielder
Reggie Willits. Batting .378, Willits has recorded nine doubles and 74 total bases, second on the team in both categories.
In Oklahoma's 6-5 win over ASU March 14 Willits was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
He also scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning, diving around a tag at home plate to score on a chopper to first base.
The Sooners hurler tonight will be senior Austin Mix. A right-hander, Mix has pitched in nine games this season but has made only two starts. He sports a 2-1 record and an ERA of 6.83.
In a relief appearance against ASU March 15, Mix threw 3.0 innings while giving up seven hits and four earned runs. He struck out three and walked two in a game ASU won 10-3.
For the Sun Devils southpaw Erik Averill gets the nod. Averill is 7-0 with a 3.30 ERA. Against Oklahoma on March 16 Averill picked up the win in five innings of work. He struck out three while allowing just three hits and no earned runs.
The victory was the sixth of the year for the freshman, but since then he's won just once in his past four starts, beating California 10-3 on April 11.
After last weekend's marvelous performance from the pitching staff, Murphy likes the mix of seniors Beau Vaughan, Jered Liebeck and Ben Thurmond as his top three starters. However, he joked that his decision could change at any point.
Heading into Bricktown Ballpark, the Sun Devils hold a 3-1 all time record there.
"We're excited to go to Oklahoma," ASU junior Nick Walsh said. "That's always a fun place to play and that last two years I've been there it's been real close."
Last season the Sun Devils took down Oklahoma 7-5 at Bricktown to split a four-game set that featured three games at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, where ASU played due to renovations at Packard.
Will the Sun Devils perfect their form in the next two games? Post your opinion in the forum below.
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
