A week after bowing out of the NCAA playoffs to Cal State Fullerton, the bittersweet loss of a College World Series berth became sourer after the Titans won their first two CWS games.
Still, the ASU baseball team (54-14) has nothing to hang its head over after a year of great accomplishments.
All season long, the goal of a charismatic team was clear. Not an interview passed without the intent of a trip to Omaha glaring in the players' eyes. Although a sixth national championship has eluded the Sun Devils, many bright stars and great characters have emerged.
Despite an 0-for-13 performance in the super regional, sophomore shortstop Dustin Pedroia still produced one of ASU's single best offensive seasons in history. While batting .404 for the season, Pedroia set an ASU and Pac-10 record with 34 doubles. His 120 hits ranked fourth all time in single season school history. His efforts were good enough to be named co-Pac-10 Player of the Year.
Sophomore first baseman Jeff Larish swung a hot stick all year and proved his patience at the plate, smashing 18 home runs and driving in 95 runs, but still drawing 77 base on balls.
More spectacular individual accomplishments include freshman outfielder Travis Buck hitting for the cycle in a seven-inning shortened game against Southern Utah. Also, freshman left hander Erik Averill nearly threw a no-hitter against Hawaii-Hilo in the first week of the season, but a one-out single in the eighth broke up what could have been a storybook start to what still was a special season.
These are just a few of many athletes on a star-studded team, as it would take a book to fill up the accolades from various performers. However, everyone contributed to a ball club that exploded to one of the best starts in school history. At 28-1 after its first 29 games, the Sun Devils rose all the way to the top of the college baseball rankings.
The season would not ride out as easy as it started due to a more rigorous conference schedule, and a number of close losses in the Pac-10 snagged a conference title away from ASU's grasp and gave it to Stanford. Of the eight conference losses (16-8), four were by one run and twice the Sun Devils lost by a pair.
Aside from some of the hardships, there were some thrilling rides that worked in ASU's favor. In a game against Notre Dame in February, the Sun Devils scored nine runs, all with two outs, in the sixth inning to overcome a four-run deficit to win 14-8.
Against conference foe Stanford, ASU erased a five-run deficit in the late innings to take the opener of the series. The Sun Devils then crawled back from a seven-run deficit in the second game and tied it in the ninth on a two-out three-run home run by junior outfielder Andre Ethier. Although ASU lost in extra innings, the home run brought the crowd into a frenzy, something ASU fans would experience all season long.
Unfortunately, the Sun Devils must watch eight other teams battle it out for a chance to dogpile on a grassy infield in Omaha, Neb. ASU head coach Pat Murphy put it best after losing to Cal State Fullerton.
"These guys believe they should be in Omaha, they know it in the back of their minds," Murphy said. "They wanted it too bad. They did too many special things this year."
For some, another season lingers on with a chance to once again attack the ultimate goal of a national championship. Others will move on to a different level of baseball, playing professionally and trying to make it in the big leagues. One thing everyone from the 2003 squad can always remember is they were part of one of the best teams in school history.
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
