Last week, the ASU baseball team was prepping for a showdown with Pac-10 powerhouse Stanford.
The No. 21 Sun Devils passed that test with flying colors, sweeping No. 24 Stanford in a three-game series to move into a tie for second place in the Pac-10 with No. 9 Oregon State and No. 25 USC.
It marked the first time Stanford had been swept in a Pac-10 series since 1997. It also was the first time ASU (25-15, 6-3 Pac-10) had taken a series from Stanford since 2000.
"I don't even know if I can put into words ... " ASU senior catcher Tuffy Gosewisch said when asked about the significance of the three-game sweep of Stanford. "It means a lot to me personally and to a lot of the older guys. It's huge, not only for this season, but for the program overall."
Tonight, ASU opens a three-game series against UCLA at Packard Stadium. UCLA (8-25, 0-6) has struggled mightily, losing 21 of its last 22 games, including a 9-6 decision against San Diego State on Tuesday.
The Sun Devils know better than to overlook any opponent.
"Baseball is a game where anybody can beat anybody," ASU coach Pat Murphy said. "UCLA has the same talent or better talent than last year, and they were in the hunt. This series will be every bit as tough as Stanford."
Despite watching his team win nine in a row at Packard Stadium, Murphy is concerned more about the process than the result. He knows a couple bad breaks could have caused ASU to drop two of three against Stanford.
"Everyone is all geeked up because of the results, but I don't think we're a great club yet," Murphy said. "We've got a long way to go, and we're going to keep tweaking."
No. 6 UA does not play any Pac-10 games this weekend, meaning a sweep of UCLA could pull ASU within a game of first place. Oregon State hosts Washington State. USC travels to California.
Reach the reporter at kyle.odegard@asu.edu.
