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Baseball: Braving the elements

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Sophomore outfielder Rocky Laguna lays down a bunt while teammates look on during practice at Packard Stadium Wednesday afternoon.

ASU has yet to play a game outside the state of Arizona and has therefore benefited from the 127 consecutive days without rain.

However, the forecast for this weekend's three-game series against Baylor in Waco, Texas, has some Sun Devils concerned.

"The weather is going to be a huge factor," senior relief pitcher Brett Bordes said. "We're going to have to stretch out a little more and run a little more between innings just to keep the blood flowing."

According to weather.com, rain is expected for the Friday and Saturday games, with temperatures expected to be in the low 50s at game time.

"I'm not concerned, but it's going to be different," ASU coach Pat Murphy said.

Baylor (5-0) has already had problems with Mother Nature at home this season. On Tuesday, its game with Texas-San Antonio was called because of heavy fog after the fifth inning.

Also, its weekend series with California last weekend was canceled due to inclement weather.

Leading the way

Junior outfielder Colin Curtis has batted in the first, second and third spots in the lineup so far this season, but has found the most success from the leadoff spot for ASU (8-5).

In the four games Curtis has batted leadoff, he has three doubles, a home run and six runs. He has also accumulated five of his team-leading eight stolen bases from the leadoff spot.

"[Curtis] needs to get on base," Murphy said. "If you bury him too far down [in the lineup] he puts too much pressure on himself and tries to do too much. I hate to have him be a leadoff hitter but sometimes that's what's best for him."

History 101

While in Waco, Murphy and his team will visit the Branch Davidian ranch in nearby Mount Carmel, site of a 51-day standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidian religious group in 1993, which resulted in 75 deaths.

This real-world education is not uncommon to the baseball program, as the team visited the site of the Oklahoma City bombing when the team played against Oklahoma in 2002 and visits various sites related to the O.J. Simpson trial on trips to Los Angeles.

Reach the reporter at thomas.j.kelley@asu.edu.


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