With a looming NCAA appeal hanging over its head, the ASU baseball team continues to Charlie Sheen all over the Pac-10.
The Sun Devils are in contention for a fifth straight conference title despite heading into the season without knowing if they’d be able to compete for the post-season.
With nine conference games left, the Sun Devils trail the overachieving Oregon State Beavers by a game and a half.
Last year, then interim- coach Tim Esmay guided ASU to the College World Series despite a whirlwind of distractions created by Pat Murphy’s dismissal and an NCAA investigation.
Esmay filled the Murphy leadership void not by imitation, but by meshing his own player-friendly personality with a young core of players.
Esmay got the gig.
Sure, much of the team’s production comes from underclassmen Murphy recruited.
Esmay doesn’t care.
Esmay is going to get Murphy-quality recruits.
The brand hasn’t changed.
When or if ASU’s appeal is denied and the team is barred from post-season play next year, don’t expect a USC effort.
And call it the law of probability, and it probably won’t be this year, but Esmay is going be the guy who sees that the Sun Devils get over the hump in Omaha.
Reach Nick at nick.ruland@asu.edu
