ASU baseball has now swept two series in a row after sophomore center fielder Andrew Shaps hit a walk-off single Sunday afternoon to beat New Mexico 1-0.
The Sun Devils couldn't make much happen early, but with two walks after junior shortstop Colby Woodmansee and junior catcher Brian Serven were both hit by pitches, Shaps stepped up and knew he had a job to do.
"We hadn't been stringing together very many hits, it was a little frustrating, so I think I dialed in a little extra, I wanted to pick us up," Shaps said.
Smith said he was happy to see Shaps get the big hit in Sunday's game.
"He's playing banged up, he's not 100 percent, but he's not wanting to come out, he's wanting to play, that's what you like to see," Smith said. "I think if you keep laying it out there with guys like that, with that mentality, that have a little bit of talent, they're going to have some success."
On the mound, freshman left-handed pitcher Zach Dixon got the start for the Sun Devils. Dixon went 2 2/3 innings allowing two hits, walking three and striking out two before being relieved by junior right-handed pitcher Eder Erives. Erives finished the game with a final line of 6 1/3 innings, one hit, three walks and seven strikeouts on 91 pitches.
The way the series finale worked out with Dixon starting and Erives finishing was just as he had wanted, Smith said.
"It worked out perfectly...he (Dixon) did exactly what he was supposed to do, which was shorten that game and give Eder a shortened game to finish that out," Smith said.
Despite the midweek loss against Arizona last Tuesday, the Sun Devils found some necessary momentum to power through the weekend.
"It was a very important weekend for us and I'm very proud of the way our guys handled and approached that," Smith said. "We did not take it and have an emotional roller coaster, I thought our guys kept it locked in and kept it focused all weekend."
Shaps echoed that mindset.
"It does matter who we play," Shaps said. "Any win matters, any series win matters, so if we take it day by day and win every game that we can it's huge."
The Sun Devils will look to keep the momentum going against Oregon (19-17, 8-9 Pac-12) at home this weekend.
"Throw the excuses out the door, we're banged up, we're injured, written off for dead, there's no option but to keep going and keep playing as hard as you can," Smith said. "I like this kind of grinder attitude, it's what you need here."
Reach the reporter at haley.stesiak@asu.edu or follow @haley_stesiak on Twitter.
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