Arizona — April 13 (W 8-5)
ASU baseball (20-20) tied up the series versus the University of Arizona (27-13) with an 8-5 victory in Tucson.
The Sun Devil’s offense and redshirt junior starting pitcher Kyle Luckham responded to a Friday night heartbreaking 7-6 loss in extra innings with a hot start that saw a 6-0 ASU cushion through the first four innings.
Luckham went 5.0 innings allowing three runs while striking out two to give him his sixth win of the season, a team-high. After Luckham allowed three runs in the fifth, head coach Willie Bloomquist deployed redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine, who went 2.2 innings allowing two runs including a solo homer to junior outfielder Tanner O’Tremba.
Closer sophomore pitcher Brock Peery finished business after pitching the last four outs to secure a Sun Devil win.
Freshman outfielder Jacob Tobias led the offense going three for a four with two runs and a walk. The freshman has been red hot as the team’s designated hitter, recording at least one hit through the last seven games.
The Sun Devils will look to steal the series on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. in Tucson.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 23, 8:14 a.m.
CSUN — April 19 (W 6-1)
A combination of a red hot offense and a clicking bullpen has kept the ASU (19-19) winning streak alive, stretching it to five games following Tuesday night’s 6-1 home win versus the CSUN Matadors.
The five-game winning streak is a season-high for the Sun Devils and put the team at .500 for the first time since the second weekend of the year.
The Sun Devil offense combined for 12 hits with four starters going for multiple hits. This time, the youngins flexed their muscles to highlight the offensive outing. Up 4-1 in the eighth inning, freshman outfielder Jacob Tobias hit a solo blast while freshman catcher Ryan Campos put the Matadors away in the eighth with a two-run home run.
In what could’ve been another bullpen meltdown, in the eighth inning redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine opened the frame allowing a lead-off single and hitting the next two batters to load up the bases. Head coach Willie Bloomquist turned to redshirt sophomore Christian Bodlovich who escaped the jam and struck out the side.
Redshirt senior starting pitcher Boyd Vander Kooi clocked in a season-high 3.0 innings of work coming off Tommy John surgery only allowing one run.
The Sun Devils will turn their attention to their rival UA (26-12). The series starts in Tucson with first pitch slated for 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 20, 8:23 a.m.
USC — April 16 (W 9-8)
For the first time in conference play, ASU (18-19) swept a Pac-12 opponent after Saturday’s 9-8 comeback win over the USC Trojans (18-15).
The Sun Devils rallied behind freshman outfielder Jacob Tobias and redshirt sophomore Joe Lampe down 8-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
After a leadoff single from freshman catcher Ryan Campos, Tobias brought him home with a two-run blast to cut the deficit to just one. Redshirt sophomore catcher Nate Baez followed up with a double and Lampe hit a go-ahead home run to put the Devils ahead.
Lampe continues to flourish as he leads the team in home runs with nine.
ASU jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind redshirt junior starting pitcher Adam Tulloch who went 4.1 innings only allowing two runs off three strikeouts. Head coach Willie Bloomquist deployed six relievers who only allowed a combined three earned runs. Sophomore pitcher Brock Peery closed out the game to pick up his team-high sixth save.
Redshirt sophomore Sean McLain led the team in hits Saturday, going three for four with two RBIs and a run.
ASU will look ahead to the team’s next midweek stand alone match against the CSUN Matadors (18-15). CSUN went 1-2 against Stanford in California earlier in the year and played the Cardinal close in the two losses. ASU was swept by Stanford last weekend when the Sun Devils were outscored 16-34 in the three games.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 16, 12:43 p.m.
USC — April 15 (W 8-2)
The Sun Devils (17-19) took down the USC Trojans, 8-2, on a night where they honored former Red Sox infielder and Sun Devil, Dustin Pedroia.
The Sun Devil bats once again excelled, as they have combined for 53 runs over their last four games.
Redshirt junior starting pitcher Kyle Luckham was phenomenal, pitching seven innings and only allowing two runs while recording seven strikeouts and no walks. Redshirt sophomore Christian Bodlovich, sophomore Brock Peery and junior Chase Webster all pitched in relief to help Luckham earn the win, pitching a scoreless final two innings.
The Sun Devils opened up the scoring in the second, when freshman catcher Ryan Campos hit an RBI double, scoring graduate student first baseman Conor Davis, but was ultimately thrown out trying to go to third on a questionable call by the umpire.
In the fourth, the Sun Devils put up two more runs on RBI singles from Davis and freshman outfielder Jacob Tobias, giving them a two-run lead going forward.
Sophomore infielder Ethan Long also continued his hot streak, launching a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give them a 6-2 lead. Long now has seven home runs on the season.
Redshirt sophomore outfielder Kai Murphy stayed hot with an RBI single of his own in the sixth, raising his average to .283 despite his slump earlier in the season. Murphy also crushed a two-run home run in the eighth to help pad the lead.
The Sun Devils look to complete the sweep tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 p.m.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, April 15, 10:07 p.m.
USC — April 14 (W 14-12)
ASU baseball (16-19) took down the USC Trojans, 14-11, in an offensive battle on Thursday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
All but one batter in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit in Thursday’s win, with redshirt sophomore Sean McLain, freshman catcher Ryan Campos and redshirt sophomore outfielder Kai Murphy each recording three hits.
Sophomore starting pitcher Tyler Meyer struggled early on, allowing four runs in the first three innings, but was able to find his rhythm to pitch scoreless fourth and fifth innings.
The Sun Devils put runs on the board quickly, driving in five runs in the first two innings with RBI singles from Campos and McLain, and a three-run homer from redshirt sophomore infielder Nate Baez.
In the fourth inning, freshman outfielder Will Rogers smashed a solo home run to left field to extend ASU’s lead to two. Murphy followed that up with an RBI single in the fifth to extend the lead, making the score 7-4.
In the sixth inning, Meyer was charged with an earned run off a failed pickoff attempt from redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine, who replaced Meyer with one out in the sixth. Meyer ended up allowing five runs off six hits and two walks in 5.1 innings.
Levine, one of the more reliable pitchers in the bullpen, blew the lead, immediately giving up a two-run bomb to center after the failed pickoff attempt to tie the game at seven. Levine pitched one inning of relief with three runs allowed on four hits.
From there, the Sun Devil offense broke open the scoring, putting up seven runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings because of sophomore infielder Ethan Long’s three-run homer, two-run scoring wild pitches, and a two-run RBI single from McLain.
The Trojans would tack on three more but that wouldn’t be enough as sophomore reliever Brock Peery closed out the game.
The Sun Devils look to build on their current win streak in game two against USC on Friday night at 6:00 p.m.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, April 14, 9:58 p.m.
Santa Clara — April 11 (W 21-1)
ASU baseball (15-19) bounced back from a three-game losing streak with arguably the team's best performance of the season in a 21-1 offensive eruption over Santa Clara (17-14) on Monday night at Leavey Center.
The Sun Devils put up their season-high number of runs (21) while tying their season-best number of runs allowed (1).
Twelve of the fourteen Sun Devil hitters that stepped up to the plate recorded at least one hit, while sophomore outfielder Joe Lampe, redshirt sophomore infielder Sean McLain, redshirt sophomore catcher Nate Baez and freshman infielder Cam Magee all led the way with three hits each.
The Devils were unstoppable in the ninth, putting up the team’s most runs in a single inning with 10.
Coach Willie Bloomquist pulled all the right strings in a bullpen game that usually results in a long day for a pitching squad that has the Pac-12's highest ERA. The pen held Santa Clara scoreless until the bottom of the ninth.
Pitcher redshirt senior Boyd Vander Kooi earned the win for his work through 2.1 scoreless innings.
ASU will look to carry the momentum on both sides towards the team's next series at home against the USC Trojans (17-12) starting Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 12, 9:18 p.m.
Stanford — April 10 (L 16-10)
ASU baseball (14-19) could not avoid the sweep against Stanford (17-10) in a 16-10 slugfest on Sunday afternoon.
Both teams combined for 37 hits in the game.
Senior starting pitcher Jacob Walker pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits before sophomore Ethan Long, normally a third baseman, replaced him, pitching one inning, and only allowing one hit in a scoreless appearance. Long finished ¼ with a double and two RBI.
Up 5-4 in the fourth, junior pitcher Chase Webster allowed five runs on a single and a grand slam. Webster pitched 1.2 innings while allowing six hits and two walks in addition to the five runs. His ERA is now 6.33 on the season.
Over the next three innings, sophomore relievers Blake Pivaroff and Brock Peery allowed seven runs combined on eight hits and three walks. Their ERAs are 9.69 and 8.62.
Offensively, the team did well, racking up 15 hits in a 10-run showing. Freshman infielder Jacob Tobias hit well, racking up three hits and three RBIs. Redshirt sophomore Joe Lampe also racked up three hits, including a double and an RBI.
ASU looks to bounce back tomorrow, April 11, against Santa Clara at 1:00 p.m.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, April 10, 4:08 p.m.
Stanford — April 9 (L 10-6)
ASU baseball (14-18) lost 6-10 to Stanford on Saturday night (16-10) at Klein Field in California.
ASU showed signs of life coming off a shutout 8-0 loss the night before.
Redshirt junior starting pitcher Adam Tulloch pitched kept the Sun Devils in the game through the first 4.1 innings, giving up three earned runs and just three hits until he was swapped for redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine who unraveled when the Cardinals scored four runs in his 2.0 innings of work.
The ASU offense clicked in the second half of the game, scoring in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. However, Stanford had already put up nine runs through the first seven and the game was out of reach for ASU.
Redshirt sophomore Kai Murphy led the way for the Sun Devil bats, going three for four with a pair of RBIs. Murphy has been on fire behind the plate as of late and has at least one hit in five of his last six games to raise his batting average to .299.
The Sun Devils will look to steal the last game of the series Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 10, 10:12 a.m.
Stanford — April 8 (L 8-0)
ASU baseball (14-17) was held scoreless in an 8-0 loss on Friday night versus Stanford (15-10) at Klein Field.
The second inning marked doomsday for the Sun Devils. Starter redshirt junior Kyle Luckham gave up two home runs, one was a three-run bomb, before getting thrown out for striking junior Brett Barrera. Coach Willie Bloomquist was ejected after defending his pitcher. A couple of pitches later, replacement sophomore Jared Glenn gave up a two-run homer to run up the score 6-0.
Glenn showed resilience and held down the fort for 4.1 innings, only allowing one earned run in the second but the run support was nonexistent.
Senior pitcher for the Cardinal, Alex Williams, shut out the explosive Sun Devil offense, going the distance and striking out six while only giving up three hits and walking one.
Redshirt sophomore catcher Nate Baez was the sole bright spot of the offense going 2-3 to raise his batting average to .324. Aside from redshirt sophomore Sean McLain, who picked up a single, all other Sun Devil bats were held hitless.
ASU has the chance to bounce back tomorrow at 2:05 p.m.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 8, 7:44 p.m.
UA — April 5 (W 10-6)
The ball was flying all over the yard on Tuesday night, as the Sun Devils took down its rival, No. 11 UA, in a 10-6 slugfest where six home runs were hit between the two teams.
Redshirt senior starting pitcher Boyd Vander-Kooi, who made his first appearance since March 6 after suffering from a prolonged injury, struggled, pitching only 1.1 innings and allowing three earned runs on two home runs. Vander-Kooi’s ERA is now 6.35 on the season.
Down 3-1 in the second inning, freshman infielder Cam Magee hit his first home run of his collegiate career, a two-run shot to right-center to tie the game. After starting the season 0-20, Magee has been hitting better as of late, recording four hits in his last six at-bats, including a three-run triple against Cal.
Relieving Vander-Kooi in the second, redshirt senior pitcher Jacob Walker pitched three innings, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out two.
Down 6-4 in the fifth inning, redshirt sophomore outfielder Kai Murphy hit a three-run home run to right field to give the Sun Devils the lead, 7-6. Murphy has been on a tear as of late, recording nine hits in his last 15 at-bats.
The fun didn’t stop there, as freshman infielder Jacob Tobias laced a single into right field in the sixth inning, scoring two and increasing ASU’s lead to three. The Sun Devils would score one more run in the eighth on a wild pitch.
Redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine pitched well in relief, allowing no runs in 2.2 innings. Levine has been one of ASU’s more reliable pitchers, putting up a 3.07 ERA this season. Sophomore pitcher Blake Pivaroff closed out the final two innings, sending all six batters he faced back to the dugout and earning the save.
The Sun Devils look to add to their two-game winning streak this weekend, as they head up north to take on the No. 14 Stanford Cardinal.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, April 5, 11:08 p.m.
Cal — April 3 (W 16-9)
After trailing 9-2 in the fifth inning, ASU baseball (13-16) mounted a comeback in the final four innings, beating the Cal Golden Bears 16-9 on Sunday afternoon.
The Sun Devils scored 14 runs combined in the sixth and eighth innings to propel the series win. Redshirt sophomore catcher Nate Baez and freshman catcher Ryan Campos led the offense, with Baez recording three doubles and three RBIs on the day, while Campos hit a home run and recorded four RBIs.
Down 9-7 entering the eighth inning, the Sun Devils rallied for nine runs. After an RBI-single by freshman infielder Alex Champagne loaded the bases, an error on a Joe Lampe ground ball by Cal first baseman Nathan Martorella scored two and gave ASU the lead, 10-9.
The fun wouldn’t stop there, as freshman infielder Cam Magee, replacing sophomore infielder Ethan Long who was previously ejected, cleared the bases with a three-run triple and gave ASU a 13-9 lead. The Sun Devils would finish the inning up seven runs.
Redshirt junior starting pitcher Adam Tulloch struggled once again, allowing nine runs on 12 hits through four innings. After his poor outing at Oregon State a few weeks ago where he allowed seven runs in 1.2 innings, Tulloch has yet to recover, allowing 15 runs in 8.2 innings of work, bringing his ERA to 7.64 on the season.
Junior reliever Chase Webster pitched four innings in relief, allowing only two hits and no runs. Reliever Brock Peery came in to close out the ninth, striking out two in his one inning of relief.
The Sun Devils will look to build off this comeback as they take on their rivals, the Arizona Wildcats, on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:00 p.m.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, April 3, 5:08 p.m.
Cal — April 2 (L 14-7)
On a night the Sun Devils (12-16) knew they would need as much run support as possible, the ASU bats provided little backup in Saturday's 14-7 loss against Cal (12-14).
Four of ASU's starters went hitless following a 13-hit team performance the previous night. Five of ASU's runs came in the bottom of the ninth already down 14-2.
While the Golden Bears trotted out their ace, junior pitcher Joseph King, coach Willie Bloomquist had to strategize a bullpen game that failed him once again.
King put on a show and picked up the win after going for 7.0 innings while striking out eight and only allowing two runs.
Sophomore pitcher Jared Glenn got the nod for ASU but only lasted 1.0 inning after walking three, giving up three hits and putting ASU in a quick 3-0 deficit.
The Sun Devils showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth when freshman catcher Ryan Campos drove in graduate student designated hitter Conor Davis to close the gap of a 2-5 hole. Unfortunately for ASU, that was the team’s last run after freshman infielder Alex Champagne struck out to end the inning while leaving runners on second and third.
ASU will look to bounce back and clinch the series on Sunday's finale at 12:30 p.m versus Cal.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, April 2, 10:38 p.m.
Cal — April 1 (W 8-3)
ASU baseball (12-15) kicked off the weekend with a win against Cal on Friday night, 8-3.
The Sun Devil bats continued to excel, putting up six runs in the first three innings and providing insurance to back up redshirt junior pitcher Kyle Luckham’s outstanding start.
Luckham pitched seven innings, allowing no earned runs while recording four strikeouts and only allowing one walk. Redshirt sophomore Christian Bodlovich gave up a run in the eighth in his one inning in relief, while redshirt sophomore reliever Danny Marshall and sophomore reliever Brock Peery locked down the ninth.
Redshirt sophomore infielder Sean McLain opened the game up with a three-run shot to left field, scoring graduate student infielder Conor Davis and sophomore infielder Ethan Long to put the Devils up early.
Redshirt sophomore Joe Lampe added on to the lead with an RBI-single in the second inning and an RBI-triple in the third inning, collecting three total RBI’s and giving the Sun Devils a 6-0 lead.
The Sun Devils tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning, giving them an 8-2 lead before ultimately giving up a run in the ninth before closing it out.
ASU looks to keep this momentum going into game two against Cal on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, April 1, 11:08 p.m.
UNLV — March 29 (L 11-10)
In back-to-back contests, ASU (11-15, 3-3) lost in a heartbreaking fashion at the hands of its last reliever.
On Tuesday night in Las Vegas, sophomore pitcher Brock Peery's first pitch was a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth that sent junior infielder Edarian Williams home after pitcher Blake Pivaroff loaded up the bases to charge him with the loss.
Starter redshirt senior Jacob Walker only lasted through 1.1 innings after looking at a 4-0 deficit. Redshirt sophomore Sean McLain responded with a two-run homer in the fourth to cut the score down to 6-4.
But after the bottom of the fourth, the Sun Devils left in a 9-4 deep hole after a combination of junior Chase Webster and redshirt sophomore Christian Bodlovich had no answer for the Las Vegas hot hitting.
After another dreadful bullpen start, Sun Devil relievers settled down and only allowed one run through the next four frames until the bottom of the ninth.
A three-run blast from redshirt sophomore Joe Lampe to right field in the seventh inning set up the Sun Devil's offensive comeback.
ASU will have to refocus before hosting Cal (11-13, 4-5) in Tempe for a three-game series starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, March 29, 10:41 p.m.
Washington — March 27 (L 6-4)
ASU Baseball (11-14, 3-3) lost the series finale, 6-4, against the University of Washington (13-10, 5-4) on Sunday afternoon in extra innings at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Despite clawing their way back from a 3-1 deficit and tying up the game at the bottom of the ninth after a freshman catcher Ryan Campos RBI double, the Sun Devils could not muster enough offense in extra innings to complete a series sweep.
Sophomore pitcher Brock Peery gave up the losing two runs in the eleventh inning including a leadoff solo home run off redshirt sophomore Will Simpson.
Campos and sophomore infielder Ethan Long led the way behind the plate with three hits each. Both tacked on a double while Long added a solo blast in the fourth to give ASU its first run of the day for his third home run over the last week.
The Huskies had no answer for Long all series. The third baseman hit 7-13 with three RBIs to raise his team-high batting average to .333.
Redshirt junior Adam Tulloch started for ASU and lasted 3.2 innings giving up three runs and a walk. The bullpen held down the fort the majority of the game, only allowing one run all game until the eleventh inning.
ASU will travel to Las Vegas for a midweek non-conference contest at UNLV before welcoming Cal (11-12, 4-5) next Friday for the team's next series.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, March 27, 8:38 p.m.
GCU — March 22 (L 7-5)
ASU baseball (9-13) fell to GCU, 7-5, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday night.
Sophomore infielder Ethan Long stayed hot, smashing two home runs and driving in three RBIs in the loss. Long raised his batting average to .297, bouncing back from his forgettable slump to begin the season.
Redshirt junior starting pitcher Adam Tulloch, coming off a start where he gave up seven runs in 1.2 innings against Oregon State, struggled once again, allowing three runs in only one inning of work before being taken out.
Down 4-2 in the fifth, freshman catcher Ryan Campos drove in redshirt sophomore outfielder Kai Murphy on an RBI-single, which set up an RBI-double by redshirt sophomore outfielder Joe Lampe, tying the game at four.
In the sixth, sophomore pitcher Jared Glenn gave up three runs (two earned), including a two-run home run by sophomore infielder Jacob Wilson to put the Antelopes up 7-4.
The Sun Devils would only get on the board one more time, as Long hit a solo shot in the eighth to put the Devils within two runs, but they weren’t able to gather momentum before a groundout from Lampe ended the game.
The Sun Devils look to bounce back against the Washington Huskies this weekend, with the first of a three-game series set on Friday at 6 p.m.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, March 23, 11:32 a.m.
Oregon State — March 20 (W 3-1)
ASU baseball (9-12) took the series finale over No. 5 Oregon State 3-1 on Sunday afternoon.
After being blown out by the Beavers (33-2) the first two games, ASU came to play, looking to snap a three-game losing streak and provide more offense after only accumulating two total runs in the first two games of the series.
It was a pitching duel, with both teams pitching lights out. Sophomore starting pitcher Tyler Meyer was excellent, pitching seven innings and only allowing one run on an RBI double. Meyer struck out nine batters.
The bullpen pitched well, with redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine, redshirt sophomore pitcher Christian Bodlovich and sophomore pitcher Brock Peery allowing no runs in the final two innings. Bodlovich picked up the win and Peery picked up his third save of the season.
The Sun Devil offense was nonexistent until the ninth inning, where they scored three runs to ensure the victory. Graduate student infielder Conor Davis hit a one-out double to set up a redshirt sophomore catcher Nate Baez RBI-single, tying the game at one.
The other two runs came off an RBI-walk from freshman catcher Ryan Campos and a sacrifice fly from redshirt sophomore Kai Murphy.
The Sun Devils look to start a winning streak on Tuesday when they take on Grand Canyon University (13-8) in an in-state duel.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, March 20, 5:50 p.m.
Oregon State — March 18 (L 21-0)
No. 5 Oregon State manhandled ASU 21-0 in the Sun Devil's Pac-12 conference opener at Goss Stadium in Oregon on Friday night.
The Beavers held the explosive ASU offense scoreless for the first time all season. The Sun Devils mustered together only two hits and managed to get past first base just once all night.
Sophomore pitcher Cooper Hjerpe overpowered Sun Devil hitters. The southpaw struck out 12 and only allowed one run through seven innings.
ASU's nightmare started from the beginning of the night. OSU batters intimated redshirt junior pitcher Adam Tulloch from the jump and after he walked two and hit a batter, freshman infielder Travis Bazzana smashed a grand slam to give Oregon State a 4-0 start.
Coach Willie Bloomquist turned to the bullpen to try to stop the bleeding in just the second inning after Tolluch gave up two more runs. But the patient Beavers offense was too powerful for Sun Devil pitchers as batters dominated the strike zone and continued to make contact. Every Beaver hitter reached base at least once and only one batter did not score.
The Beavers managed to load up the bases in each of the first four innings and scored in every inning until the sixth when redshirt junior pitcher Dom Cacchione finally held OSU scoreless through a frame.
ASU will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. in Corvallis, Oregon.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, March 18, 10:38 p.m.
Missouri — March 13 (L 6-4)
ASU came up short in the second game of a doubleheader. This time against No. 25 Missouri Tigers, losing 6-4, on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
ASU had its chances but failed to rally. Down 3-1 heading into the fifth, a freshman catcher Will Rogers RBI single and a redshirt sophomore center fielder Joe Lampe RBI double tied up the score. However, the Tigers knocked in a runner in the sixth and drove in two more in the seventh to extend their lead out of reach. In the bottom of the ninth, freshman infielder Alex Champagne left runners on first and second before striking out.
Lampe’s hot bat has yet to cool off. The center fielder hit two for four with an RBI and a double versus the Tigers. Over the weekend, Lampe hit 8-13 against USF and Missouri through four games.
Redshirt sophomore Sean McLain smashed his first home run of the season with a solo shot in the eighth.
Redshirt senior Jacob Walker provided a serviceable start, going five frames allowing three runs while tacking on two strikeouts.
The Sun Devils enter conference play with an 8-10 record as they prepare for a three-game series at No. 3 Oregon State (11-2) starting Friday.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, March 13, 7:38 p.m.
University of San Francisco — March 13 (W 17-10)
The Sun Devils brought out the bats in a 17-10 victory against the USF Dons (10-8) on Sunday afternoon, notching the three-game sweep and bringing their record to 8-9 on the season.
Sophomore pitcher Tyler Meyer struggled mightily, allowing six runs in the first two innings. He gave up five hits, two of those being home runs and gave up two walks as well.
Although redshirt sophomore outfielder Joe Lampe led off the game with a solo home run, the Sun Devil bats got hot in the later innings, driving in 15 runs in innings six to eight. Lampe got on base five times, collecting two hits including the home run, and three walks.
Redshirt sophomore infielder Sean McLain drove in three runs off two hits, a walk, and a fielder's-choice, graduate student infielder Conor Davis drove in four runs on a single and two walks, and sophomore infielder Ethan Long drove in a run with a single.
Redshirt sophomore Nate Baez put the cherry on top in the eighth inning, hitting his second grand slam of the season, and making the score 17-10. He finished the game 2-5 with five RBIs.
Redshirt junior pitcher Will Levine and redshirt sophomore pitcher Graham Osman came in to relieve Meyer, allowing a combined four runs in 5.1 innings. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Christian Bodlovich earned his first save of the season, pitching 1.2 innings and recording four strikeouts in relief.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, March 13, 3:50 p.m.
University of San Francisco — March 12 (W 4-2)
The Sun Devils (7-9) won game two in the series against the University of San Francisco (10-7) Saturday night, 4-2.
Coming off a road trip where the Devils finished 2-3 against San Diego State and UC Irvine, the team looked to start a winning streak after taking game one against the Dons on Friday, 8-5. With the help of Redshirt junior starter Kyle Luckham, they did just that.
Luckham was outstanding, earning his second win of the season by holding the Dons to two runs over eight innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Brock Peery earned his first save of the season, taking over for Luckham in the ninth and recording all three outs.
The Sun Devil offense started off slow, not providing much action until a freshman outfielder WIll Rogers solo home run in the fourth, putting the Sun Devils on the board and making the score 2-1 Dons. Rogers finished 2-4, hitting a double along with the homer.
It wasn’t until the seventh when the Sun Devils got hot, when redshirt sophomore Joe Lampe hit an RBI-triple, scoring sophomore infielder Hunter Haas and tying the game at two. Lampe then scored on an RBI-single from redshirt sophomore infielder Sean McLain, giving the Sun Devils the lead, 3-2.
To cap off the inning, McLain scored on an RBI-single from sophomore infielder Ethan Long, giving the Devils a 4-2 lead where the score would remain the same.
The Sun Devils will face Dons and the Tigers in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 13, hoping to continue this momentum.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, March 12, 11:50 p.m.
Oklahoma State — Mar. 2 (L 11-6)
No. 4 Oklahoma State (6-2) overcame an early deficit to complete the two-game sweep against ASU (3-6), winning 11-6 Wednesday afternoon.
ASU has now lost five games in a row, with a struggling bullpen contributing to this streak. Coach Willie Bloomquist was forced to use seven relievers after redshirt senior pitcher Jacob Walker only pitched 2.2 innings, allowing three runs off four hits and one walk.
The offense once again showed up early, scoring six runs in the first three innings, and chasing Oklahoma State junior starter Dillon Marsh out of the game in the first inning.
The offense was led by freshman infielder Alex Champagne, who finished with three hits and two RBIs on the day.
Graduate student first baseman Conor Davis stayed hot with two hits, as he’s batting a remarkable .469 through the team’s first nine games of the season.
Although ASU was up 6-3 going into the fourth, the bullpen slowly blew the lead, allowing one run in the fourth and fifth inning, and two in the sixth inning, giving Oklahoma State the lead, 7-6.
Redshirt junior reliever Will Levine came into the game in the seventh and allowed four runs on four hits, giving the Cowboys an 11-6 lead.
The score would remain the same as Oklahoma State sophomore pitcher Kale Davis ended the game, striking out two of the final three batters. ASU sophomore reliever Jared Glenn was given the loss.
The Sun Devils look to end the losing streak on Friday, March 4, when they play the first of a three-game series, taking on San Diego State as they go on the road for the first time this season.
—Written by Aaron Schmidt, Mar. 3, 12:23 p.m.
Oklahoma State — Mar. 1 (L 7-5)
ASU baseball’s bullpen was the source of a 7-5 loss against No. 4 Oklahoma State on Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Redshirt junior pitcher Adam Tulloch entered the eighth with a 4-1 cushion of a lead but an error and two walks loaded the bases.
Head coach Willie Bloomquist called on junior pitcher Chase Webster to get the Devils out of the jam, but pinch hitter junior Brett Brown hit a double to the left-center wall to clean all runners and tie the game. Three batters later, Brown ran in the Sooners' go-head run off a sophomore Jaxson Crull single.
In three of the four games during ASU’s losing streak, the Sun Devils had the lead once Bloomquist pulled the starting pitcher. The game ASU didn’t have a lead, was a bullpen game that BYU won 19-3.
Coming off a shutout performance last week against Nevada, sophomore starting pitcher Tyler Meyer dealt another gem through six innings. The right-hander finished with two walks, four strikeouts while holding the fourth-ranked Sooners to only one run.
Meyer has proven himself through two games that he is the Sun Devils ace this spring. The Stanislaus transfer has pitched the most innings (13.2) among ASU arms with only two earned runs.
Graduate student first baseman Conor Davis highlighted ASU’s offense, going three for five with two RBIs, a double and his third home run of the season.
The Sun Devils hope to tie the series against the Sooners on Wednesday, March 1 at 1 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
—Written by Danny Stipanovich, Mar. 1, 10:16 p.m.
BYU — Feb. 26 (L 19-3)
Brigham Young University (4-2) had batting practice on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium with a blowout 19-3 victory ASU (3-4) to complete the series sweep.
After starting pitchers only allowed two runs over the last three games, head coach Willie Bloomquist was forced to use a bullpen game which continues to be a sore spot on the team. In game one and two of the series, both times when Bloomquist turned to the pen, the Devils had the lead.
Sophomore pitcher Josh Hansell got the nod and only lasted one inning after giving up four runs.
The game was out of reach fast for the Sun Devils after the Cougars jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead after just two innings and cruised the rest of the way.
Despite the bullpen’s struggles, there are still bright spots. Redshirt senior Boyd Vander Kooi pitched his first complete inning since 2020, dealing two strikeouts with no hits or walks on only 18 pitches.
Aaron Schmidt is a sports reporter who covers ASU Baseball and ASU Women’s Golf for The State Press. He previously covered Higley High School football for AZPreps365.
