Sun Devil Baseball 2009

[Kel Varnsen]

Off to a good start.

#4 Baseball Finishes Up Week In Surprise With 12-10 Win Over Kansas
Riccio Torrez and Kole Calhoun each have three hits in victory

March 15, 2009

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Kole Calhoun and Riccio Torrez had three hits and three RBI each to lead the No. 4 Arizona State University baseball team to a 12-10 victory over Kansas on Sunday in the final game of the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise. The Sun Devils move to 14-3 on the season with the win and finish the Surprise trip 3-2.

Calhoun went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an RBI double, while Torrez was also 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and RBI single. The home run was the first of Torrez's career, and it capped an excellent week for him, as he went 11-for-16 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBI and five runs scored over the course of the five games in Surprise.

Mike Leake came out of the bullpen to earn the victory on the mound and improve to 4-1 on the season. Josh Spence started and went four innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs.

The Sun Devils struck first with four runs in the bottom of the third. Matt Newman had an RBI single and Carlos Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly before Calhoun's two-run shot to right.

Kansas clawed back in the game with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to tie the game, but Torrez's two-run homer to left in fifth put ASU back on top. The Devils would add one more run in the fifth, when Leake scored from second after Jared McDonald reached on an error.

The Sun Devils would increase the lead further in the sixth. Jason Kipnis doubled in a run, Ramirez had an RBI single, Calhoun followed with an RBI double, Riccio Torrez drove in a run with a single to center and Leake capped off the scoring for the inning with an RBI single.

The Jayhawks would rally, scoring a run in the seventh and five in the eighth, including a grand slam by Nick Faunce, off ASU reliever Jordan Swagerty, but Swagerty would then send down five in a row to finish the game.

ASU will return to action on Friday, opening Pac-10 Conference play at home against Arizona, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.

 

[PoolBoy]

ill be at every game of the UofA series. should be good

 

[sundevilscott]

Look who is #1 this week. Not bad for a rebuilding year. The pitching has really stepped up the last 4 games. They have huge series this week with Arkansas.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/baseball/usatpoll.htm

 

[PoolBoy]

Look who is #1 this week. Not bad for a rebuilding year. The pitching has really stepped up the last 4 games. They have huge series this week with Arkansas.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/baseball/usatpoll.htm

very cool. I wish more of the games were on tv. I've only been able to make it to two games so far.

 

[trueherotillman]

it's too bad ASU baseball doesnt get more press than it does. Nationwide, we're covered quite well (baseball america and the like). Local coverage is horrible. You wanna go watch a consistent winner at a real cost effective price? go watch ASU baseball....especially when we whoop up on AU.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Pac-10 champs three years in a row!

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/2009/05/17/20090517spt-asubase-CR.html

 

[overseascardfan]

Pac-10 champs three years in a row!

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/2009/05/17/20090517spt-asubase-CR.html

They have done it with some great players but amazing they are doing it despite the amount of talent they lose to the draft which has robbed them of some elite players.

 

[baseball4]

Jason Kipnis interview

There is an interview with Jason Kipnis at the website Baseball Beginnings.

Good luck Devils!!

 

[BirdMan21]

Good win tonight. Decent outing from Leake. 9IP 5H 1ER 15Ks

 

[PoolBoy]

Good win tonight. Decent outing from Leake. 9IP 5H 1ER 15Ks

haha, nice word choice. Leake is amazing.

 

[baseball4]

There's a great story about Mike Leake and Stephen Strasburg and who will make the better pro over the long haul...check it out at Baseball Beginnings.

 

[HooverDam]

1 game against Clemson down, 1 to go!

 

[HooverDam]

Back to Omaha we go:

Spence pitches ASU back to CWS
28 comments by Jeff Metcalfe - Jun. 7, 2009 11:00 PM
The Arizona Republic
Game photos | Up next: North Carolina

The man from Down Under resurfaced Sunday night to pitch Arizona State back to the College World Series.

Australian Josh Spence, after working only seven innings since April 26 due to a hand injury, threw a complete game in an 8-2 super regional-clinching win over Clemson. He tossed a four-hitter, striking out 10 and walking only win in his second nine-inning effort of the season.

No. 5 national seed ASU (49-12) is returning to Omaha, Neb., for the third time in five years. The Sun Devils will open against No. 4 national seed North Carolina (47-16) on Saturday or Sunday with the College World Series schedule to be finalized Monday.

ASU is making its 21st trip to Omaha. The Sun Devils are trying for a sixth national title and first since 1981. Clemson finished 44-22.

"It looked easy, but it certainly wasn't," ASU coach Pat Murphy said. "The fans were tremendous. Even though we've been to Omaha three of the last five years, this one seems a little sweeter because of the type of club we have. These guys, they just believe."

Spence (9-1), a junior left-hander, was perfect over the first three innings at sold-out Packard Stadium (4,406) before giving up a two-out solo home run to Jeff Schaus in the bottom of the fourth.

"It's always comforting to be behind Mike Leake and starting Game 2," Spence said, "especially with the team we've got, how relaxed we are. I just want go out there and execute one (pitch) at a time, and I'm looking forward to doing it next week."

ASU, playing as the visiting team, decisively struck back in the top of the fifth.

Johnny Ruettiger singled leading off the fifth and Zack MacPhee drew his second walk. Drew Maggi sacrificed the runners, and Jason Kipnis brought them home with a single.

Kipnis went to third on a wild pickoff, and Clemson changed to reliever Matt Vaughn, who walked Carlos Ramirez and gave up a two-run double to Kole Calhoun.

Matt Newman doubled home Calhoun for a 5-1 lead.

Spence earned his first win since April 17, when he first noticed problems with what was determined to be a tendon strain in his pitching hand. He missed a month with what had been believed to be a season-ending injury before returning in the regular-season finale against UCLA.

The first three innings were all pitching.

Spence retired the first nine Tigers he faced, striking out six. He and Mike Leake give ASU two pitchers with 100-plus strikeouts for the first time since Jeff Matranga and Sean Lowe in 1992.

The Sun Devils had two hits off Chris Dwyer (5-6) in the first three innings.

They failed to advance a runner past second base, and Dwyer had five strikeouts in the first three innings and two more in a perfect fourth.

I really think ASU has a good shot this year because of their pitching. If the bats stay hot in the tourney, title #6 could finally be coming to Tempe. Its just too bad we don't have this years pitching with last years bats, we'd be beating everyones brains in.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

 

[Dback Jon]

On to Omaha!!

 

[baseball4]

Great weekend for the Devils!! Nice job!

There is a scouting report and video on Jason Kipnis on the front page of Baseball Beginnings. Good game yesterday.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

fun game yesterday ....... hope they can keep it going in omaha

 

[Skkorpion]

I know I am supposed to get excited when my school does well in a sport. College baseball is such a big money drain and a minor league extension of MLB that I just don't care.

Same with swimming, wrestling, golf and track and field.

 

[HooverDam]

I know I am supposed to get excited when my school does well in a sport. College baseball is such a big money drain and a minor league extension of MLB that I just don't care.

Same with swimming, wrestling, golf and track and field.

I find it odd that you can sit and watch and sport and have it ruined for you because its a money drain. :/ Have you been out to Packard recently? Its a lot of fun and I always thought that was the point of sports.

 

[PoolBoy]

I find it odd that you can sit and watch and sport and have it ruined for you because its a money drain. :/ Have you been out to Packard recently? Its a lot of fun and I always thought that was the point of sports.

it is. especially college sports. thats sad, I think college baseball doesnt get enough pub. its great.

 

[Skkorpion]

I find it odd that you can sit and watch and sport and have it ruined for you because its a money drain. :/ Have you been out to Packard recently? Its a lot of fun and I always thought that was the point of sports.

Hoover, ASU keeps sticking it to students on tuition costs. The University is a state tax-supported institution in a state with a megadollar budget deficit. A state whose constitution requires balanced budgets.

Everybody, every service, everything tax funded is getting chopped, wacked and reduced. College baseball doesn't come close to paying for itself. It is one of ASU's biggest athletic money pits.

The governor wants me to pay an extra 1% sales tax on everything I buy. Screw that. Get rid of more fat first. College baseball is fat.

 

[PoolBoy]

Hoover, ASU keeps sticking it to students on tuition costs. The University is a state tax-supported institution in a state with a megadollar budget deficit. A state whose constitution requires balanced budgets.

Everybody, every service, everything tax funded is getting chopped, wacked and reduced. College baseball doesn't come close to paying for itself. It is one of ASU's biggest athletic money pits.

The governor wants me to pay an extra 1% sales tax on everything I buy. Screw that. Get rid of more fat first. College baseball is fat.

it may be fat for you, but the people who enjoy it, and those who have jobs because of it don't consider it fat. I work for the city in Aquatics, and they consider us fat, so they are cutting the hours that we are open and cutting out pay at least 2% across the board. I think there are more reasons than you can count for the economy than college baseball.

 

[HooverDam]

Hoover, ASU keeps sticking it to students on tuition costs. The University is a state tax-supported institution in a state with a megadollar budget deficit. A state whose constitution requires balanced budgets.

Everybody, every service, everything tax funded is getting chopped, wacked and reduced. College baseball doesn't come close to paying for itself. It is one of ASU's biggest athletic money pits.

The governor wants me to pay an extra 1% sales tax on everything I buy. Screw that. Get rid of more fat first. College baseball is fat.

The rest of the athletic department pays for it though, so Im not sure I see your point.

My point is, who goes to a sporting event and is thinking "this isn't a profitable venture- so I cant enjoy it!" Did you go to any Coyotes games the last 3 years and have it ruined because you knew the team was losing money? What sense does that make? Go to Packard, lay in the grass, eat a hot dog and enjoy some fun baseball.

 

[PoolBoy]

The rest of the athletic department pays for it though, so Im not sure I see your point.

My point is, who goes to a sporting event and is thinking "this isn't a profitable venture- so I cant enjoy it!" Did you go to any Coyotes games the last 3 years and have it ruined because you knew the team was losing money? What sense does that make? Go to Packard, lay in the grass, eat a hot dog and enjoy some fun baseball.

eat alot of those. IT MAKES MONEY!

 

[O]

Great game today!