March 31, 2002
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Complete 2002 Updated Statistics
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Record Entering Week: 18-9 overall, 2-1 Pac-10
Record Last Week: 2-1 (2-1 Pac-10)
Current 2002 Record: 20-10 (4-2 Pac-10)
Last Week's National Rankings: 15/19/20 (BW/CB/BA)
Streak: Won 2 (winners of four of last six games)
Last Week's Results (2-1):
Thursday (March 28) - 14-11 loss vs. Washington
Friday (March 29) - 8-3 win vs. Washington
Saturday (March 30) - 13-6 win vs. Washington
This Week's Games:
Monday, April 1 - at UNLV, 6:30 p.m. PST (Earl E. Wilson Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.)
Friday, April 5 - at Washington State, 3 p.m. PST (Bailey-Brayton Field, Pullman, Wash.)
Saturday, April 6 - at Washington State, 3 p.m. PST (Bailey-Brayton Field, Pullman, Wash.)
Sunday, April 7 - at Washington State, 1 p.m. PST (Bailey-Brayton Field, Pullman, Wash.)
Pitcher of the Week Nominee:
Mike Esposito, So., RHP, Las Vegas, Nev.
Arizona State sophomore right-handed pitcher Mike Esposito had one of the best pitching performances in Sun Devil baseball history when he struck out 17 batters in a complete-game victory over the University of Washington Friday night at Hohokam Stadium. He allowed only three runs (two earned) and eight hits in his second complete-game of the year. Esposito, a redshirt sophomore from Las Vegas, Nev. (Cimarron High School) registered the sixth most K's in a single game in ASU history and the most since 1997. He improved to 6-3 on the year leading the Devils to a 8-3 win over the Huskies and leads the team with a 2.53 ERA. Over his last five games is a remarkable 4-1 with a nearly impeccable 1.32 ERA. Over that same stretch has registered 47 strikeouts in 34.0 innings pitched. The preseason All-American and 2001 Team USA member is now 12-5 in his two-years at ASU.
Offensive Player of the Week Nominee:
Dustin Pedroia, Fr., SS, Woodland, Calif.
Freshman Dustin Pedroia has been ASU's hottest hitters as of late and is coming off a weekend series against Washington in which he was 7-for-13 (.538) with three runs, two doubles and six RBI at the plate. In six Pac-10 games this year the freshman leads the Devils in hitting with a .500 average, going 13-for-26. His weekend included a pair of three-hit games (Thursday and Saturday) and was 1-for-4 with a two-run double in Friday's 8-3 win over UW. He started all three games against the Huskies at shortstop (his third position started at this year) and for the 27th straight game played flawless defense. For the year Pedroia is sixth on the team while hitting at a .339 clip (39x115) and has managed at least one hit in 22 of his 30 games played. On defense he leads the team with a .990 fielding percentage, making only one error in 105 total chances.
Notes on ASU Baseball:
ASU's 18 homers this season equals the total from the entire 2001 season...
sophomore Jeremy West leads the team with eight home runs after belting two
last weekend against UW... West now has 14 career home runs... sophomore RHP
Ryan Schroyer has 21 K's in 11.0 bullpen innings and an 0.82 ERA as a
reliever... overall he is now 1-1 on the year with three saves and a 2.93
ERA... he currently has a string of 10 consecutive shutout innings... junior
third baseman Dennis Wyrick is hitting .343 (23x67) this year after going
5-for-13 vs. UW... he is now hitting .400 for his career in Pac-10 play
(56-for-140) and is a .385 hitter (8x18) in league action this year... after
the ASU team batting average dropped below .300 last week for first time
since April 7, 1998, ASU is back above .300 in hitting as a team at the
.306 mark... the four complete games this year are the most as a team since
ASU had eight in 1999... ASU pitchers had only one last year (Jon Switzer)...
Dustin Pedroia has only one error in 105 total chances (3 positions) for an
overall .990 fielding percentage... Andre Ethier and Jon Sheaffer tied for
team lead at .384 on the year... Sheaffer hit .583 (7x12) in the UW series
and has recorded at least one hit in 18 of his last 21 games... Ethier is
hitting .476 (10x21) with 10 runs scored and eight RBI in Pac-10 play and
leads the team with eight multi-RBI games... seven of his 12 multi-hit games
this year have been of the three or four-hit variety... freshmen Nick Cadena
and Joel Bocchi entered Friday's game with only two RBI between both of
them, but each came up big with a pair of two-run singles to help erase an
early 3-0 UW lead... the Devils have now scored in 405 consecutive games
dating back to April 7, 1995... freshman Jeff Larish, who was going to
redshirt this season, is 9-for-24 (.375) to start his ASU career... Pedroia
and Ethier only Devils to play all 30 games this year... preseason
All-American Rod Allen did not play for the first time this season in
Saturday's win and is batting .263 on the year with five home runs and 25
RBI... sophomore Steve Garrabrants is still hampered by an injured shoulder
which he mildly aggravated in Friday's game... the 20 hits in Saturday's win
was a season high for the Devils... ASU has now won six straight Pac-10
series dating back to the WSU series in Tempe (Apr. 12-14) of last year.