TEMPE, Ariz. – Two members of the Sun Devils’ 1981 National Championship baseball team, including Arizona State University Sports Hall of Famer Alvin Davis and starting second baseman Bert Martinez, as well as former outfielder and 1995 NLCS MVP Mike Devereaux, headline the March 14-16 celebration of the program in the 1980s.
All three Sun Devil greats will be honored on March 15 prior to the baseball team’s 6:30 p.m. game against Washington at Packard Stadium.
“The 1980s was an incredible era in Sun Devil Baseball and one that I am very proud to have been a part of, but even more so one that I am proud to be able to recognize this weekend,” says head coach Tim Esmay, who played for the Devils from 1986-87. “This group made five trips to the College World Series, helped usher our program from the Western Athletic Conference into the Pac-10 Conference and won more than 450 games. And on an individual level, there were two National Players of the Year, more than 15 All-Americans, and some of the greatest to ever wear the Maroon and Gold.”
Davis (1979-82), who had his No. 9 honored by ASU in 2006 and was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, knocked in 200 runs and hit .362 in his four-year career with the Devils. He earned First-Team All-Conference honors in each of the three seasons he started at ASU, including one at designated hitter and two at first base, and was the starting first baseman on the 1981 National Championship team. He was named the 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year, as well as a Second-Team All-American and Academic All-American.
Davis was a sixth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 1982 MLB Draft and went on to win the 1984 American League Rookie of the Year Award. He played nine seasons in the Majors and was an All-Star in 1984.
Devereaux (1984-85), the 1995 National League Championship Series MVP and a World Series champion with the Atlanta Braves, played two seasons with the Sun Devils. A starting outfielder on the 1985 team, his four doubles against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 25 are still tied for the single-game school record. He made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987 and played for a total of five Major League teams from 1987-98.
Martinez (1980-83) was a three-year starter for the Sun Devils. A versatile infielder, he started at shortstop, second base and third base during his career. He hit two home runs in the 1981 College World Series and made the throw to first base for the final out against Oklahoma State to win the national title on June 8.
Tip Your Cap To The 1980s Giveaways – March 14-16
Friday, March 14: The first 750 fans will receive the commemorative 1980s poster
Friday-Sunday, March 14-16: Ballots for the All-Packard Team are available now on gamedays at Packard Stadium, so be sure to mark your picks for the best to play at Packard Stadium, or visit azcentral.com to vote online.
Tip Your Cap To Packard
The series-long celebration of 1980-89 is the third of seven themed weekends this season at Packard Stadium as we Tip Our Cap to the historic ballpark.
Feb. 14-16: 2000s at Packard Stadium
March 7-9: 1990s at Packard Stadium
March 14-16: 1980s at Packard Stadium
April 4-6: 1970s and opening of Packard Stadium
April 11-13: Foundation of Sun Devil Baseball (Pre-1974)
May 9-11: All-Packard Team
May 16-18: 40 years of Packard Stadium
A select line of merchandise bearing the official “Tip Your Cap To Packard” logo is available now at Sparky’s Stadium Shop, located in the Carson Student-Athlete Center, and will also be sold on gamedays at the team shop at Packard Stadium.
Click here for a full list of “Farewell To Packard” promotions, which includes themed weekends, the return of legendary players and coaches, an All-Packard Team voted on by the fans, and more.
Single-game tickets and Mini Packs are on sale now, as well as season tickets starting at $99. Admission for ASU students is free with a valid Sun Card.
Purchasing season tickets will also give fans first opportunity and priority at selecting seats at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 2015. Other benefits include reserved lot parking and vouchers for the annual Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz.
Fans can purchase tickets online at sundeviltickets.com, by phone at 480-727-000 or by visiting the Sun Devil Stadium Ticket Office, located at the south end of Sun Devil Stadium.
Join the conversation all season using the hashtags #OccupyPackard and #TipYourCap.
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