Sun Devil Baseball Opens 2018 Against Miami (OH)

Miami (Ohio) (0-0, 0-0 MAC) | Arizona State (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
--------------
FACEBOOK LIVE ON SATURDAY
Saturday's doubleheader against Miami (OH) will be streamed live via Facebook Live through the Pac-12 Network. Fans can tune in and interact with other fans at Facebook.com/Pac12Plus! The stream will also be available through both the Sun Devil Athletics Facebook page and the Sun Devil Baseball page as well.
--------------
Friday, February 16, 6:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Miami (OH) | CANCELLED
Saturday, February 17, 2 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Miami (OH) - Game 1 | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: AM 1060 & TUNEIN
Saturday, February 17, 45 minutes after Game 1 | Arizona State vs. Miami (OH) - Game 2 | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: AM 1060 & TUNEIN
Sunday, February 18, 10 a.m. | Arizona State vs. Miami (OH) - Game 1 | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: AM 1060 & TUNEIN
Sunday, February 18, 45 minutes after Game 1 | Arizona State vs. Miami (OH) - Game 2 | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: AM 1060 & TUNEIN
--------------
Next Week
Wednesday, February 21, 1 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Arizona Diamondbacks | TICKETS
Friday, February 23, 6:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Saint Mary's | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream 
Saturday, February 24, 1 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Saint Mary's | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream 
Sunday, February 25, 12:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Saint Mary's | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream
_____________

PHOENIX -- Sun Devil Baseball open the 2018 season this weekend against Miami (OH) in a four-game set at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz.

Due to travel complications affecting a substantial amount of baseball programs and other events in the Midwest, Sun Devil Baseball's Friday night season opener against Miami (OH) has been canceled, but both teams will continue the scheduled four-game set over the course of two doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.
 
The two teams will open the season with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 17 beginning at 2 p.m. Arizona time. The second game of the double header will get underway 45 minutes following the conclusion of the first.
 
The teams will take part in a second doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 18, beginning at 10 a.m. Arizona time. Again, the second game will get underway 45 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.

Follow the Action

• Each game in the four-game set against the RedHawks will be streamed live through the Pac-12 Network. The stream will be available here: https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university
• Both games in Saturday's doubleheader will be shown via Facebook Live through the Pac-12 Networks. Fans can tune in through any option of the Pac-12 Plus Facebook Page, the Arizona State Sun Devils Facebook Page or the Sun Devil Baseball Facebook Page.
• The Sun Devil Sports Radio Network is scheduled to broadcast both games in the Saturday doubleheader on NBC Sports 1060 AM All games will also be available through the TuneIn app on TheSunDevils.com. Broadcaster Tim Healey is set to serve his 20th season as the "Voice of the Sun Devils" on baseball broadcasts and will be joined for the second-straight season by color analyst Max Rossiter, who was an all-conference catcher for the Devils from 2012-13.
• Fans are encouraged to follow the Devils on Twitter @ASU_Baseball for updates throughout the week. 

Streaking in February

• The Devils are 19-4 in series' played in the month of February over the past 12 years and have won 11 consecutive series on Opening Weekend.
• ASU had won 16 consecutive February series until dropping a three-game series against top-ranked TCU Feb. 20-22, 2015. Prior to that, the last time was Feb. 18-20, 2005 when they were swept by No. 1 Tulane on the road.

Season Openers and Double Headers

• The Sun Devils are 46-12-1 in season openers and 490-143 in doubleheaders. 
• ASU has won 10 of its last 11 season openers, the lone loss coming in 2014 to Baylor.
• While doubleheaders on Opening Weekend aren't necessarily rare, a doubleheader on Opening Day is almost unheard of, though the Sun Devils will not be doing it two seasons in a row. ASU took on Northwestern in an Opening Day doubleheader last season as well. Prior to that, ASU last played an Opening Day doubleheader on Feb. 4, 1979 against Cal State-Dominguez Hills and this weekend will mark just the fifth Opening Day doubleheader on record in program lore.
• ASU last played Opening Day doubleheaders in consecutive seasons in 1960 and 1961.

Scouting the RedHawks

• ASU is 2-0 all-time against Miami (OH), with the last contest coming in 2008, also a season opener in the DeMarini Invitational - an 8-0 victory for the Sun Devils. 
• Prior to that, the two teams last played in the 2000 NCAA Tempe Regional - a 15-7 victory in ASU's favor.
• Miami (OH) is the alma mater of current Sun Devil head coach Tracy Smith. Smith compiled eight straight 30-win seasons, two NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament finals six times at Miami (OH).
• Currenty Miami head coach Danny Hayden played under Smith while he was a student-athlete at Miami (OH).
• Redshirt senior Ross Haffey, who has led Miami (OH) in most of the major offensive categories the last two seasons, returns to his familiar first base position. He has started every game over there for Miami the last two years. Last season, he was a Second-Team All-MAC pick for the second straight year.
• Miami finished the 2017 season with a 22-34 record, including an 8-16 mark in conference play.
• The RedHawks were picked to finish fifth in MAC this season. 

Mr. Friday Night

• Sophomore LHP Spencer Van Scoyoc is scheduled to toe the rubber on Opening Night on Friday, hoping to join a long line of legendary Sun Devils to lay claim to the title of Mr. Friday Night.
• Van Scoyoc joins a long and illustrious line of Mr. Friday Night's at ASU that includes nine Major Leaguers and numerous ASU Hall of Famers, including Eddie Bane, Floyd Bannister, Kendall Carter, Mike Esposito, Larry Gura, Gary Gentry, Mike Leake, Trevor Williams and Brady Rodgers.

Eli's Coming

• Eli Lingos enters his senior season looking to have another impactful year after a solid junior year that saw him sit as one of the top ace's in the Pac-12.
• Totaled a team-high six quality starts on the season, finishing with a 4.21ERA in 87.2 innings with a team-high 66 strikeouts.
• Had the fourth lowest ERA in the Pac-12 conference among pitchers with at least 16 starts.
• Picked off three runners on the season, good for fourth in the Pac-12.
• Lingos led the Sun Devils with six quality starts last season. No other Sun Devil had more than one quality start this season.
• Among his career-best six wins were an upset over then-No. 1 TCU and a career-best 7.2 IP outing against LMU in which he allowed no runs.
• Lingos went over 6.0 IP in his first five appearances this season after neving having consecutive games over 6.0 IP in his career prior to this season. He has seven games over 6.0 IP this year, six of which were wins.
• He is ninth in the league with 83.1 innings pitched this season and ninth in the conference with 64 strikeouts. He is tied for sixth nationally with 15 starts this year.

12-Gage

• Gage Canning led the team in virtually every hitting category last season, including batting average (.332), runs (37), doubles (12), triples (8), home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.538) en route to First Team All-Pac-12 honors.
• He was the only player in the Pac-12 to finish with a double-digit number doubles while also posting at least six home runs and six triples.
• On top of dominating the leader boards at ASU, Canning's eight triples were the most by a player in the conference and second-most in the NCAA, behind only Brent Sakurai of New Mexico State who knocked nine. 
• Canning also recorded 120 total bases on the season, good for third in the conference. 
• The outfielder really hit his stride in the middle of the season, as he went on a 12-game tear in which he hit at a .538 clip, including five three-hit nights and a four-hit performance.
• Canning had 10 games with three or more hits on the season which was six more than any other Sun Devil and surpasses the team lead from last season (6).
• The 10 3+ hit games were the most since Jason Kipnis had 13 such games in 2009.
• With 14 career triples, Canning is just six out of cracking the all-time top-five at ASU in the category. 
• As if that weren't all enough, Canning is a perfect 134-of-134 on fielding chances this season and did not commit an error all season - the only Sun Devil field player to do so, regardless of games played.

Lin-Sanity

• Lyle Lin has Lin burst onto the collegiate scene on a high note, batting over .300 midway through the season. 
• The infielder bounced between catching and playing first base, but joined Canning as one of only three players to start all 55 games for the Devils. 
• Lin finished his freshman campaign batting .290 with nine doubles, one triple and two home runs. 
• Lin's nine multi-RBI games were good for second on the team and he had a team-best 24-game reached base streak at one point in the season - the third-longest for a Sun Devil freshman since the 2000 season. 
• His 12-game hitting streak at one point in the season was tied for Canning for the longest of the year while his 17 multi-hit games were second on the team. 
• He was also solid defensively, as Lin was one of two Devils this season to make it to SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day for a diving snag down the first base line against California.

On The Hunt

• After a start to the season that saw him batting .250 after 30 games, Bishop finished the season strong. 
• The freshman finished his 2017 campaign with an impressive .301 batting average, five doubles, four triples and five home runs. 
• He ranked second on the team – behind only Canning – in batting average, runs scored (27), triples, home runs and slugging percentage (.484). 
• Bishop started 31 games in the outfield season to become just the sixth ASU freshman in the past 15 years to start over 50 percent of the season in the outfield, most recently done by Canning last season. 
• His 10 multi-RBI games were also a team-best.

Turning The Tides

• Connor Higgins was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List this season, awarded to the top relief pitcher in college baseball
• Connor Higgins was in pretty dire straights in the first 13 games with a 27.00 ERA in three appearances with just 1.1 innings pitched.
• Higgins posted a 2.84 ERA in 15 apperances to wrap up the season with 29 strikeouts in 34.0 innings pitched while picking up three wins and a team-best four saves in the process.
• After the tough 13 games to start the year, Higgins leds the teams relievers in strikeouts, innings pitched, wins and saves in the final 38 games of the season.

Keeping It Interesting

• The Devils have a knack for success in close games in recent years.
• Since 2016, the Devils are 7-2 in extra-inning games (1-1 in 2017), with six walk-off wins (two this season) and are 21-7 (9-6 last year year) in one-run games -including 7-6 in Pac-12 play. 
• ASU has driven in the game-winning run in the eighth inning or later 14 times (four times this year).
• Arizona State has notched 10 wins since 2016 when trailing after six innings (four times last season).

#OccupyPHXMuni 

• ASU drew more than 83,000 fans last season, more than it posted in 2016 and finished 27th nationally in total attendance and average attendance per game (2,622).
• The Sun Devils have had a pair of big attendance games this season, including 6,010 against Oregon State in the series opener - the second largest crowd since moving back to Phoenix Muni - as well as 4,107 fans against UNLV in the largest mid-week attendance since returning to Muni and fifth-largest overall since returning.
• ASU ranked 13th in total attendance and was the only school west of Texas to draw more than 100,000 fans in 2015, and ranked 18th in average attendance with 3,082 fans per game. ASU's 107,010 fans were the program's most since 2010 and ranked as the fourth-highest regular-season attendance since 1988. 
• ASU moved back to Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 2015 after playing 40 seasons at Packard Stadium from 1974-2014, winning their first contest in the team's on a walk-off home run in extra inning against No. 5 Oklahoma State on Feb. 13, 2015.
•  The Devils played 137 games at Muni from 1964-74, and went 111-26 at the stadium, including 17-6 against Arizona. ASU's first game at Muni was April 10, 1964, and was a 5-3 win over Arizona. ASU's last game at Muni was March 18, 1974, and was 9-6 win over Colorado. ASU won District 7 titles in 1965 and 1967 at Muni before going on to win National Championships in Omaha. 
• Former Sun Devil and eventual Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was the first college player to hit a home run at Muni.

Join the conversation all season
Twitter: @ASU_Baseball | Facebook: Sun Devil Baseball | Instagram: ASU_Baseball

SEASON TICKETS
2018 Sun Devil Baseball season tickets are now available starting at $115. To purchase season tickets, click here or call our VIP tickets line at (480) 965-5812.

If you are a current season ticket holder and have questions, call the VIP service line at 480-965-5333.
 
Season Ticket Holder Benefits
As a season ticket holder, you get several exclusive benefits:

• Personal Service Representative
• Guaranteed the same seat for all home games
• Option to purchase season parking
• Priority on postseason tickets
• Access to exclusive Season Ticket Holder events and behind-the-scenes tours
• Ability to manage and renew your tickets online

MINI/FLEX PLANS
Can't make it to the full 34-game slate? Come see your Sun Devils with a mini plan, and choose the option that best fits your needs! Grab the traditional six-game plan where you pick the games you want to attend, or enjoy the ultimate flexibility with a nine-game flex plan which offers nine vouchers to use however you would like. Use them for nine separate games or use them all at one game, the choice is yours! Plans start at just $30!

PREMIUM SEATING
Phoenix Muni party suites provide amenities unlike any other area designed to enhance your game day experience. A private suite is a great way to entertain family and friends, and business associates while experiencing Sun Devil Baseball from the best seats in the house.  Escape the Arizona heat and enjoy mingling inside while watching Sun Devil Baseball outside.  Limited availability!

VIEW more information on single game suites, or if you would like to tour one of the suites, please contact Joe Jerde, Manager of Premium Seating at 480-727-3511 or via email at Joseph.Jerde@asu.edu.

GROUP TICKETS
You are ASU and that's why we invite you to come out and enjoy a Sun Devil Athletics event with your group. Groups can take advantage of discounts, benefits, tailgates, and fundraising opportunities. Group packages provide you possibilities to help plan the perfect outing. Bring your family, friends, co-workers, or organization to cheer on the Sun Devils. CLICK HERE for more information!

SINGLE GAME TICKETS 
Tickets for all non-conference games of the 2018 season are now on sale. Come enjoy the atmosphere of Phoenix Muni as the Sun Devils take on some of the best teams in the country, highlighted by series against Oklahoma State and Cal State Fullerton. Get your tickets today! 

Be sure to check back Feb. 15 for conference game tickets, featuring some of the heavy hitters of the Pac-12.