PHOENIX -- Sun Devil Baseball continues the 2019 season this weekend at home at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix with a Wednesday midweek tilt against San Diego followed by a three-game series against UC Davis beginning Friday, Feb. 22. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday's contest will each feature a first pitch at 6:30 p.m. while Sunday's finale will get underway at 12:30 p.m. Every game this week will be streamed live online through the Pac-12 Network Plus.
#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. ASU's 2-7 hitters in ASU's lineup combined to bat .466 against Notre Dame (35-of-75) with 34 RBIs, while batting .526 with RISP (20-of-38).
2. ASU's 46 runs on Opening Weekend were the second-most for a three-game season opener in school history (61 vs. Southern Utah in 2007)
3. ASU's 46 runs against Notre Dame are the fourth-most for a three-game series overall since the 2000 season.
4. Alec Marsh became the first Sun Devil pitcher to strike out 10 since Seth Martinez in the 2016 season.
5. Alec Marsh was the first Sun Devil pitcher since AT LEAST 1998 to strike out 10 batters on Opening Night.
6. Spencer Torkelson has reached base in 42 consecutive games dating back to last season and is the Pac-12 Player of the Week.
7. Torkelson has multiple RBIs in 18 of his 58 career starts (.310) and multiple hits in 22 of those (.379)
8. Lyle Lin was a perfect 4-for-4 bringing home a runner from third with less than two outs after being 2-for-12 in the category last season.
9. Alec Marsh has allowed three runs or fewer in 18 of his last 19 appearances dating back to his freshman season.
10. ASU will look to improve upon its 4-16 record last season in games that were decided by two runs or less.
Follow the Action
- Every game this week is scheduled to be streamed live via the Pac-12 Networks and can be viewed at https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university.
- Fans are encouraged to follow along in-game content throughout the weekend on the Sun Devil Baseball account (@ASU_Baseball).
Season Opener
- The Sun Devil Baseball team (3-0) swept Notre Dame to open the 2019 season behind an incredible offensive effort in outscoring the Irish, 46-13 over the three-game series.
- All told, the 2-7 hitters in ASU's lineup combined to bat .466 over the weekend (35-of-75) with 34 RBIs, while batting .526 with runners in scoring position (20-of-38).
- The 46 runs in the season opening series were the second-most in a three-game season opening series in program history behind only the 61 scored against Southern Utah in 2007.
- The 46 runs are the fourth-most for a three-game series overall since the 2000 season.
Fear the Tork
- Spencer Torkelson was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week for the Opening Week of the 2019 season. It is the second time in his career earning the honor.
- Torkelson opened the season batting 9-of-14 (.643) with nine RBIs, two doubles and five runs scored.
- The sophomore and unanimous preason All-American was a perfect 6-for-6 with runners in scoring position and was successful in advancing runners 9-of-13 times over the course of the weekend.
- Of his nine total RBIs on the weekend, seven of the them came with two outs.
- Torkelson is currently leads the the Pac-12 in both batting average (.643) and is second in RBIs (9).
- Dating back to last season, Torkelson has now reached base in 42 consecutive games.
- After the opening weekend, the sophomore now has multiple RBIs in 18 of his 58 career starts (.310) and mutliple hits in 22 of those (.379).
#TorksUp
- Torkelson led the country in 2018 with 25 home runs – two more than any other player and just one shy of the NCAA freshman record while becoming first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in home runs.
- Became just the sixth player to reach 25 home runs since the BBCOR batting technology changes took effect in 2011 and the only freshman in the NCAA to reach the milestone in that time.
- Slugged a gaudy .743 on the season (25 homers, 12 doubles), the third-highest total for any freshman in the NCAA in the past two decades and the highest for a freshman in the BBCOR era (since 2011). Only Rickie Weeks (.849 in 2001) and Jeremy Baltz (.771, 2010) posted higher freshman slugging percentages in the past 20 years.
- Torkelson was a unanimous All-American, as every major baseball media outlet in the nation rewarded the freshman with at least one All-America accolade (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, NCBWA, and Perfect Game).
- Honored with Perfect Game's National Freshman of the Year award.
- Named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, an award honoring the best player in college baseball.
- National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America named him as a third-team All-America selection; Earned third-team recognition from Perfect Game; Placed on the Perfect Game Freshman All-America First Team; Named by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as the National Co-Freshman of the Year and the NCBWA as the National Freshman Hitter of the Year.
- Just the seventh Sun Devil in school history to be named an All-American as a freshman, joining Mike Kelly (1989) and Casey Myers (1998) as the only two ASU position players to be named All-Americans as freshman.
- The third Sun Devil to be named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, joining Ike Davis (2006) and Jason Kipnis (2008).
Hunting Party
- Hunter Bishop was a fearsome out in the three-hole during the opening weekend of action, batting .571 (8-of-14) with a home run, five RBIs and a team-leading three doubles and seven runs in the process.
- His three doubles and 14 total bases are currently second in the Pac-12 while the 1.000 slugging percentage is third and his seven runs are tied for fifth.
- Bishop led the team in advancing runners 10 times on 13 opportunities over the course of the opening weekend and was a perfect 3-for-3 as a leadoff batter as well.
Marshing to the Beat
- Alec Marsh tossed a gem of an outing on Opening Night, going 6.2 innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts. He allowed just one run on four hits and walked just one batter.
- The 10 strikeouts were the first for a Sun Devil since Seth Martinez in March of 2016. Marsh also became the first Sun Devil in at least 20 years to throw 10 strikeouts on Opening Night.
- Since at least 1998 (as far back as readily accessible records go), no Sun Devil had struck out more than eight batters on Opening Night until Marsh's performance on Friday.
- Dating back to last season, Marsh has a posted a quality start in 6 of his last 9 starts since assuming the mantle of Mr. Friday Night midway through the season last year.
- Last season, Marsh finished with a 3-3 record while posting a 3.89 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched and struck out 64 batters and held opponents to a .232 batting average.
- Marsh has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 18 of his last 19 appearances dating back to his freshman season.
#LINSANITY
- As has become the norm for Lyle Lin, the junior embraced his new role as the team's designated hitter with a .417 average over opening weekend on 5-of-12 hitting.
- His seven RBIs are third on the team and currently tied for fifth in the Pac-12 conference.
- Lin was a perfect 4-for-4 in bringing runners from third home with less than two outs through the first three games, a notable area of struggle for the junior was was just 2-for-12 in the category last season.
- Of the ASU batters with at least five opportunities, Lin leads the team with a .818 average in successfully advancing baserunners (9-of-11 chances).
- Lin has started in all 113 games at Arizona State.
- Lin opened the 2018 season on a 15-game hitting streak and recorded at least one hit in 25 of 26 games to start the season.