PHOENIX -- Sun Devil Baseball returns home for a key Pac-12 series this weekend, squaring off against third-ranked Oregon State beginning Friday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The two teams enter the weekend tied for second in the Pac-12 and both ranked in the Top-10 nationally in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Friday's tilt is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 p.m. PT, as is Saturday's. The Sunday series finale is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. PT. All games will be streamed live through Arizona State's Pac-12 Plus Live Stream.
Follow the Action
- Each game this weekend will be streamed live by ASU and available online at https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university
- Each game will also be available over the airwaves on NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM KDUS with the Voice of the Sun Devils, Tim Healey, alongside analyst Max Rossiter.
- Fans are encouraged to follow along in-game content throughout the weekend on the Sun Devil Baseball account (@ASU_Baseball).
A Hot Start
- The Sun Devils were the last undefeated team in the country, starting out the season 21-0 and matching the second best start in program history (1961). Only the 2010 team that started 24-0 had a better start to the year.
- The Sun Devils were tabbed by Perfect Game as the Midseason Team of the Year on April 3.
- ASU's .541 team slugging percentage is second in the NCAA. The Sun Devils are third nationally in runs (297), scoring (9.6) and batting average (.329) and fifth in the nation in on-base percentage (.423).
- ASU has hit 50 home runs this season – good for fifth in the nation and already tying its total for the entire 2018 season.
- The Sun Devils have scored double digit runs in 13 of the team's 31 games this season. For perspective, ASU scored double digit runs just 8 times in 55 games last season.
- After consecutive seasons ranked 184th or worse in fielding percentage and consistently in the bottom of the Pac-12, ASU has posted a respectable .973 fielding percentage this season that is 73rd in the country and fifth in the league.
Fear the Tork
- All-American and 2019 Midseason Golden Spikes Award candidate Spencer Torkelson now has multiple hits in 37 of his 86 career starts (.430).
- Torkelson is batting .382 on the season on 50-of-131 hitting with nine home runs, nine doubles and 39 RBIs.
- The sophomore has an active 16-game hitting streak, tied for the longest hitting streak by a Sun Devil this season.
- Torkelson has homered in three straight games leading into the weekend and has 7 homers in his last 14 games after posting just two in the first 17 games of the year.
- In Pac-12 ONLY games, Torkelson is currently the league leader with six home runs.
- His 50 hits this season lead the Pac-12 and are 23rd in the country and he is third in the Pac-12 with 39 RBIs, which sits 30th nationally.
- Torkelson has multiple hits in a team-best 18 of ASU's 31 games this season and at least one RBI in 19 of those (multiple RBIs in 11).
- Torkelson is batting a team-best .432 with runners in scoring position with 19 hits on 44 chances.
- He has been an extremely tough out to end the inning, currently 18-of-40 with two outs (.450) with a team-best 22 two-out RBI - three of which coming on his 11th-inning walk-off home run against Michigan State.
- Hit or not, Torkelson consistently finds a way to successfully advance baserunners, doing so 51 times on 86 opportunities (.593).
- Defensively, Torkelson has also made impressive strides. He has yet to post an error on 260 chances at first base (4th in the Pac-12) while he leads the league in helping to turn 26 double plays this season.
#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 named Perfect Game and D1Baseball's Midseason Player of the Year during the first week of April and was also tabbed as the NCBWA National Player of the Month for the Month of March.
- Bishop has also been named the 2019 Midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List
- Bishop is second in the nation with 16 home runs this season - four more than any other player in the Pac-12. For perspective, Bishop had just 10 career home runs before entering his junior season.
- He is the national leader in slugging percentage (.942) and runs scored (47). Those 47 runs are four more than any player in the Pac-12 (teammate Trevor Hauver is second with 43).
- His 114 total bases are 28 more than any other player in the Pac-12 (teammate Spencer Torkelson has 86) and good for second in the nation.
- Bishop's 42 RBIs this season lead the Pac-12 and are 13th nationally while his .405 average is fourth in the league and 26th nationally.
- He has also stolen 11 bases this season, good for third in the league. His 11 doubles are third in the Pac-12 while his three triples are tied for third.
- Bishop's .535 on-base percentage is third in the league and 8th in the country. He has drawn a team-best 29 walks - third in the Pac-12 and 27th nationally.
- Bishop is second on second on the team in advancing teammates 47 times on 80 chances (.588).
- He is the only player that has reached base in each of ASU's 31 games this season.
- He leads the team with 11 multi-RBI games and is second on the squad with 17 multi-hit games.
- His 42 RBIs already eclipse his previous career best of 26 while his 47 runs scored are 20 more than his previous career best of 27. All of this comes just 31 games into the 2019 season.
- The junior was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week three times in the month of March.
Marshing to the Beat
- Alec Marsh was named a Midseason First Team All-American by Perfect Game on April 4 and was also named to USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
- Marsh has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 25 of his last 27 appearances dating back to his freshman season.
- Dating back to last season, Marsh has a posted a quality start in 11 of his last 16 starts since assuming the mantle of Mr. Friday Night midway through the 2018 campaign.
- Marsh is tied for the national lead with seven victories this season and 7-1 record.
- His 2.19 ERA is currently third in the Pac-12 this season while his 45 strikeouts sit sixth in the Pac-12.
- Marsh is second among Pac-12 pitchers with 53.1 innings pitched this season.
- The junior is not hesistant about pounding the strike zone, falling into 2-0 counts just 28 times on 221 batters faced on the year (.127).
- Marsh dominates when getting ahead of the count, holding batters to 1-16 hitting (.062) on 0-2 counts and 4-of-33 hitting (.121) on 1-2 counts with 21 combined strikeouts between the two. 2-2 counts have been deadly when facing Marsh this season, with opponents going 3-for-26 (.115) with 14 strikeouts.
- Opponents are just 8-for-49 (.163) against Marsh with runners in scoring position this season.
- Marsh struck out 10 batters on Opening Night, the first time an ASU player had reached double digits in a game 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.
#LINSANITY
- Lyle Lin has embraced his new role as the team's designated hitter this season, currently fifth in the Pac-12 with 34 RBIs this year.
- Lin's 34 RBIs are an incredible tally considering the junior had just 18 RBIs total during the 2018 season, despite starting every game. He has multiple RBIs in 9 games.
- Lin is 13-for-17 this season in bringing runners from third home with less than two outs, a notable area of struggle for the junior was was just 2-for-12 in the category last season despite starting every game in the middle of the lineup. The 13 RBIs in that spot this year are four more than any other Sun Devil.
- Lin has advanced baserunners 44 times on 79 chances (.557).
- Lin recorded the game-winning RBI (the RBI that put ASU ahead for the remainder of the game) in all three of ASU's games against UC Davis.
- Lin became the first Sun Devil since 2014 to hit a grand slam with his round-tripper in the second game of the UC Davis series.
Put Me In, Coach
- The consummate team player, fans can expect to find Carter Aldrete all over the diamond this season. Aldrete has seen time in right field, second base, third base and on the mound this season
- Aldrete is currently 9th in the Pac-12 with 31 RBIs this season. Of those 29 RBIs, 17 have come with two outs.
- Has four home runs on the season, already a career-high and tied for 10th.
- Aldrete is third on the team in advancing runners home from third with less than two outs, doing so 7 times.
- Has been much more efficient with runners on the basepath this season, batting .364 (24-of-66) with runners in front of him compared to just .204 (11-of-54) with the bases empty. He has 18 hits with runners in scoring position, the second-highest total on the team.
- Had a monster game in Game 2 against Notre Dame, posting his first multi-home run game of his career while adding a career-best six RBIs in the process.
Just Like He Drew It Up
- Despite missing three weeks to injury, Drew Swift returned to the lineup and continued to show he is one of ASU's most improved hitters.
- He has seven doubles this season, already a career-best, despite missing several weeks to injury.
- Swift has been a part of 12 double plays this season, despite the time missed, and sits just outside the Top-10 in the Pac-12 in the category.
- Became the first Sun Devil since Jake Peevyhouse in 2014 to have three doubles in a game, doing so against San Diego.
- He has been highly productive out of the nine-hole this season, turning things back to the top of the order at a high clip with his .420 on-base percentage despite batting .286 on the season.
A Lot to Alika
- Alika Williams has quietly continued to put up impressive numbers as a sophomore, embracing his role as a cleanup hitter with a .373 batting average with 34 RBIs - already a career high in the category. He had just 20 total RBIs last season.
- The 34 RBIs are good for fifth in the Pac-12. His 13 RBIs in Pac-12-only games are tied for the team lead and for sixth in the league this season.
- Williams has homered three this year and recorded nine doubles. He is slugging .536 on the season - just outside the Pac-12's top-10 in the category and over .200 points higher than his freshman total of .333.
- The sophomore's nine doubles are already a career high and currently tied for fifth in the Pac-12.
- Williams is currently 6th in the Pac-12 with a .478 on-base percentage
- Williams is currently 4th in the Pac-12 with 74 defensive assists this season.
- The sophomore has been incredibly at advancing baserunners this season, easily leading the team with a .667 average with 46 advancements on 69 opportunities - .70 points higher than the next closest Sun Devil.
- He has helped turn 13 double plays this season and a key part of ASU's 29 total double plays this year - a total that is second in the Pac-12 and 26th nationally.
Putting in the Work
- On the year, Gage Workman is batting .303 with 24 runs scored, three home runs, a triple and five doubles for a solid .437 slugging percentage.
- After not having a home run in the first four weeks of the year, Workman erupted for three in the Washington State series (two coming as a left-handed batter and the other as a right-handed batter).
- The sophomore is 12th in the Pac-12 with 61 defensive assists this season. He has helped turn 11 double plays on the season and a key part of ASU's 29 total double plays this year - a total that is second in the Pac-12 and 26th nationally.
- Collegiate Baseball News Freshman All-American in 2018
- Collected seven triples as a freshman, tied for the fifth highest total in the country and second on the team behind the national leader in the category, teammate Gage Canning.
- Did not ground into a double play all last season, the only ASU regular that can make that claim.
Filling the Boyd
- Boyd Vander Kooi is current 3-1 on the season and second on the team with 35 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched.
- Vander Kooi has 17 strikeouts looking on the season, good for 6th in the Pac-12 Conference.
- Vander Kooi is tied for 7th in the Pac-12 in fewest doubles allowed, giving up just five this season.
- Made 10 appearances as a freshman last season, including five starts, finishing the campaign with a 3-3 record.
- His 3.00 ERA tied him for the lowest on the team among those with at least 36 innings pitched as a freshman last season
- Stuck out 35 batters, allowing just 12 earned runs in 36.0 innings pitched.
Trev Lightly and Carry a Big Stick
- Perhaps no player on the Sun Devil roster has shown as much improvement this season as sophomore Trevor Hauver.
- The leadoff man has a .472 on-base percentage this season - a total good for 10th in the Pac-12.
- Hauver has drawn 26 walks on the season - currently 6th in the Pac-12.
- Hauver has also showed plenty of pop in the bat, third on the team with 8 home runs this season - fifth in the Pac-12.
- Hauver is batting .364 on the year, 10 in the Pac-12 and has been the the Top ASU player in games in several categories, posting a seven-RBI game, a five-hit game, a four-walk game and a two-home run game.
- He is the only player to record a five-hit game this season, doing so against Long Beach State.
- Hauver has scored 43 runs this season, second in the league and 7th nationally.
- As a leadoff batter in an inning, Hauver has reached base 25 times this season on 61 chances (.410).
- Hauver has been very productive for his teammates as well, successfully advancing runners 36 times on 66 chances (.545). Of ASU's day-to-day starters, Hauver's 17 runners left stranded this season are the fewest on the team.
Pay the Tolman
- Erik Tolman has been thrust into several crucial spots as a true freshman this season and responded best when the lights were on.
- Tolman is 3-0 with two saves this season and leads the team with a 1.23 - less than 2.0 innings pitched away from being second in the Pac-12
- Tolman has struck out 28 batters and in 29.1 innings pitched.
- Opponent's .153 batting average against Tolman this season would be the lowest in the Pac-12 he had 1.2 more innings pitched this season.
- Tolman has allowed just six extra-base hits this season - all doubles.
All That Chaz
- Chaz Montoya has quickly developed a role as the team's stopper in several crucial scenatios this season.
- Montoya leads the squad with 17 appearances in 31 games, posting a 2.35 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts.
- Montoya has inherited 17 runners this season, allowing just one of them to score
- In his 17 appearances, Montoya has retired the first batter he has seen on 13 occasions.
- Montoya had a streak of 11 straight games not allowing a run ended in the series finale against Arizona.
- Montoya is 2-0 on the season with a team-high two saves as well.
Sam I Am
- Sam Romero has quietly put up impressive numbers this season, giving ASU solid midweek starts while being able to turn it around and eat some quality innings on the weekends as well.
- During one two-week span this season, Romero accounted for both a win (Cal Baptist, Arizona) and a save (Oregon, Arizona).
- Romero is 2-1 with a two saves this year with a 2.12 ERA over 29.2 innings pitched.
- Romero has struck out 26 batters to 8 walks while allowing just three total seven earned runs on the year.
The Brady Bunch
- Brady Corrigan has quickly asserted himself as one of ASU's go-to players out of the pen, appearing in 15 of ASU's 31 games this season.
- Corrigan has inherited a team-high 22 runners this season, allowing just three of them to score.
- Corrigan has a 4.39 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts with a 3-1 record and a save.
- Corrigan has held opponents to just 7-for-43 hitting (.163) with runners in scoring position while stranding 37 total baserunners.
- He has escaped four bases-loaded jams with no damage caused this season. In fact, with bases loaded opponents are just 1-for-12 (.083) against Corrigan with two RBIs with five strikeouts.
Chicks Dig The Long Ball
- ASU's power numbers this season have been at another level with ASU already posting 50 home runs through 31 games - a total that is currently fifth nationally.
- Nine different Sun Devils have gone yard this season, with seven of those doing so 3 or more times.
- ASU's 50 home runs are 11 more than any other team in the Pac-12 (Cal is second with 39).
- The Devils' .541 slugging percentage as a team is over 30 points higher than any other program in the conference.
- ASU had 50 home runs last season, a mark that the current roster is well on pace to demolish as the season goes on.
Tuesday, April 9, 6:05 p.m. | Arizona State at UNLV (Las Vegas) | WATCH LIVE: UNLV Live Stream | LISTEN LIVE: UNLV Radio
Friday, April 12, 6:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Oregon State (Phoenix) | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
Saturday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Oregon State (Phoenix) | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
Sunday, April 14, 12:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Oregon State (Phoenix) | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
--------------
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Seattle (Phoenix) | LISTEN LIVE: UNLV Radio
Thursday, April 18, 5 p.m. | Arizona State at Utah (Salt Lake City) | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
Friday, April 19, 5 p.m. | Arizona State at Utah (Salt Lake City) | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
Saturday, April 20, 12 p.m. | Arizona State at Utah (Salt Lake City) | WATCH LIVE: Pac-12 Live Stream | LISTEN: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
--------------
LAST WEEK
Tuesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Long Beach State (Phoenix) | L, 13-9
Friday, April 5, 6 p.m. | Arizona State at USC (Los Angeles) | L, 10-6
Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m. | Arizona State at USC (Los Angeles) | L, 7-3
Sunday, April 7, 1 p.m. | Arizona State at USC (Los Angeles) | W, 11-8