PHOENIX -- The No. 20 Sun Devil Baseball continues a seven-game road stretch this weekend as it closes out the 2019 non-conference schedule with a three game series against Nebraska, beginning Friday in Lincoln, Neb. The series will get underway at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time (6:30 p.m. in Nebraska), continuing Saturday at 12 p.m. AZT and concluding 11 a.m. AZT.
Follow the Action
- Each game this series will be streamed through the Big Ten Network. Fans with the Big Ten Network in their cable package can watch via https://www.btn2go.com/ by logging in with that information.
- Each game will also be available over the airwaves this weekend on NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM KDUS on 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).
Fear the Tork
- All-American and 2019 Midseason Golden Spikes Award candidate Spencer Torkelson has mutiple hits in 42 of his 101 career starts (.416).
- The sophomore had a career-long 22-game hitting streak ended against Utah. It was the longest hitting streak by any Sun Devil since Riccio Torrez had a 26-game streak back in 2010 and is tied for the second longest streak by a player this year.
- In only five games this season has Torkelson not registered a hit and in only 19 of his 101 career games has that been the case. Torkelson has at least one hit in 81.2 percent of his appearances as a Sun Devil.
- Torkelson is 10th nationally and second in the Pac-12 with 17 home runs this season. Those 17 give him 42 for his career, good for seventh in school history. The school record is 56 home runs by Bob Horner from 1976-78.
- Torkelson is batting .349 on the season on 68-of-195 hitting with 17 home runs, 13 doubles and 52 RBIs.
- His 68 hits this season are third in the Pac-12 and are 47th in the country while he is also fouth in the league with 52 RBIs - the 42nd-best total in the country.
- Torkelson has multiple hits in a team-best 23 of ASU's games this season and at least one RBI in 29 of those (multiple RBIs in 14).
- In Pac-12 ONLY games, Torkelson is currently the league leader with 12 home runs. His .728 slugging percentage in league game is good for fourth in the conference. He has driven in 24 RBIs in league games, tied for sixth in the Pac-12, and record 33 hits - tied for fifth in league-only games
- Torkelson is tied for 6th in the Pac-12 with 13 doubles - a new career high. He is 30th nationally and fourth in the Pac-12 in slugging percentage (.677) while proving to be a capable baserunner as his 55 runs are second in the Pac-12 and 25th nationally.
#TorksUp
- Torkelson leads the team with 23 hitting with runners in scoring position, recording 23 hits on 58 chances (.397)
- He has been an extremely tough out to end the inning, extending the inning 21-of-54 times with two outs (.389) with a team-best 28 two-out RBI - nine more than any other player on the roster.
- Hit or not, Torkelson consistently finds a way to successfully advance baserunners, doing so 59 times on 117 opportunities (.504).
- Defensively, Torkelson has also made impressive strides. He has posted just two errors this season (one coming while playing out of position in right field) on 385 chances (5th in the Pac-12). He leads the league in helping to turn 49 double plays this season - 14 more than any other player in the Pac-12 and a stat that shouldn't be overlooked given the amount of incredible picks and stretch-grabs he has made to help faciliate those double plays at first base.
- 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.
- 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.
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 tied for second in the nation with 21 home runs this season - four more than any other player in the Pac-12 and six shy of the Sun Devil school record with several weeks remaining to play. For perspective, Bishop had just 10 career home runs before entering his junior season.
- He leads the Pac-12 and is the fourth in the nation in slugging percentage (.819) while leading the Pac-12 and 10th nationally in runs scored (60).
- His 149 total bases are 17 more than any other player in the Pac-12 (teammate Spencer Torkelson has 132) and good for fourth in the nation. Bishop's 58 RBIs this season are first in the Pac-12 and 16th nationally, while his .357 average is fifth in the league.
- He has 10 games this season with three or more RBIs, a team-best.
- His 13 doubles are sixth in the Pac-12 while his four triples are tied for fifth. Bishop's .487 on-base percentage is fourth in the league and 39th in the country. He has drawn a team-best 39 walks - fourth in the Pac-12.
- He leads the team with 16 multi-RBI games and is second on the squad with 20 multi-hit games.
- Bishop leads the team in advancing teammates 63 times on 112 chances (.563).
- He leads the team with 15 multi-RBI games and is second on the squad with 19 multi-hit games.
- His 55 RBIs already eclipse his previous career best of 26 while his 57 runs scored are 30 more than his previous career best of 27.
- 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 was added to the Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame's Watch List for the National Pitcher of the Year on April 17.
- Marsh has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 28 of his last 31 appearances dating back to his freshman season.
- Dating back to last season, Marsh has a posted a quality start in 14 of his 20 starts since assuming the mantle of Mr. Friday Night midway through the 2018 campaign.
- Marsh is tied for first in the Pac-12 and ninth in the nation with eight victories this season, currently posting an 8-2 record.
- His 3.09 ERA is currently 12th in the Pac-12 while his 68 strikeouts sit 6th in the league.
- Marsh leads Pac-12 pitchers and is 18th nationally with 78.2 innings pitched this season.
- The junior is not hesistant about pounding the strike zone, throwing a strike on 62.5 percent of his pitches while falling into 2-0 counts just 43 times on 322 batters faced on the year (.134).
- Marsh dominates when getting ahead of the count, holding batters to 2-26 hitting (.077) on 0-2 counts and 9-of-47 hitting (.191) on 1-2 counts with 34 combined strikeouts between the two. 2-2 counts have also been deadly when facing Marsh this season, with opponents going 4-for-39 (.103) with 22 punchouts.
- Marsh is responsible for one ASU's two complete game this season, a masterful three-hit effort as he shut down third-ranked Oregon State to the tune of a 4-1 victory.
- 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.
Alika Like That
- Alika Williams has quietly continued to put up impressive numbers as a sophomore, embracing his role as a cleanup hitter with a .347 batting average with 46 RBIs - easily a career high in the category. He had just 20 total RBIs last season.
- The 46 RBIs are good for sixth in the Pac-12. When he does get RBIs, he tends to get a lot of them. He has 13 multi-RBI games this season and is second on the team with eight games with three or more RBIs.
- Williams has homered four times this year and recorded 10 doubles and three triples. He is slugging .512 on the season - over 150 points higher than his freshman total of .333. With 17 extra-base hits on the year, he has far surpassed his freshman total of nine.
- Williams is just outside the top-10 in the Pac-12 with a .443 on-base percentage.
- The sophomore been incredible when falling behind in counts this season, posting a .390 average (16-of-41) when facing 1-2 counts. Of his 59 hits on the year, 34 have come when falling behind in the count.
- He is 30-of-93 (.323) on two-strike hitting on the year - striking out a team-low 24 times while walking 27 times, making him the only player on the team with more walks than strikeouts.
- 17 of his 46 RBIs (.370) have come when falling behind in counts.
- The sophomore has been incredible at advancing baserunners this season, easily leading the team with a .633 average with 62 advancements on 98 opportunities - 30 points higher than the next closest Sun Devil.
- Defensively, Williams is currently third in the Pac-12 with 119 defensive assists this season.
- He has helped turn 32 double plays this season, which is good for third in the Pac-12 and first among non-first basemen.
Putting in the Work
- Gage Workman has been one of the hottest players in the Sun Devil lineup of late, batting .337 with 33 runs scored, 34 RBIs and six home runs. He has hits in 12 of his last 15 games and multiple hits in eight of those.
- After not having a home run in the first four weeks of the year, Workman erupted for three in the Washington State series.
- In Pac-12 only games, Workman has a .345 average - the best total on the squad and the 11th-best average among all Pac-12 players in league-only games.
- In Pac-12 only games, Workman is tied for ninth in the league with 17 walks.
- His .443 on-base percentage is 12 in Pac-12 games and the best among all Sun Devils in the category. His .609 slugging percentage in Pac-12 games is 8th in the league and second on the team.
- Workman is tied for the team lead in games with three or more hits with six.
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 is batting .352 with a .443 on-base percentage this season and a team-best 69 hits - good for second in the Pac-12.
- Hauver has drawn 32 walks on the season - currently 10th in the Pac-12.
- Hauver has also showed plenty of pop in the bat, third on the team with 11 home runs this season - good for 7th in the Pac-12.
- Hauver's .352 average is seventh in the Pac-12 and he is second on the team with six games with three or more hits while tied for second with 20 multi-hit games.
- He has been 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 53 runs this season, third in the league and 41st nationally.
- As a leadoff batter in an inning, Hauver has reached base 31 times this season on 88 chances (.352).
- Hauver has been very productive for his teammates as well, successfully advancing runners 56 times on 98 chances (.571). Of ASU's day-to-day starters, Hauver's 22 runners left stranded this season are the fewest on the team.
- Hauver has been light's out with runners in scoring position, leading the team with a .440 average on 22-of-50 hitting while also making it tough for pitchers to get out of innings with a team-best .439 average on 19-of-41 hitting with two outs.
- Hauver has a case for being ASU's most clutch batter late in games this season. In innings 7-9, Hauver is batting .455 on 20-of-44 hitting with 14 RBIs and 14 runs, easily leading ASU in each of those categories in the late stages of games. Five of his 11 home runs have come in these latter stages of games.
#LINSANITY
- Lyle Lin has embraced his new role as the team's designated hitter this season, ninth in the Pac-12 with 43 RBIs despite not quite being an every-day starter
- Lin's 43 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 14-for-19 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 14 RBIs in that spot this year are three more than any other Sun Devil.
- Lin has advanced baserunners 60 times on 100 chances (.600) - the second-highest total on the team by average.
- His knack for getting the ball into play has paid its due, as he's reached base a team-best nine times on opponent errors this season - four more than any other Sun Devil. He has advanced a runner with an out 21 times - also good for the team lead.
- 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.
- Lin leads the team with seven games this season with three or more hits.
Put Me In, Coach
- The consummate team player, fans have seen Carter Aldrete all over the diamond this season. Aldrete has seen time in right field, second base, third base and on the mound.
- Aldrete is currently just outside the Top-10 in the Pac-12 with 38 RBIs this season. Of those 38 RBIs, 18 have come with two outs - second on the team
- Has five home runs on the season, good for a career-high.
- Has been much more efficient with runners on the basepath this season, batting .323 (32-of-99) with runners in front of him compared to just .216 (16-of-74) with the bases empty.
- He has 23 hits with runners in scoring position, tied for the highest total on the team - batting .338 in the scenario.
- In Pac-12-only games, Aldrete is tied for the league lead in doubles with eight. He has a career-best 12 on the season - tied for seventh in the league.
- In his first game not starting this season, Aldrete came off the bench to knock a game-winning RBI single in the series finale against #1 UCLA.
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 nine doubles this season - already a career-best - and a triple for 10 extra-base hits on the season despite missing several weeks to injury. He had just two extra-base hits on the season.
- Swift has been a part of 31 double plays this season, despite the time missed, good for fourth in the Pac-12 in the category and second among non-first basemen.
- His 108 defensive assists are good for sixth in the Pac-12.
- Became the first Sun Devil since Jake Peevyhouse in 2014 to have three doubles in a game, doing so against San Diego.
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 a team-best 2.40 ERA.
- Tolman has struck out 43 batters and in 44.0 innings pitched.
- Opponent's .196 batting average against Tolman this season is easily the lowest
- With a handful more innings pitched, Tolman would qualify as the only pitcher in the Pac-12 this season to not allow a home run.
- Tolman is dominant when he has two strikes to his credit, holding opponents to 4-32 (.125) in 1-2 counts and 4-of-27 (.148) in 2-2 counts with 29 of his 43 strikeouts.
- With runners on the basepath, opponents are batting just 14-of-75 (.187) against Tolman on the season and he has been shutdown with two outs, limiting the opposition to 5-of-46 (.109) while stranding 44 baserunners.
- With runners in scoring position, opponents are just 8-of-48 (.167) with just 11 RBIs.
A Look at the Pen
- Brady Corrigan has quickly asserted himself as one of ASU's go-to players out of the pen, appearing in 23 of ASU's 46 games this season.
- Corrigan has inherited a team-high 34 runners this season, allowing just five of them to score (.147).
- Corrigan has 50 strikeouts in 42.0 innings pitched - easily the best strikeout-to-inning ratio on the team.
- Montoya leads the squad with 23 appearances in 45 games, posting a 2.25 ERA in 20.0 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts.
- Montoya has inherited 27 runners this season, allowing just five of them to score.
- In his 23 appearances, Montoya has retired the first batter he has seen on 17 occasions.
- Blake Burzell has allowed just one earned run in his last six appearances (13.0 IP). He has earned the win in three of those games (now 5-0 on the season) while lowering his ERA over three points in the process.
Chicks Dig The Long Ball
- ASU's power numbers this season have been at another level with ASU posting 76 home runs - a total that is currently second nationally.
- The Devils have three players with over 10 home runs in Hunter Bishop (21), Spencer Torkelson (17) and Trevor Hauver (11). It is the first time a Sun Devil roster has laid that claim since 2009 (Carlos Ramirez/19, Jason Kipnis/16, Kole Calhoun/12).
- With Hunter Bishop eclipsing 20 home runs this season after Spencer Torkelson his 25 last year, it is the first time ASU has had a player hit 20 or more home runs in consecutive seasons since 1987 (Tony Mattia/21) and 1988 (Tim Spehr/20).
- ASU's 76 home runs are the most since the 2008 team recorded 88 homers.
- ASU's 76 home runs have already set the Pac-12 record during the BBCOR era of bats (since 2011), surpassing Oregon State's 2018 mark of 67.
- ASU is hitting 1.65 home runs per game this season, a mark that would be the fourth-best of any team in the past nine years since the BBCOR batting standards were introduced.
- Ten different Sun Devils have gone yard this season, with eight of those doing so 3 or more times.
- ASU's 76 home runs are 10 more than any other team in the Pac-12 (Cal is second with 66).
- The Devils' .525 slugging percentage is 25 points higher than any other program in the conference.
- ASU had 50 home runs last season in 55 games last season, a mark that the current roster surpassed by the midway point of 2019.
Pitching For Contact
- The Sun Devil pitching staff has done its part to put trust in the defense behind it, a trait of pithching to contact that has led to 53 double plays being turned on the season - a total that leads the Pac-12 and is second nationally and five of the national lead.
- ASU's defense as done it's part with a solid .974 fielding percentage that is fifth in the league and 70th nationally after consecutive seasons ranked 184th or worst in the cateogry.
- That trusting relationship has played a huge role in ASU escaping numerous jams this season. In total, ASU has stranded 410 opponents on the basepath this year - just a tick under nine stranded runners per game at 8.9 per game.