May 13, 2002
Current 2002 Record: 28-18 (10-8 Pac-10, 4th place)
Record Entering Week: 27-16 (9-6 Pac-10)
Record Last Week: 1-2 (1-2 Pac-10)
Current Streak: Lost 1
Last Week's Results (1-2 at No. 7 Stanford):
Friday (April 26) - 5-3 loss at #7 Stanford
Saturday (May 11) - 10-2 win at #7 Stanford
Sunday (May 12) - 3-1 loss at #7 Stanford
This Week's Games:
Tuesday, May 14 - Portland, 6 p.m. (Hohokam Park; Mesa, Ariz.)
Wednesday, May 15 - Portland, 6 p.m. (Hohokam Park; Mesa, Ariz.)
Friday, May 17 - USC, 6 p.m. (Hohokam Park; Mesa, Ariz.)
Saturday, May 18 - USC, 6 p.m. (Hohokam Park, Mesa, Ariz.)
Sunday, May 19 - USC, 1 p.m. (Hohokam Park; Mesa, Ariz.)
Pitcher of the Week Nominee:
Mike Esposito, So., RHP, Las Vegas, Nev.
Sophomore RHP Mike Esposito improved to 8-5 on the season with five
scoreless innings in Saturday's 10-2 win over No. 7 Stanford. Esposito
struck out five and walked four while limiting the Cardinal bats to only
three hits in his 98-pitch outing. Esposito is now 14-7 in his ASU career
and currently is ranked in the top five in the Pac-10 with 87 strikeouts in
87.0 innings pitched.
Offensive Player of the Week Nominee:
Jeff Larish, Fr., 3B, Tempe, Ariz.
True freshman third baseman Jeff Larish had a big weekend, going 5-for-12
(.417) with a triple, home run and six RBI in the three-game series against
No. 7 Stanford. Larish was 2-for-4 in the series opener, accounting for all
three of ASU's runs in a 5-3 loss, hitting a connecting on a three-run home
run in the top of the sixth inning. He added two more hits in ASU's 10-2
win Saturday, including a two-run single in the five-run first inning and a
RBI triple later in the game. For the year the freshman is now fourth on
the team in hitting at .346 (28x81) with two doubles, three triples, two
home runs and 19 RBI. In Pac-10 play the former 32nd round draft choice of
the Chicago Cubs is hitting at a .306 clip.
Notes on ASU Baseball:
ASU dropped two of three to No. 7 Stanford last weekend, losing the two
games by a combined four runs... the Devils out-hit the Cardinal 30-24 in the
series and were impressive with a 3.60 team ERA against the Pac-10's
leading hitting team... ASU is now 6-7 against teams ranked in at least one
of the three college polls... ASU scored in all three games, extending its
NCAA consecutive games scoring streak to 421 games... the one run scored in
Sunday's series finale marked only the 13th time during the streak in which
the Devils have scored only one run... sophomore Mike Esposito improved to
8-5 with his five-innings of scoreless baseball in Saturday's 10-2 victory...
the Devils ended a seven-game losing streak at Sunken Diamond with the 10-2
win, but have still dropped eight of the last nine on The Farm... the
five-run first inning in Saturday's game tied a season high for runs in the
frame... ASU is now 20-5 when they score in its first at-bat... ASU improved to
6-1 in the second game of a three-game series after opening with a loss in
the series opener... ASU is now 8-11 on the year on the road, but finished
the Pac-10 road schedule with a winning 7-5 mark... freshman Jeff Larish had
a big weekend, going 5-for-12 (.417) with a triple, home run and six RBI...
senior second baseman Sergio Garcia has started four straight games and had
a big day Sunday with three hits and his first home run as a Sun Devil...
Garcia, a transfer from the University of Oklahoma, is hitting .315 (23x73)
in 37 games (20 starts)... sophomore reliever Ryan Schroyer picked up his
fifth save of the year in his four-inning relief appearance in Saturday's
win... Schroyer now has three wins and two saves in his last five relief
appearances.
A Young Team Gets Even Younger:
The Sun Devils continue to battle adversity of several roster changes that
have left an already young team younger as they head toward a run for the
NCAA Tournament. ASU was without leading hitter Andre Ethier (.362/3 HR/42
RBI) who is currently out with a broken left thumb. Ethier could be back
for the final regular season series of the year against Oregon State.
Ethier is ASU's leading hitter in Pac-10 play with a .397 batting average
(23x58). ASU was also without senior center fielder Jon Sheaffer (.364/19
RBI), junior infielder Dennis Wyrick (.371 career hitter in Pac-10 play)
and senior reserve center fielder Doug Schutt. All three were indefinitely
suspended from the team for violation of team rules on a recent road trip
to Notre Dame. In addition, freshman pitcher Miguel Sanchez (1-0, 2.38 ERA)
had to undergo Tommy John surgery and has since left the program. In all,
ASU was without 28% of its entire team hit total (133 of 478) last weekend
despite losing two of three games by a combined four runs against No. 7
Stanford.
Upcoming Pac-10 Games (Week of May 13-20)
Mon., May 13
WASHINGTON STATE at Lewis-Clark State, 6 p.m.
Tue., May 14
STANFORD at Nevada, 2 p.m.
UC Riverside at UCLA, 6 p.m.
Gonzaga at WASHINGTON, 6:30 p.m.
Portland at ARIZONA STATE, 6 p.m.
CALIFORNIA at San Jose State, 7 p.m.
Wed., May 15
Cal State Fullerton at USC, 6 p.m.
Gonzaga at WASHINGTON, 6:30 p.m.
Portland at ARIZONA STATE, 6 p.m.
Fri., May 17
*WASHINGTON at OREGON STATE, 3 p.m.
*STANFORD at UCLA, 6 p.m.
*WASHINGTON STATE at ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
*USC at ARIZONA STATE, 6 p.m.
Sat., May 18
*WASHINGTON at OREGON STATE, 1 p.m.
*STANFORD at UCLA, 1 p.m.
*WASHINGTON STATE at ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
*USC at ARIZONA STATE, 6 p.m.
Sun., May 19
*WASHINGTON STATE at ARIZONA, 1 p.m.
*USC at ARIZONA STATE, 1 p.m.
*WASHINGTON at OREGON STATE, 1 p.m.
*STANFORD at UCLA, 1 p.m.