May 13, 2004
ASU Baseball Links:
Career Summary:
College Baseball Links:
May 14 vs. Oregon State, 7 p.m. PST OSU - Jake Postlewait, LHP (9-2, 3.75 ERA) ASU - Jeff Mousser, RHP (5-3, 3.44 ERA)May 15 vs. Oregon State, 7 p.m. PST OSU - Dallas Buck, RHP (3-3, 5.29 ERA) ASU - Jason Urquidez, RHP (9-2, 3.15 ERA)
May 16 vs. Oregon State, 1 p.m. PST OSU - TBA (Nickerson or Baldwin) ASU - Brett Bordes, LHP (2-0, 6.75 ERA)
All-Time Series: All-Time Record vs. OSU:.....25-10 Last Year:...................ASU wins two of three at OSU Series Trend:................ASU has won 7 of last 8 against OSU.
ASU National Rankings: National Polls (May 10, 2004) Baseball America:......19 Sports Weekly/ESPN:....14 BoydsWorld RPI:........3 Collegiate Baseball:...17
Media Exposure:
All three games against Oregon State will be broadcast live on the radio with Tim Healey and Bob Eger calling all the action from Packard Stadium. Friday and Saturday will be on KDUS 1060 AM and Sunday will air on KAZG 1440 AM. All games are also available on www.TheSunDevils.com. Every game during the 2004 season will also have the statistical GameTracker on www.TheSunDevils.com. Saturday's game will also be on AZ-TV.
Did You Know:
The Sun Devils have won nine of their last 11 games to improve to 32-13 overall... the Devils are also 13-3 against ranked opponents this season... ASU has played 27 of its 45 games (60%) against teams that have been ranked in at least one national poll this season... ASU is second in the Pac-10 in both hitting (.325) and pitching (4.48 ERA)... the OSU series marks the end of the 2004 regular season home schedule... ASU has gone 22-9 at Packard Stadium and will play the final eight games on the road to conclude the 2004 campaign.
What's On Tap:
The Sun Devil Baseball team (32-13, 7-8 Pac-10) plays at Packard Stadium for the final time during the 2004 regular season by hosting Oregon State (27-15, 7-8 Pac-10) to a crucial three-game Pac-10 series this weekend. OSU and ASU, along with USC and Arizona, are all tied for fourth in the league race. ASU has won four straight games and nine of its last 11 overall. The Devils have also won four of their last six conference games after starting the season with three straight Pac-10 series losses. Following the series with the Beavers, ASU will play its final eight games of the regular season on the road. The Devils will play New Mexico (May 18), New Mexico State (May 19), Arizona (May 21-23) and league-leading Stanford (May 28-30).
So Long Packard Stadium:
The Devils will complete the home portion of the 2004 regular season this weekend with a three-game series against the Oregon State Beavers. ASU is 22-9 this season at Packard Stadium and will look to improve upon the 3-6 home record in Pac-10 contests. After playing 29 of the first 35 games of the year at home, ASU is ending the season playing 16 of its last 21 games on the road.
Quick Hits:
- Of ASU's 45 games this season, 27 have been played against teams that have been ranked or are currently ranked. - Junior shortstop Dustin Pedroia has hits in 38 of ASU's 45 games and leads the Pac-10 hitting .412 with 22 2B. - The Devils have used 40 different starting batting lineups and 30 different positional lineups this season. - Josh Asanovich is second on the team hitting .367 and is 12-for-21 (.571) in his last seven games. - Jason Urquidez is tied for the league lead with nine wins (9-2) and is also third with a 3.15 ERA. - The Devils have been ranked in 93 consecutive national polls dating back to the start of the 2000 season. - Freshman closer Zechry Zinicola has two wins and three saves in his last nine outings (1.13 ERA, 17 K). - ASU is 25-10 all-time against Oregon State and has won seven of the last eight games against the Beavers. - 10th year head coach Pat Murphy needs eight (8) more wins to record his 400th as a Sun Devil. - Jeff Mousser has won his last four starts to improve to 5-3 and is fifth in the Pac-10 with a 3.44 ERA. - Jeff Larish has a current 11-game hitting streak (.388, 19-for-49) to raise his season average to .302. - Travis Buck is hitting .343 with eight home runs and was invited to the USA Baseball National Team Trials. - ASU holds the No. 3 projected RPI in the nation (www.BoydsWorld.com) and is 13-3 against top 25 teams.
Pedroia For National Player of the Year:
Junior shortstop Dustin Pedroia is a leading candidate for Pac-10, National Player of the Year honors and the prestigious Golden Spikes Award. Through 45 games, Pedroia leads Pac-10 and is 23rd in the NCAA hitting .412 (78-for-187) with 60 runs scored, 22 doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI. He has hits in 38 of ASU's 45 games, including 23 multi-hit affairs and four games with two or more doubles. Pedroia also leads the Pac-10 in runs scored (60), hits (77), doubles (22), on-base percentage (.511) and is third with a .658 slugging percentage. As a sophomore, Pedroia hit .404 (120-for-297) and was named the Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year. He led the NCAA with 34 doubles, setting the ASU and Pac-10 single-season record and tied for third all-time in the NCAA record books. With 22 doubles this season, Pedroia now has 69 in his career, ranking fourth in the ASU career record books. He also has recorded 279 hits to rank fifth and his career .388 batting average (279-for-720) ranks tied for sixth in the ASU record books. He has played and started all 171 games of his Sun Devil career and has recorded at least one hit in 145 games (85%). He has also recorded 91 career multi-hit games and is a .391 career hitter in 63 Pac-10 games (109-for-279). He was a two-year starter for the USA Baseball National Team and was named to the all-tournament team in the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Here is a look at Pedroia's season/career highlights and statistics:
- Hitting .412 overall (77-for-187) with 22 doubles, eight home runs, 41 RBI and a .511 on-base percentage. - Leads the Pac-10 in several categories, including hitting (.412), runs (60), hits (77), doubles (22) and is second in assists (146). - Has hits in 38 of 45 games this season and leads the team with 30 extra base hits. - Has a pair of 10-game hitting streaks this season and seven career streaks of 10 or more games. - Tied for the team lead with eight home runs and has 13 in his career. Entered the season with only five career homers. - Has recorded 23 multi-hit games this season and 91 in his career. He has eight three-hit games and four, four-hit contests this season. - Rated as the No. 28 overall position player by Baseball America for the 2004 MLB Draft. - A career .388 (279-for-720) hitter to rank fifth in hits (279) and tied for sixth in batting average in the ASU record books. - Has recorded at least one hit in 145 of 171 career games (85%) and has started every game of his career. - Has hit 69 career doubles, ranking fourth in the ASU career record books. He needs two more doubles to rank third. - Set the ASU and Pac-10 single-season record with 34 doubles in 2003. Old ASU record was 30 by Chris Bando in 1978. - Named the 2003 Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year with Stanford's Ryan Garko and was a first-team All-American. - Played for the USA Baseball National Team in 2002 and 2003, leading Team USA to a bronze medal in the Pan Am Games. - Named the 2003 Defensive Player of the Year, he has a career .973 fielding percentage with only 20 errors in 754 total chances. - Played for the USA Baseball National Team in 2002 and 2003, leading Team USA to a bronze medal in the Pan Am Games.Pedroia Times Two:Year Avg GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT 2002.... .347 58-58 236 51 82 13 2 1 45 24 19 5-9 2003.... .404 68-68 297 83 120 34 3 4 52 36 13 3-7 2004.... .412 45-45 187 60 77 22 0 8 41 35 10 5-10 TOTAL... .388 171-171 720 194 279 69 5 13 138 95 42 13-26
Junior shortstop Dustin Pedroia is a doubles machine. Through ASU's first 45 games, Pedroia has 22 doubles to lead the Pac-10 and ranks fourth in the nation (0.49 doubles per game). Pedroia set an ASU and Pac-10 record while leading the NCAA with 34 doubles in 2003. Pedroia ranks fourth in school history with 69 career doubles.
Pedroia Inching Towards 300:
With 279 career hits, junior shortstop Dustin Pedroia ranks fifth in school history and is only 21 hits short of the 300 mark. With 21 more hits, he will become only the fourth Sun Devil to reach 300 hits in a career and the first to do so in three ore less seasons. Pedroia is also ninth in the ASU record books with 720 career at-bats and has never missed a game in his Sun Devil career (171 games). The all-time school record is 322 set by Clay Westlake from 1973-76.
Pole Position:
Coming off a two-game sweep of New Mexico State and winners of nine of the last 11 games, Arizona State remains a consensus top 20 team. The Devils are ranked No. 14 in the ESPN/Sports Weekly Coaches poll, No. 17 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 19 by Baseball America. Ranked in the coaches poll every week this season, ASU has extended a streak of 93 consecutive weeks in the national rankings dating back to the start of the 2000 season. ASU entered the 2004 season ranked in all four of the national preseason polls (#7 CB, #10 SW, #11 NCBWA, #18 BA). ASU finished the 2003 season with a 54-14 record and earned a consensus top 10 ranking in all four national polls.
Buck Providing Power and Production:
Sophomore right fielder Travis Buck leads ASU in two of the three Triple Crown categories with eight home runs and 49 RBI. He is also third in the Pac-10 in RBI and leads the conference with 37 walks. He is also amongst the league leaders in runs scored (47, 9th), doubles (12, 10th) and on-base percentage (.475, 7th). Buck is hitting .343 (58-for-169) with 15 multi-hit games and leads the Devils with 13 multi-RBI contests. He also leads the team with five outfield assists and is 8-for-10 stealing bases. He was named Pac-10 Player of the Week and the Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week after going 10-for-12 (.833) with 13 RBI in the three-game series against UConn (2/27-29). Buck currently has a career-high eight game hitting streak and is a career .333 (136-for-408) hitter with 12 home runs, 106 runs scored and 95 RBI.
Buck Repeats As Pac-10 Player of the Week:
After going 5-for-10 with home runs in all three games against East Carolina, Travis Buck earned his second consecutive Pac-10 Player of the Week award. With his third career Pac-10 POW award, he became the 16th conference player to repeat and first since 1998 when Cal's Xavier Nady earned the award in consecutive weeks in 1998 (Apr. 27, May 4). He is the first Sun Devil since Oddibe McDowell in 1984 to earn back-to-back conference honors.
Buck Invited to USA Baseball National Team Trials:
Travis Buck has been invited to the USA Baseball National Team Trials for the second straight year. The sophomore outfielder was one of the first 19 players invited to attend the tryouts in Durham, N.C., in mid June. ASU ranks eighth for producing players to USA Baseball and has had at least one player on Team USA in five of the last six years. Juniors Dustin Pedroia and Jeff Larish helped the 2003 Team USA squad to a silver medal at the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
A Triple Play For The Ages:
Leading 10-1 in the seventh inning in the series opener at UCLA (4/16), the Sun Devils completed a baseball oddity when they turned the first triple play in recorded school history. With no outs and runners on second and third, Bruin catcher Chris Denove hit what appeared to be a three-run home run over the right field fence. But, ASU sophomore outfielder Travis Buck leaped over the fence and pulled the ball back into play to record the out. He then relayed the ball to the infield where Dustin Pedroia and Seth Dhaenens recorded outs to complete the triple play. Instead of three runs, it was three outs.
Flashing The Leather:
The Sun Devils have won nine of their last 11 games and much of it is because of solid defense. While ranking fifth in the Pac-10 with a .971 fielding percentage, ASU also ranks 30th in the NCAA (out of 285 schools). ASU has played error-free ball this year in 14 games and has made only nine errors in the last 11 games (.979 FLD%).
Asanovich Heating Up:
Junior infielder Josh Asanovich has raised his batting average 111 points from .256 (3/17) to its current mark of .367 by going 26-for-59 (.441) in his last 21 games. Asanovich has three home runs and 27 RBI while seeing action in 36 games (28 starts). He is riding a current five-game hitting streak in which he is hitting .667 (10-for-15). Over his last 11 games, Asanovich is 14-for-30 (.467) with 15 runs scored and 12 RBI.
Urquidez Dominating On The Mound:
Junior right-handed pitcher Jason Urquidez is tied for the Pac-10 lead with eight wins, ranking 12th in the NCAA. The junior college transfer from Central Arizona College is 9-2 with a team-leading 3.15 ERA in 15 games this season. In addition to leading the league in wins, he is also third in ERA (3.15), eighth in strikeouts (68) and sixth in opponents batting average (.246). Here is a look at Urquidez's game-by-game breakdown:
Date Opponent GS IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP DP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb 08, 2004 Florida State * 5.0 6 1 1 3 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12-6 1-0 0 1.80 Feb 14, 2004 vs Utah * 6.0 3 0 0 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11-0 2-0 0 0.82 Feb 22, 2004 at Rice * 9.0 3 1 1 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3-1 3-0 0 0.90 Feb 29, 2004 Connecticut * 3.0 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 18-11 4-0 0 1.17 Mar 06, 2004 East Carolina * 7.0 5 4 3 3 4 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 6-4 5-0 0 1.80 Mar 13, 2004 Tulane * 5.2 4 1 1 5 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11-3 6-0 0 1.77 Mar 20, 2004 California * 1.1 4 3 3 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 8-20 6-1 0 2.43 Mar 26, 2004 Washington * 4.1 5 5 3 4 6 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1-11 6-2 0 2.83 Apr 02, 2004 USC * 8.1 7 3 3 6 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10-3 7-2 0 2.90 Apr 09, 2004 Oral Roberts * 7.0 5 1 1 2 6 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 5-1 8-2 0 2.70 Apr 17, 2004 at UCLA * 4.0 8 3 3 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4-3 8-2 0 2.97 Apr 24, 2004 at Washington State * 6.1 7 2 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 5-2 8-2 0 2.96 Apr 27, 2004 at Wichita State 1.0 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 10-9 8-2 0 3.04 Apr 28, 2004 at Wichita State 1.1 3 2 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4-3 8-2 0 3.25 May 03, 2004 New Mexico State * 5.0 2 1 1 2 7 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 19-2 9-2 0 3.15 Totals 13 74.1 66 29 26 36 68 9 2 8 2 0 5 0 0 127-79 9-2 0 3.15
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