March 12, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. -
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Leading Off:
looks to rebound from a 1-2 weekend when they host for a two-game midweek series. ASU lost two of three to then #19 , while K-State swept three games from and enters the series on a five-game winning streak.
The Sun Devils vs. The Wildcats:
The Sun Devils and Wildcats have only faced each other once, and that was almost 36 years ago. The last meeting between the two was March 23, 1971 at the Riverside Tournament in . won 7-0.
K-State Series Info:
Both games of the brief two-game set will begin at 7 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Both starters are TBA, while will throw RHP Justin Murray (1-1. 5.60 ERA) on Tuesday night. The Wildcats have not announced a starter for Wednesday. Both games will be broadcast on The Fan 1060 AM with Tim Healey and Bob Eger.
Facing Tough Competition:
Of ASU's seven losses this season, six have come at the hands of teams ranked in the Top 25, including one to Vanderbilt, who is #1 in both the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball polls. Their only loss to an unranked team was to , who advanced to a Super Regional in 2006. According to BoydsWorld.com, has an RPI of 9, and has already faced three teams rated in the top 10 in RPI (, and Vandy). Also, four of the seven losses have been by one run, including an extra inning game with Vanderbilt. The Sun Devils have already faced six teams currently ranked in the Top 25, including three teams ranked in the Top 10. ASU has faced or will face seven teams ranked in the top 11 in the latest ISR rankings on BoydsWorld.com.
Stat of the Week:
Despite Eric Sogard's two homer game on Friday night, the Devils continue to make
bunting a big part of their offensive arsenal. ASU has recorded 19 bunt singles this season, including nine from Andrew Romine. Sogard leads the team with his .714 (5-7) bunting average, while the team as a whole has a .559 (19-34) bunting average. The team has also successfully converted ten sacrifice bunts.
Rankings:
ASU dropped three spots to #18 in the Baseball America poll while they fell seven spots to #19 in the NCBWA poll. They fell to #13 in the Rivals.com poll and were bumped down to #18 in Baseball . They came in at #14 in the Coaches poll, down three slots.
Up Next:
A busy Spring Break week for the Devils continues, as they will host the Maine Black Bears in a four-game series beginning Friday. The two teams will play a St. Patrick's Day doubleheader before closing out the series on Sunday. ASU will wear special green hats on St. Patrick's Day.