June 7, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. -
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Leading Off:
The 2007 Pac-10 Champion Arizona State Sun Devils will make their third all-time Super Regional appearance and first ever at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. They will take on the #19 Mississippi Rebels, who swept the Oxford Regional last weekend.
The Super Regional:
and have faced off only once before, during the 1964 College World Series. won 5-0.
National Seed:
has earned a national top eight seed for the third time since the NCAA began using the current format in 1999. The #5 seed this year is the highest ever for the Sun Devils. They were the #7 national seed in both 2000 and 2004. Only two other national seeds (#2 Rice and #3 ) advanced to Super Regionals.
Lights, Camera, Action:
The Tempe Super Regional will be televised by the ESPN family of networks. ESPNU will air Saturday night's game, while Sunday and Monday will be televised by ESPN2. Dan Ryan and Jay Walker will call all the action.
Facing Tough Competition:
During the regular season, ASU had 10 losses against teams who have been ranked at some point this season, including one to Vanderbilt, who was the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils also have 26 wins against teams that have been ranked at some point this year, including a three-game sweep at , who has been ranked as high as 2nd. Also, seven of the losses have been by one run, including an extra inning game with Vanderbilt. ASU faced eight teams that advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including three teams that advanced to Super Regionals. ASU went 7-1 against the Super Regionals teams they faced in 2007.
Pac-10 Champions:
With their win on against on Wednesday May 23, the Sun Devils clinched the Pac-10 Conference championship for the first time since 2000, when they shared it with UCLA and Stanford. The outright conference crown is the first for since 1993. It is the second Pac-10 title for head coach Pat Murphy and the seventh overall in school history. ASU also won 11 WAC titles from 1963 to 1978. The 19 conference wins ties the record for most wins since the divisions merged in 1999. Stanford (1999) and (2005) each won 19 as well.
Pac-10 Player of the Year:
Sophomore 1B Brett Wallace, who currently leads the Pac-10 in all three Triple Crown categories, was named the 2007 Pac-10 Player of the Year. Wallace becomes the 12th Sun Devil to earn the honor, and the first since Dustin Pedroia shared the award in 2003.
Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year:
Junior 2B Eric Sogard was named the 2007 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, the first Sun Devil to ever win the award. Sogard, who is also having an outstanding season at the plate, has helped to solidify one of the top defenses in the nation.
Pac-10 Coach of the Year:
Head Coach Pat Murphy has been named the 2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, the second time in his tenure at ASU that he has earned the award. Murphy also won the award in 2000. He has led the Sun Devils to a #5 National Seed, a Pac-10 title, and has won more than 40 games for the 28th time in school history.
All Pac-10 Honors:
had seven members of the All Pac-10 team, and an additional four Honorable Mentions. Eric Sogard, Ike Davis and Petey Paramore each earned All-Conference honors for the second straight year. They were joined by teammates Brett Wallace, Mike Leake, Josh Satow and Roling. Brian Flores, Andrew Romine, Matt Spencer and Tim Smith each honored Honorable Mentions. The seven honorees ties the school record for most All-Conference selections set in 1982. ASU led the conference with their seven players on the team.
Century Mark:
With his three hits against on June 3, Brett Wallace topped the 100-hit mark for the season, becoming the 24th all-time Sun Devil to hit the mark. He has 102 hits so far this season, tying him with Kevin Romine and Bob Horner for 19th most in school history. Paul Lo Duca holds the school record for hits in a season with 129 in 1993.
40 Time:
The Sun Devils have reached the 40-win plateau for the 28th time in school history and the sixth time under head coach Pat Murphy. baseball has topped the 30-win mark for the 45th consecutive season and 47th season overall in school history. Murphy has never failed to win at least 30 games as a Division I head coach. ASU has the longest 30-win season streak in the nation. has hit the mark 43 straight times, including 2007.
Home Sweet Home:
The loss to in the regular season finale ended ASU's 22-game home winning streak at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. The Devils finished the regular season 30-3 at home, with the other two losses coming to . The school record for consecutive home wins is 33, set from 1976 to 1977.
Hosting Time:
2007 marked the 17th time hosted an NCAA Regional, and the fifth time since 2000. It's the 31st overall postseason appearance and eighth in a row for the Devils. ASU last hosted a regional in 2005, when they advanced to the College World Series. This is the third time since 2000 Packard Stadium hosted, as the regionals were played there in 2000 and 2005. in hosted the 2002 regional, while Tempe Diablo was the site in 2003. This is the first time they have ever hosted a Super Regional.
Lights Out Leake:
Mike Leake picked up his 13th win of the season last week against UC Riverside, extending his Pac-10 lead. His 13 wins so far put him in a tie for third place for the most wins by a freshman in school history. Kendall Carter set the mark in 1981, winning 19 games for the National Champs. Skip Hancock won 13 in 1964, as did Ken Jones in 1978.
Wallace Watch:
Sophomore 1B Brett Wallace was named one of 16 semi-finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, and was also named one of the first 11 members of the 2007 USA Baseball National Team. He is also a quarter-finalist for the Wallace Award.
Double Digit Delight:
With his win against Oregon State on May 19, junior lefty Josh Satow picked up his 10th win of the year, joining Mike Leake as a ten-game winner. ASU last had two 10-game winners in 2005, when Erik Averill and Jason Urquidez did it. Averill finished 11-4, while Urquidez ended up 10-4 for the team that finished 3rd in the nation. Leake is currently 13-1 while Satow is 12-3.
Save Me!:
With another save against , freshman righty Jason Jarvis upped his ASU freshman record saves total to 11. Mitch Dean (1976) and Zechry Zinicola (2004), who each recorded eight during their rookie years, previously held the record. Jarvis was not declared eligible to participate until Pac-10 play began in late March.
O Captain! My Captain!:
Head coach Pat Murphy named junior OF Rocky Laguna the team captain, prior to the season. This is the first time in the 13 years that Murphy has been at ASU that he has named a team captain. Laguna is a redshirt junior who is in his fourth year with the program. The product is a key reserve, providing a steady glove in the outfield and an experienced bat.
Consistency In The New Millennium:
Since the 2000 season, Pat Murphy and the Arizona State Sun Devils have the highest winning percentage in the Pac-10, and the 13th highest winning percentage in the nation. ASU is 338-147-2 since 2000, a winning percentage of .696. Stanford is the next highest Pac-10 club, with a 339-161 record this millennium, a winning percentage of .678.
Quick Hits:
Petey Paramore has been a walks machine this season. Paramore has drawn 49 walks already this year, tops in the conference. He was third on the team last season with 34 free passes...Andrew Romine has 16 bunt singles this season...The Challenge at Chase marked the third time in 2007 ASU has played in a Major League facility. They played at , home of the Houston Astros and at Surprise Stadium, Spring Training home of the Texas Rangers and Royals...Sophomore LHP Jeff Urlaub underwent successful Tommy John surgery June 5. His expected recovery time is 10-16 months.
Exclusive Company:
Arizona State Head Coach Pat Murphy achieved a coaching milestone against USC, collecting his 500th victory as skipper of the Sun Devils. Earlier this season, Murphy won his 800th career Division I game and is one victory shy of 900 for his coaching career. With the win over UC Riverside in the Tempe Regional, Murphy moved past Bobby Winkles, ASU's first head coach, for the second most wins in school history. Murphy now has 526 victories at ASU in his 13 seasons, two more than Winkles, who led the Sun Devils for 13 years. Jim Brock amassed 1,100 victories in his 23 years at the helm of baseball.
Honoring Pat Tillman:
Former ASU football player and American Hero Pat Tillman had strong ties to the ASU Baseball program. In addition to his brother Kevin playing for ASU, Pat became extremely close with head coach Pat Murphy. Murphy wears jersey #42 in honor of Tillman, and in January Murph donated $100,000 to the baseball program for the construction of the Tillman Training Room, a room that will honor both Pat and Kevin and their commitment to both and the . The team wears a memorial "PT*42" patch on their jerseys in honor of Pat. Also, senior infielder Joe Persichina is a Tillman Scholar. A Tillman Scholar is a student that must possess passion, leadership abilities and an entrepreneurial spirit. Tillman Scholars commit to a two-semester experience that begins each fall.
You Look Mahvelous!:
The Sun Devils got a surprise during a practice before the season, as actor/comedian Billy Crystal took a break from his performances at Gammage to practice with the Devils. donned the Maroon and Gold, complete with a jersey with his name and #10 on the back, and took part in drills and batting practice. After practice, he invited the coaching staff to his show, "700 Sundays" at Gammage Auditorium.
2007 ASU Baseball Team Award Winners:
Arizona State Baseball held their 23rd annual Awards banquet on May 29, where they announced the winners of the 2007 team awards. The winners were:
Mr. Fireman....................................... Mike Leake
Jim Henderson Courage Award............ Roling
Casey Myers Academic Award.............. Petey Paramore
Phill Lowery Comeback Player............. Tim Smith
Alvin Davis Leadership Award.............. Rocky Laguna
Developmental MVP............................ Joe Van Meter
Newcomer of the Year......................... Brian Flores & Matt Spencer
Outstanding Offensive Player.............. Brett Wallace
Outstanding Defensive Player............. Petey Paramore & Andrew Romine
Pitcher of the Year.............................. Josh Satow
The Tillman........................................ Eric Sogard
Jim Brock - Mr. Sun Devil Award........... Ike Davis
Bobby Winkles Award......................... Raoul Torrez
On MVP............................. Brett Wallace
Dr. Jim Brock, Hall of Famer:
Former Sun Devils head coach Jim Brock has been named a 2007 College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Brock, who coached at ASU from 1972 until his death in 1994, will become the third Sun Devil in the Hall of Fame, joining fellow coach Bobby Winkles and former Golden Spikes Award winner Bob Horner.
Did You Know:
2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year Pat Murphy is the only head coach on the 2007 NCAA Baseball Tournament Committee. Murphy flew to immediately following the May 25th game against and returned to on Monday the 28th. He is on the committee for the next three years.