Baseball

Oct. 23, 1997

Fall Baseball Roundup

"Fall Ball is a time to build team attitude and cohesiveness." -head coach Pat Murphy

Despite the key offensive losses of outfielder Dan McKinley and first baseman Mike Grijalva and the pitching losses of seven out of the top 10 pitchers on the staff, head coach Pat Murphy is impressed with the 1998 addition of the Arizona State baseball team. And while bullpen depth is an immediate concern of Murphy's, the starting pitching rotation for the Devils should be one of the most feared in the league. ASU will once again have one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Non-conference opponents include Florida State, Oklahoma and Fresno State while conference opponents Stanford, UCLA, USC, Arizona and California will challenge the Devils day in and day out.

Pitching:
The 1998 pitching staff will be anchored by returning starters Ryan Mills (LHP, Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Phill Lowery (LHP, Petaluma, Calif.) who saw limited action in fall games. Those vying for the third starting spot are junior Colin Call (RHP, Scottsdale, Ariz.), junior transfer Chuck Crumpton (RHP, Mesquite, Tx.), sophomore Jay Gehrke (RHP, Fargo, N.D.) and sophomore Eric Valenzuela (RHP, Covina, Calif.). Freshman pitchers Drew Friedberg (LHP, Middleton, Wis.), Robby Milner (RHP, Phoenix, Ariz.) and Chad Pennington (RHP, Hamilton, Ohio) turned in solid performances and will be looked upon to contribute quality innings during the '98 season.

Catching:
Before the start of Fall Ball, the prevailing thought was that junior Greg Halvorson (Tucson, Ariz.) had a lock on the starting catcher spot. But the strong play of junior transfer Jeremy Jones (Raymore, Mo.) and freshman Casey Myers (Casa Grande, Ariz.) have turned it into a three-way battle.

Outfield:
The outfield will be anchored by two returning seniors, rightfielder, Mikel Moreno (Mesa, Ariz.) and centerfielder, Rudy Arguelles (Corona, Calif.). Battling for a spot in leftfield are sophomores Dustin Delucchi (Burlingame, Calif.) and Jay Sitzman (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Delucchi saw plenty of action last year at first base, as the DH and in the outfield. Sophomore Mark Ernster (Glendale, Ariz.) could also figure into the mix.

Middle Infield:
Things will be crowded in the middle infield with four capable athletes challenging for time. Senior Richy Leon (Yuma, Ariz.) could see time at both shortstop and second base as well as time on the mound in relief. Junior Chip Gosewisch (Phoenix, Ariz.), who was very impressive offensively during the fall, should start at second base. Junior Michael Collins (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Willie Bloomquist (Port Orchard, Wash.) will battle for time at shortstop. Coach Murphy was very pleased with Bloomquist's performance during Fall Ball and if fans don't see him in the field, don't be surprised to see the sophomore in the DH spot. He will be in the lineup somewhere.

At the Corners:
Junior All-American Andrew Beinbrink (San Deigo, Calif.) will resume his role at thirdbase and add stability and leadership to the infield. There is a fierce battle going on for the starting first baseman's job. Junior transfer Dan Meier (Aurora, Colo.) and sophomore Kevin Tillman (San Jose, Calif.) both made a case for themselves during Fall Ball. Freshman Jeff Phelps (Yuma, Ariz.) has shown the ability to play both first and second base and will add depth to those positions.

If Fall Ball is any indication of the 1998 addition of the Arizona State baseball team, the future looks very promising. Arizona State will kick of the 1998 season with the Alumni Game on Sunday, January 18 at 1 p.m. at Packard Stadium. So stay tuned and get ready for an exciting season of collegiate baseball!