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| 2002 Record: | 37-21, 15-9 Pac-10 |
| 2002 Home Record: | 29-10 |
| 2002 Road Record: | 8-11 |
| Final 2001 Record: | 37-20-1 |
| ASU All-Time Record: | 2,263-1,115-6 |
| Head Coach: | Pat Murphy (306-164-1) |
Sun Devils Host Regional, but Can’t Slip Past Hot Houston Squad
Future Looks Bright With Host of Players Returning For 2003.
The Sun Devils finished the 2002 season ranked 19th in the nation (Baseball Weekly) and 22nd (Baseball America) after going 37-21 overall… the Devils finished third in the Pac-10 with a 15-9 league mark… the squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row and the fifth time in the last six years under head coach Pat Murphy… the postseason appearance was the 26th in school history… ASU also hosted an NCAA regional for the second time in the last three years… ASU went 2-2 in the regional tournament, winning a pair of games over San Diego and dropping a pair of games to No. 1 seed Houston… the Devils played all but three of their home games in 2002 at Mesa’s Hohokam Park while normal home field Packard Stadium awaits a multi-million dollar renovation… the team went 26-9 at Hohokam Park and 3-0 at Packard Stadium… ASU extended its NCAA record consecutive games scoring streak to 433 games, scoring at least one run in all 58 games in 2002… the Devils were limited to only one run in two of those games… Murphy reached several coaching milestones during 2002, including recording his 600th career Division I victory (March 8 vs. UNLV), coaching in his 1,000th career game (April 21 vs. Cal), and winning his 300th games as a Sun Devil (May 17 vs. USC)… the team played an exceptionally tough schedule, going 8-10 vs. ranked opponents… as a team the Devils hit .310 with 38 home runs… the pitching staff recorded the best ERA in Murphy’s eight-year tenure with a 4.40 mark… the 4.40 ERA was ranked second in the Pac-10 behind Stanford… senior Jon Sheaffer led the team in hitting at .364, with sophomore right fielder Andre Ethier one point behind him at .363… Sheaffer was the 19th round selection of the New York Yankees in the 2002 MLB Draft… Ethier was named to the All-Pac-10 team, leading the Devils in hitting in league games at .431… freshman Dustin Pedroia was also named to the All-Pac-10 team and was selected as one of 22 players to represent the USA this summer for the USA Baseball National team… Pedroia finished fourth on the team in hitting at .347, led the team with 27 multi-hit games and set the ASU freshman record with 82 hits… Pedroia also hit .381 in Pac-10 play and was the only Sun Devil to start and play in all 58 games in 2002… starting at three positions (2B, 3B and SS), Pedroia made only four errors in 223 total chances for a .982 fielding percentage… sophomore first baseman Jeremy West was the Devils third member of the All-Pac-10 first team, leading the team in several offensive categories… West clubbed 13 home runs, led the Pac-10 with 71 RBI and finished third on the team in hitting with a .356 batting average… he was one of only two players in the league to be named Pac-10 Player of the Week twice… sophomore Steve Garrabrants led the Pac-10 with seven triples and ranked fourth in the league with 16 stolen bases… senior Sergio Garcia added to his Big 12 honorable mention selection at Oklahoma to his 2002 Pac-10 award of the same kind… Garcia became the first Sun Devil since the 2000 season to record five hits in a game… freshman Nick Cadena tied for fifth in ASU freshman history with six home runs… Cadena also led the team with two multi-home run games… senior catcher Cesar Castillo hit .305 after becoming the starting catcher and was named to the NCAA Regional all-tournament team… relief pitcher Ryan Schroyer led the Pac-10 in ERA with a 2.37 mark and finished second with eight saves… Schroyer was invited to the USA Baseball National Team tryouts, but did not make the team… he was a combined 3-0 with eight saves and a 1.54 ERA in 21 relief appearances… he ranked 23rd in the nation in ERA, tied for 33rd in saves and 13th with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings… junior Carlos Arguello was 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA and earned two wins in the NCAA Tournament… sophomore Mike Esposito led the team with nine wins and ranked third in the league with 93 strikeouts and eighth with a 3.72 ERA… Esposito registered the sixth most strikeouts in single-game school history when he had 17 vs. Washington (3/28)… of the Sun Devils 38 home runs, 21 were solo home runs, 6 two-run, 10 three-run and one grand slam… West led the team with 35 extra base hits, adding 18 doubles and four triples to his 13 home runs… the Sun Devils used 44 different starting lineups by batting order during the season and 31 different combinations in the field… the Devils scored 52% of their runs with two outs (232 of 450)… ASU scored at least one run in the first inning in 30 of its 58 games (52%), going 24-6 in those games.
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT/TIME |
| Jan. 31 | Oregon State^ | W, 13-5 |
| Feb. 1 | Southern Utah^ | W, 12-0 |
| Feb. 2 | Oral Roberts^ | W, 5-4 |
| Feb. 3 | Southern Utah^ | W, 6-2 |
| Feb. 8 | Tennessee (#25) | W, 7-4 |
| Feb. 9 | Tennessee (#25) | W, 8-1 |
| Feb. 10 | Tennessee (#25) | W, 5-4 |
| Feb. 15 | at Florida State (#3) | L, 4-9 |
| Feb. 16 | at Florida State (#3) (TV) | L, 3-5 |
| Feb. 17 | at Florida State (#3) | L, 4-6 |
| Feb. 22 | CS Fullerton (#12) | L, 2-3 |
| Feb. 23 | CS Fullerton (#12) | W, 9-4 |
| Feb. 24 | CS Fullerton (#12) | L, 5-7 |
| Mar. 1 | Loyola Marymount | W, 15-2 |
| Mar. 2 | Loyola Marymount | W, 7-2 |
| Mar. 3 | Loyola Marymount | W, 10-5 |
| Mar. 5 | New Mexico State | W, 10-5 |
| Mar. 8 | UNLV# | W, 10-0 |
| Mar. 9 | St. John’s# | W, 11-1 |
| Mar. 10 | Oklahoma State# (#12) | W, 7-2 |
| Mar. 12 | at New Mexico State | L, 7-8 |
| Mar. 15 | Oklahoma (R) | L, 3-6 |
| Mar. 16 | Oklahoma | W, 6-4 |
| Mar. 17 | Oklahoma | L, 5-7 |
| Mar. 22 | at Arizona* | W, 9-7 |
| Mar. 23 | at Arizona* (Fox Sports) | W, 10-6 |
| Mar. 24 | at Arizona* | L, 1-10 |
| Mar. 28 | Washington* | L, 11-14 |
| Mar. 29 | Washington* | W, 8-3 |
| Mar. 30 | Washington* | W, 13-6 |
| Apr. 1 | at UNLV | L, 7-11 |
| Apr. 5 | at Washington State* | L, 4-7 |
| Apr. 6 | at Washington State* | W, 13-7 |
| Apr. 7 | at Washington State* (TV) | W, 22-4 |
| Apr. 12 | at UCLA* | W, 4-3 (11) |
| Apr. 13 | at UCLA* | L, 2-10 |
| Apr. 14 | at UCLA* | W, 15-2 |
| Apr. 19 | California* | L, 5-9 |
| Apr. 20 | California* | W, 4-3 (10) |
| Apr. 21 | California* | L, 3-9 |
| Apr. 24 | at Oklahoma | W, 7-5 |
| Apr. 26 | at Notre Dame | L, 4-9 |
| Apr. 27 | at Notre Dame | Rain Out |
| Apr. 30 | New Mexico State | W, 14-2 |
| May 10 | at Stanford* (#7) | L, 3-5 |
| May 11 | at Stanford* (#7) | W, 10-2 |
| May 12 | at Stanford* (#7) | L, 1-3 |
| May 14 | Portland | W, 14-2 |
| May 15 | Portland | W, 16-7 |
| May 17 | USC* (#19) | W, 3-1 |
| May 18 | USC* (#19) (TV) | L, 5-9 |
| May 19 | USC* (#19) | W, 17-8 |
| May 24 | Oregon State* | W, 13-7 |
| May 25 | Oregon State* | W, 9-8 |
| May 26 | Oregon State* | W, 5-2 |
| May 31 | San Diego$ | W, 6-3 |
| June 1 | Houston$ (#7) | L, 4-8 |
| June 1 | San Diego$ | W, 11-1 |
| June 2 | Houston$ (#7) | L, 3-8 |
|
* Pacific-10 Conference game ^ Bill Kajikawa Baseball Classic # Bob Schaefer Memorial Classic (Packard Stadium) $ NCAA Regional, Mesa, Ariz. | ||
Arizona State in Postseason Play:
The Sun Devil baseball program has created a dynasty in college baseball that has been matched by few. With 18 appearances in the College World Series, ASU ranks fifth for the most trips to Omaha. Arizona State has now advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 26 of the program’s 43 varsity seasons (dating back to 1959), amassing an incredible 122-49 (.730) record. ASU’s five National Championships rank as the second most of any NCAA school. In addition to ASU’s five national championships, the Sun Devils have also turned in five second-place teams and three third-place finishes. Arizona State is 13-8 in the NCAA Tournament under eighth-year head coach Pat Murphy. In addition to advancing three straight years, ASU has been left out of the tournament only once (1999) in the last six years and played for the national championship in 1998. ASU is a combined 42-5 vs. the schools in the Mesa regional.
Not A Bad Way To Finish:
ASU had a great finish to the 2002 regular season, winning eight of its last 10 games to finish the year 16 games above .500 at 35-19. ASU started the 10-game stretch with a convincing 10-2 win at then eighth-ranked Stanford at Sunken Diamond. ASU then took two of three from Pac-10 champion USC and swept Oregon State to end the season. ASU tied for third place in the Pac-10 with Washington, posting a 15-9 record in league play. During the impressive 10-game stretch the Sun Devils hit .354 as a team (120x339) and out-scored their opponents 120-99. The pitchers also had a good run with a very respectable 4.66 team ERA.
Sun Devil Award Winners:
All-Pac-10 Team:
First Team: Dustin Pedroia, Andre Ethier, Jeremy West
Honorable Mention: Cesar Castillo, Mike Esposito, Sergio Garcia, Steve Garrabrants, Jeff Larish,
Jered Liebeck, Robbie McClellan, Ryan Schroyer, Jon Sheaffer.
All-Pac-10 Academic:
First Team: Ryan McKenna
Second Team: Aaron Klusman, Cesar Castillo
Honorable Mention: Mike Esposito, Ryan Schroyer, Nick Walsh
Pac-10 Players of the Week:
Jeremy West - 2 (Apr. 8, May 20)
Andre Ethier (Mar. 25)
Pac-10 Pitchers of the Week:
Robbie McClellan (Mar. 12)
Mike Esposito (Apr. 1)
National Pitchers of the Week:
Ryan Schroyer - Feb. 4 (NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball)
Mike Esposito - Apr. 1 (Collegiate Baseball)
Freshmen All-American:
Dustin Pedroia
First Team - Collegiate Baseball
Second Team - Baseball America
Jeff Larish
Honorable Mention - Collegiate Baseball
Mark Sopko
Honorable Mention - Collegiate Baseball
Major League Baseball Draft:
Mike Esposito - 12th round by Colorado Rockies
Jon Sheaffer - 19th round by New York Yankees
Bryce Kartler - 48th round by Cleveland Indians
Cesar Castillo - Signed as Free Agent with Chicago White Sox
Sergio Garcia - Signed as Free Agent with Los Angeles Dodgers
NCAA Mesa Regional All-Tournament Team:
Cesar Castillo (385, 5 H, 6 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
Rod Allen (.400, 6 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
Dustin Pedroia (.500, 10 H, 2 R, 4 RBI)
Carlos Arguello (2-0, 0.82 ERA, 11.0 IP, 8 SO)
2002 ASU Baseball Team Awards:
Mr. Fireman: Ryan Schroyer
Offensive MVP: Andre Ethier/Jeremy West
Defensive MVP: Dustin Pedroia
Developmental MVP: Nick Cadena
Newcomer of the Year: Robbie McClellan/Jeff Larish
Pitcher of the Year: Mike Esposito
Jim Henderson Courageous Performance Award: Sergio Garcia
Jim Brock - Mr. Sun Devil Award: Cesar Castillo
Bobby Winkles Award: Steve Garrabrants
ODC MVP: Dustin Pedroia
Quick Hits:
The Last Time They Hosted:
The Devils last hosted an NCAA Regional in 2000 when they were one of the national No. 1 seeds. ASU cruised in the opener, beating Miami (OH) 15-7 and then defeated Texas 3-1. The Longhorns battled back through the loser’s bracket and eventually beat ASU twice on the final day to advance to the Super Regionals and eventually the 2000 College World Series. Prior to the 2000 season, ASU last hosted in 1993, 1990, 1988 and 1987.
Consecutive Games Scoring Streak Reaches 433:
The Arizona State baseball program has scored in 433 consecutive games dating back to the 1995 season and has not endured a shutout in seven and a half years. The Devils made history on April 7, 2001 when they scored at least one run in their 350th consecutive game. The Devils broke the 12-year-old NCAA record in a 5-1 loss to USC exactly six years to the day when they were last shut out. ASU was shut out 9-0 in that game on April 7, 1995 at Dedeaux Field. The one run scored in the 3-1 loss to Stanford (4/12) marked only the 13th time during the streak that ASU has scored only one run. The streak will continue heading into 2003 at 433 consecutive games with ASU scoring in each of the 58 games in 2002. The Devils extended the streak early in a majority of its games, with a run in the first inning 30 times in 2002. ASU was neck-in-neck for the record with Wichita State, which had not been shutout in 332 games, but had its streak ended with a 1-0 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in the middle of the 2001 season. Coastal Carolina previously held the NCAA record at 349 games set from 1983-1989. ASU also had a stretch of 278 games without being shut out from 1990 to 1994, meaning the program has only been shutout in three games dating back to the 1990 season. ASU celebrated its 7th anniversary of the streak with a 22-4 win over WSU on Apr. 7, 2002. ASU is a combined 274-152-1 during the streak.
Schroyer + Bullpen = Dominating:
Arizona State sophomore pitcher Ryan Schroyer opened his 2002 season in style by being named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball National Pitcher of the Week after his 11-strikeout performance against Southern Utah on Feb. 1. After three more starts, Schroyer moved into the closer role where he recorded an amazing 50 strikeouts in 41.0 innings of work as a reliever. For the season he was 4-1 with eight saves and a Pac-10 best 2.37 ERA. Overall he struck out 75 batters in 60.2 innings of work. The All-American nominee finished the year ranking 23rd in the NCAA in ERA, 13th with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings and tied for 32nd with eight saves. In 41.0 total bullpen innings, Schroyer was 4-0 with eight saves and a nearly impeccable 1.54 ERA. He allowed only seven earned runs and 29 hits over that span. Schroyer ended the season with three wins and five saves in his last 11 outings. Schroyer was invited to the 2002 USA Baseball National Team tryout and despite pitching three scoreless innings, was cut from the team. He is spending the summer as the closer for the Alaska Goldpanners.
Sun Devils Dominate 2002 All-Pac-10 Team:
Arizona State baseball players Jeremy West, Andre Ethier and Dustin Pedroia were all named to the All-Pacific-10 Conference First Team and nine other Sun Devils earned honorable mention distinction when the 2002 Pac-10 Baseball awards were announced. In addition to West, Ethier and Pedroia being named to the first team, senior catcher Cesar Castillo (Yuma), sophomore pitcher Mike Esposito (Las Vegas), senior infielder Sergio Garcia (Paramount, Calif.), sophomore utility player Steve Garrabrants (Phoenix), freshman third baseman Jeff Larish (Tempe), junior pitcher Jered Liebeck (Glendale), junior pitcher Robbie McClellan (Liberal, Kan.), sophomore relief pitcher Ryan Schroyer (Casa Grande) and senior outfielder Jon Sheaffer (Mesa) all earned honorable mention awards. Garcia has now earned honorable mention in back-to-back years from the Big 12 at Oklahoma last year and from the Pac-10 this year.
Pedroia and Schroyer Selected For Team USA:
Arizona State players Ryan Schroyer and Dustin Pedroia were selected for the 2002 Team USA National team trials that were held at Hi-Corbett Field in Tucson in June. Pedroia started a three different infield positions in 2002 and made only four errors in 223 total chances (.982 FLD %). He also had a great rookie campaign at the plate, finishing fourth on the team with a .347 overall batting average and hit at a .381 clip in Pac-10 play. Schroyer lead the team with eight saves and has a nearly impeccable 1.54 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 41.0 innings as a relief pitcher. ASU has had at least one player represented on Team USA in three of the past four years. Schroyer was a member of the 2000 Team USA Junior National Team. Pedroia made the team, becoming the fifth Sun Devil in the last five years to represent ASU in the Red, White and Blue.
Standing Tall On The Mound:
The Devils have had great success this year much in part to the great effort of the pitching staff. The 4.40 team ERA ranked as the lowest during the Pat Murphy era (4.56 in 2001) and was second in the Pac-10 behind Stanford. Mike Esposito was the team-leader with nine wins, while Ryan Schroyer’s eight saves led a solid bullpen corps. The starting pitchers were solid with a combined 4.39 ERA, striking out 272 batters and walking only 141. The relief corps finished with a 4.41 ERA and was 15-7 on the year with 12 saves. Opposing batters hit only .263 off ASU pitchers, a mark that was second in the Pac-10. ASU was 24-10 in the regular season when the starter lasted five or more innings.
Two Outs... So What:
In the 15-2 win over UCLA (4/14), Arizona State scored 12 of its 15 runs with two outs, a trend that carried on throughout the 2002 season. ASU also had a big night with two outs in a 16-7 win over Portland (5/13), scoring 12 of the 16 runs with two outs. Looking back at all 58 games in 2002, ASU maintained the two-out phenomenon, scoring over half of their runs with two outs. The Sun Devils tabbed 84 (19%) runs with no outs, 134 with one out (30%) and a remarkable 232 of 450 total runs (52%) with two outs. As a team the Sun Devils finished the year hitting .312 (202x648) with two outs and recorded 165 total two-out RBI.
West Continues Season Trend By Being Named Pac-10 Player of the Week:
Jeremy West became the fourth and fifth selections for an ASU player to be named Pac-10 Player of the Week honor this year after his solid performances vs. Portland and USC (5/20). West, a native of Las Vegas, helped lead ASU to a 4-1 record over USC and Portland two weeks ago while hitting .562 (9x16) with 11 RBI in the four games. The Player of the Week honor was the second for West this year and he became only one of two Pac-10 players this year (Conor Jackson - Cal) to earn the honor twice. It is the 66th selection all-time for Arizona State. ASU has now had three Pac-10 Player of the Week awards this year in addition to two Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week awards. Andre Ethier has also been named the Pac-10 Player of the Week this year (Mar. 26), while Mike Esposito (Apr. 1) and Robbie McClellan (Mar. 12) have been named Pac-10 Pitcher’s of the Week.
Hail Cesar:
The Sun Devils have been through four catchers this year, but seems as if they found their match in former walk-on Cesar Castillo. The senior backstop from Yuma, Ariz., started 26 of the last 29 games to end the year. Castillo finished his career by hitting .287 (27x94) on the year with eight doubles, one triple, one home run and 20 RBI. Castillo was exceptionally hot to end the season, hitting .306 since taking over the starting catcher role. The Sunday series finale against Oregon State (5/26) could have almost been titled “Cesar Castillo Day”, as he was the only senior on the team with more than one year spent in the program. He responded by hitting his first career triple. He capped his career by being named to the NCAA Mesa Regional All-Tournament team, hitting .385 (5x13) with six runs scored and his first career home run in the four games. He signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox and was 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple in his professional debut (Arizona Rookie League) vs. the Brewers (7/17).
44 Flavors:
Looking to find the perfect starting lineup was a tall task for the Devils in 2002 as head coach Pat Murphy used a different starting lineup in 36 of the last 42 games and 44 different lineup combinations overall during the 2002 season. ASU has also mixed and matched for 31 different starting lineups by position.
A Team Effort
With the three suspensions and injury/dismissal of freshman pitcher Miguel Sanchez, several Sun Devils have been forced into playing time in a year that would have otherwise been a learning experience from the bench. Of the 33 players that were on the roster when the 2002 season began, 28 players have played a significant role on the team. Four of the remaining players are using their redshirt season (Matt Leaf, Bret Berglund, Josh Smith, Mike Guerrero) and walk-on catcher Garrett Schoenberger has made two Pac-10 road trips as a backup catcher.
The Streak Stops at Eight:
The Sun Devils had their impressive streak of eight straight Pac-10 series wins come to an end with the 2-1 series loss vs. Cal. Starting in Apr. 12-14, 2001 with a 2-1 series win over Washington State, the Devils had not lost since with series wins against Arizona (2-1), Washington (3-0), UCLA (2-1), at Arizona (2-1), Washington (2-1), at Washington State (2-1) and at UCLA (2-1).
Where They Compare To Past Years:
ASU completed the 2002 season 16 games above the .500 mark with a 37-21 mark. The Sun Devils were a nearly identical 37-20-1 last year at seasons end. Here is a look at how the Devils have fared after their 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th, 59th and 60th games since Pat Murphy took over the program in 1995.
| Games | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| 54 | 34-20 | 33-21 | 34-20 | 33-21 | 36-18 | 41-13 | 35-18-1 | 35-19 |
| 55 | 34-21 | 34-21 | 35-20 | 34-21 | 36-19 | 42-13 | 36-18-1 | 36-19 |
| 56 | ---- | 35-21 | 36-20 | 35-21 | 37-19 | 43-13 | 37-18-1 | 36-20 |
| 57 | ---- | ---- | 37-20 | 35-22 | 38-19 | 44-13 | 37-19-1 | 37-10 |
| 58 | ---- | ---- | 38-20 | 36-22 | 38-20 | 44-14 | 37-20-1 | 37-21 |
| 59 | ---- | ---- | 39-20 | 37-22 | 39-20 | 44-15 | ---- | ---- |
| 60 | ---- | ---- | 39-21 | 38-22 | 39-21 | ---- | ---- | ---- |
Pat Murphy Hits No. 300 And Keeps on Going:
With a convincing 10-0 win over UNLV in seven innings on March 8, Sun Devil Head Coach Pat Murphy reached the 600 plateau for Division I victories in his 15 years of coaching at the top level of collegiate baseball. Murphy has now fashioned a career 679-335-4 record in the 1,018 career games of his 18 seasons as a head coach, with 55 of those wins coming at Maryville (Tenn.) College and Claremont-Mudd Scripps. In his 15 years at the D1 level, Murphy has averaged nearly 40 wins per year and with the sweep of Oregon State to end the regular season and 2-2 showing in the NCAA Tournament, is now 306-164-1 in his eight-year ASU career. He recently coached in his 1,000th career game April 21, 2002 in the series finale against Cal. Murphy has a career 24-18 (.571) record in postseason play, leading his teams to the NCAA Tournament in nine of his 15 years at the Division I level. The Devils have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six years under Murphy.
The Wild, Wild West:
Sophomore Jeremy West led the Sun Devils in nearly every offensive category in 2002, ranking third in batting (.356), first in extra base hits (35), home runs (13), doubles (18), slugging percentage (.668) and tied for first with 55 runs scored. The Baseball America Midseason All-American finished the year tied for the Pac-10 lead with 71 RBI and was a combined 74-for-208 at the plate. He recorded a hit in 42 of his 56 games and tallied at least one RBI in 32 of those games. He also passed the 100-RBI mark for his career (105), becoming only the 10th Sun Devil to record 100 or more RBI after his freshman and sophomore years. West etched his name into the ASU record books with his eight-RBI game against Portland (5/15). The eight RBI, which included a grand slam home run, are the second most in single-game school history and the most by an ASU player since Andrew Beinbrink (the ASU career RBI leader) had eight in a game vs. Boston College in 1999. West had a career-high 10-game hitting streak snapped in the NCAA Tournament, but hit an impressive .487 (19x39) with 20 RBI during that stretch of games. Below is a look at how West’s 19 career home runs stack up in ASU history for players in their freshman and sophomore years.
Most Home Runs By a Sun Devil in Freshman-Sophomore Years:
| Player | Fr. | So. | Total | Career (ASU Rank) | |
| 1. | Bob Horner | 9 | 22 | 31 | 56 (1st) |
| Mike Kelly | 10 | 21 | 31 | 46 (2nd) | |
| 3. | Jim Austin | 7 | 17 | 24 | 39 (6th) |
| 4. | Barry Bonds | 11 | 11 | 22 | 45 (3rd) |
| 5. | Jeremy West | 6 | 13 | 19 | 19 |
| 6. | Antone Williamson | 4 | 14 | 18 | 33 |
| 7. | Dan Rumsey | 5 | 12 | 17 | 44 (4th) |
| 8. | Andrew Beinbrink | 9 | 5 | 14 | 40 (5th) |
| Casey Myers | 8 | 6 | 14 | 39 (6th) |
Three-Game Series Breakdown:
The Sun Devils played a total of 14 three-game series in 2002, winning nine of those. In addition, the Sun Devils earned three series sweeps (Tennessee, Loyola Marymount, Oregon State). ASU was 6-2 in its eight Pac-10 series and at one point had won eight straight league series (dating back to 2001). Going 7-7 in the opening game of three-game sets in 2002, the Devils were a great bounce-back team, goign 6-1 in Saturday games after dropping the series opener. In addition, the Devils were 11-3 in the middle game and 8-6 in the final game.
Three-Position Pedroia:
Freshman Dustin Pedroia (Woodland, Calif.) had a record-breaking first year as a Sun Devil. He eclipsed the school record for hits as a freshman with 82 (Clay Westlake) and finished fourth on the team in hitting at .347 (82x236). He also hit .381 in Pac-10 play, finished the year going 10-for-20 (.500) in the NCAA Tournament and was named to the USA Baseball National Team. He was the only Sun Devil to start all 58 games in 2002 and started 34 of the last 36 games at shortstop (his third position started in 2002) and has played nearly flawless defense this year with only four errors in 223 total chances (.982 FLD %). He managed at least one hit in 46 of his 58 games played and led the team with 27 multi-hit games. He also finished second in ASU freshman history with 51 runs scored.
Why Not #9 Murphy:
Most who are close to the ASU Baseball program know what the No. 9 means to head coach Pat Murphy. Often his slogan to “Play all 9 Innings”, Murphy and No. 9 are synonymous with each other... until this year. In a preseason meeting with team, Murphy gave a speech on how you have to be able to give up anything for the team. In this case, he even offered up his prize No. 9, knowing no one would take it. That is, until ASU’s sophomore Steve Garrabrants raised his hand and said, I’ll take it, and with that, the leader of the Devils is willing to give up anything for the team and will wear No. 7 this year.
The Crafty Lefty; Carlos Arguello:
Junior LHP Carlos Arguello came on strong at the end of the year to finish with a 5-1 record and a team-leading (without IP minimum) 2.01 ERA. He recorded both of ASU’s wins in the NCAA Tournament, including a complete-game 11-1 victory over San Diego (6/1) in which he struck out a career-high seven batters.
Just Like The Golfer, This Sergio Garcia is on a Roll:
Senior infielder Sergio Garcia has a familiar name, but this Sergio Garcia is not a golfer. Garcia, a solid infielder who can play shortstop, second base or third base, transferred in the off-season from Oklahoma where he hit .311 for the Sooners in 2001 and was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. Garcia earned Pac-10 honorable mention honors in 2002 after hitting .336 with four doubles, one home run and 14 RBI. He played in 49 games, making 32 starts (25 @ 2B, 7 @ SS). He had a career-best game vs. USC (5/19) in which he went 5-for-5 with three RBI in ASU’s 17-8 win over the Trojans. With the five hits, he became the first Sun Devils since Brooks Conrad in 2000 to record five hits in a game. Further more, the five hits improved his batting average 39 points from .321 to .360 in just one game. Garcia has also lived up to his golf surname, going 9-for-13 (.692) with four RBI in his last three Sunday’s (of the regular season) as if it were the final round of a major golf tournament. His 16 stolen base tied for fourth in the Pac-10 with teammate Steve Garrabrants.
You’re The Best; Mike Esposito:
While not claiming to be the best, sophomore Mike Esposito comes out to the song from the Karate Kid sound track labeled, “You’re the Best,” before each of his home starts. A song held special to his heart because the man singing the song is his father, Joe Esposito, who is popular lounge singer at Paris Casino in Las Vegas as part of a group called Cat Daddy. “Espo”, as known by his teammates, was solid on the mound for ASU in 2002 with a 9-6 record. He ranked third with 93 strikeouts and eighth with a 3.72 ERA. The redshirt sophomore led the team in innings pitched (104.0) and complete games (3). He turned in three 10-plus strikeout performances this year, last being a 11 strikeout effort vs. New Mexico State (4/30) in six innings. Esposito had one of the best pitching performances in Sun Devil baseball history when he struck out 17 batters in a complete-game victory over the University of Washington (3/29) at Hohokam Stadium. He allowed only three runs (two earned) and eight hits in his second complete-game of the year. Esposito registered the sixth most K’s in a single game in ASU history and the most since 1997. The preseason All-American (Baseball America third team) and 2001 Team USA member is now 15-8 in his two-years at ASU. Esposito was a fifth-round draft choice out of high school in June 1999 by the Cincinnati Reds and waas the 12th round selection of the Colorado Rockeis in the June 2002 draft. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2000, Esposito has not missed a start this year or in his career since coming back from the arm injury. He was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection as a player and for his academics.
A Night to Remember; Esposito Strikes Out 17 vs. Washington:
Here is how Esposito’s 17-strikeout game ranks among the top performances in ASU school history. It is the most by a Sun Devil pitcher since Ryan Mills struck out 17 vs. Southern Illinois in 1997 and no on has had more in a Sun Devil uniform since the 1973 season.
22 - Sterling Slaughter, 3-18-63 vs. CSU
21 - Eddie Bane, 4-1-72 vs. LaVerne (14 inn.)
20 - Jim Otten, 5-23-73 vs. BYU
19 - Eddie Bane, 6-1-73 vs. Denver
18 - Gary Gentry, 5-22-67 vs. Arizona
17 - Mike Esposito, 3-29-02 vs. Washington
17 - Ryan Mills, 2-14-97 vs. Southern Illinois
17 - Sean Rees, 3-9-90 vs. California
Ethier Earns First-Team All-Pac-10 Honor:
Sophomore Andre Ethier made the most of his second stop at ASU, returning in 2002 from Chandler-Gilbert CC to earn first-team All-Pac-10 honors. Ethier, who started 48 games for the Sun Devils, finished second on the team in hitting at .363 and also collected 14 doubles, three triples, four home runs and knocked in 50 RBI. He recorded at least one hit in 36 of his 48 games played (75%) and had 19 multi-hit games. Ethier had nine three-hit games, one four-hit game and one multi-home run contest. Ethier originally came to ASU in 2000 out of St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix and played fall baseball. He left to compete during the 2001 season at Chandler-Gilbert, then came back for the 2002 season.
Tough Luck McClellan:
Robbie McClellan started the year with a 7-2 record, but then came the month of April and luck just wasn’t with him. McClellan lost four of his last six starts to end his rookie campaign with the Sun Devils, finishing the year with a 7-6 record and 4.73 ERA. His last win came April 14 at UCLA, but pitched three good games against Notre Dame, Stanford and USC during that stretch. The junior pitched well on a cold night at Notre Dame and gave up only three runs in 7.1 innings at No. 8 Stanford. Both performances yielded a tough loss. He also gave up only two runs (one earned) in a no-decision against USC. McClellan was 5-4 with a 4.80 ERA as a starter and 2-2 with a 4.41 ERA in seven appearances out of the bullpen. He ranked fourth in the Pac-10 with 91 strikeouts and eighth with opposing hitters batting only .258 off him. McClellan, from Liberal, Kan., became the first Sun Devil to notch back-to-back complete games since 1999, striking out a career-high 10 batters in a seven-inning win against UNLV (3/8). He allowed just four hits and did not allow a run in the 10-0 win over the Rebels. He also went all nine innings in a 7-2 win over Loyola Marymount (3/2). McClellan has an overall 4.61 ERA in 93.2 innings pitched. He became the 43rd selection all-time for Arizona State as Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week after his performance vs. UNLV. McClellan is nicknamed “The Child” by his teammates for his boyish looks. He transferred to ASU from Seward County CC in Liberal, Kan., where he set school records for strikeouts in a career and season, and was 16-4 in his two years.
Home Sweet Home:
The Sun Devils enjoyed their temporary home of Hohokam Park in 2002, posting a 29-10 record in home games. The Sun Devils were 8-11 on the road. The offense has been drastically better at spacious Hohokam Park with a .324 batting average and 320 of the 450 total runs. ASU is averaging 10.8 hits and 8.21 runs per game in home contests. The Sun Devils were 29-10 at Hohokam Park and were a perfect 3-0 at Packard Stadium this year. The pitching has also been better at home with ASU’s hurlers posting a very impressive 3.79 ERA in the 39 home games. In ASU’s 18 road games, the pitcher’s were hit for a 5.91 ERA, giving up 101 earned runs in 153.2 innings.
Hitting For The Cycle... in the First Inning:
In what may be one of the rarest feats of Arizona State baseball history, the Devils led off the Feb. 9 game vs. Tennessee in grand fashion with the first four hitters combining to hit for the cycle in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Steve Garrabrants led off the game with a first-pitch home run, then Dustin Pedroia followed with a double, then Rod Allen singled and to cap off the amazing event, Jeremy West tripled to give ASU the early 2-0 lead.
Allen’s Production Down, But Not Far Off:
Preseason All-American Rod Allen likes to avoid the term ‘Sophomore Jinx,’ but, overall his season statistics are not all that far off from his remarkable freshman campaign in which he hit .389. Allen finished the season hitting .278 (58x209), but the rest of his statistics are very comparable to 2001. He was second on the team with 50 RBI (only three off last years total of 53), has six more stolen bases (14 compared to six), had the same amount of home runs (6) and also surpassed his double total of 14 from last year (15 in 2002). The main difference is in the hit column with 58 in 2002 compared to 70 last year. Allen ended the season on a high note though, going 6-for-15 (.400) in the NCAA Regional to be named to the All-Tournament team. Allen became only the 9th Sun Devil in ASU history to record 100 or more RBI in his freshman and sophomore years. Teammate Jeremy West also passed the 100-RBI mark, becoming the 10th player in school history to reach 100 RBI after the freshman and sophomore years of a Sun Devil career. Here is the complete list:
| Player | RBI (Fr/So) | Career RBI |
| Mike Kelly | 138 | 194 |
| Bob Horner | 129 | 229 |
| Antone Williamson | 129 | 203 |
| Andrew Beinbrink | 113 | 283 |
| Clay Westlake | 110 | 250 |
| Casey Myers | 109 | 275 |
| Barry Bonds | 109 | 175 |
| Ken Landreaux | 101 | 194 |
| Jeremy West | 105 | 105 |
| Rod Allen | 103 | 103 |
Jeff Larish Makes Strong Sun Devil Debut:
Freshman infielder Jeff Larish had a great rookie campaign with the Devils... and it almost didnt’ happen. Larish, who finished seventh on the team in hitting at .328, had not dressed for a game and was in the stands as a redshirt candidate before finding out he would be the starting third baseman for ASU’s Mar. 16 game vs. Oklahoma. Larish made the most of the opportunity, going 3-for-4 with a triple and run scored in his ASU debut vs. the Sooners. He was named an honorable mention Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. He recorded 12 multi-hit games, four of which were three and four-hit contests. The freshman starred at Tempe McClintock High School last year and was a 32nd-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs last June.
Garrabrants Proves To Be a Sparkplug:
Sophomore Steve Garrabrants was a key sparkplug for ASU in 2002 with the team going 29-15 when he hit in the leadoff spot. Garrabrants finished fifth on the team with a .337 batting average (68x202). He was also on the team with 25 extra base hits (15 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR) and recorded at least one hit in 39 of his 51 games (76%). He finished the regular season with a Pac-10 leading seven triples and his 15 stolen bases ranked fourth with teammate Sergio Garcia. Garrabrants started 51 games for the Devils, with 24 coming at second base, 16 at designated hitter and 10 in center field.
Murphy’s Teams Know How To Score:
A true icon of the Pat Murphy system is scoring runs. The Sun Devils have done plenty of that since he arrived in 1995. ASU has led the NCAA in scoring in two of the last four years, averaging 11.32 runs per game in 1999 and 10.97 runs per game in 2000. The Devils paced the Pac-10 in 2001, hitting at a .327 clip and averaging 8.26 runs per game to rank 17th in the nation. ASU also led the nation in batting average with a team total of .356 in 1999 and fell just percentage points shy of matching that feat a second year in a row in 2000 with a .346 mark, trailing Stony Brook by one point. During Pat Murphy’s eight seasons at ASU, the Sun Devils have been a scoring machine with 4,299 runs, averaging 9.13 runs per game and hitting at an overall .329 clip. Below is an offensive team breakdown of Murphy’s ASU teams:
| Year | G | AB | R | H | HR | BA |
| 1995 | 55 | 1939 | 395 | 595 | 35 | .307 |
| 1996 | 56 | 2075 | 552 | 702 | 73 | .338 |
| 1997 | 61 | 2252 | 540 | 735 | 56 | .326 |
| 1998 | 64 | 2277 | 557 | 723 | 57 | .318 |
| 1999 | 60 | 2199 | 679 | 782 | 67 | .356 |
| 2000 | 59 | 2134 | 647 | 738 | 86 | .346 |
| 2001 | 58 | 2049 | 479 | 669 | 33 | .327 |
| 2002 | 58 | 1994 | 450 | 618 | 38 | .310 |
| Totals | 471 | 16,919 | 4,299 | 5,562 | 445 | .329 |
Draft Dodgers:
Three Sun Devils were taken in the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft, the lowest total by a Pat Murphy squad since he came to ASU in 1995. Redshirt sophomore Mike Esposito was taken in the 12th round by the Colorado Rockies and is expected to return to ASU for his junior season in 2003. Senior outfielder Jon Sheaffer was picked in the 19th round by the New York Yankees and was assigned to their Single-A team in Staten Island, New York. Junior LHP Bryce Kartler was the 48th-round selection of the Cleveland Indians and will return for his senior season. Seniors Sergio Garcia (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Cesar Castillo (Chicago White Sox) signed as free agents and are both playing with their clubs respective rookie-level team.
Cadena Gets Hot Just In Time:
Freshman Nick Cadena was hitting just .097 after going 0-for-2 at Notre Dame (4/26), but caught fire after being inserted into the starting lineup for the injured Andre Ethier and ended the season with a very respectable .239 batting average. The former high school All-American from Apollo High School, Cadena has made the switch from infielder to the outfield and started the last 16 games of 2002 in right field and designated hitter. Over that stretch of games Cadena hit .311 (19x61) with five home runs and 21 of his 28 RBI. Cadena’s six home runs tied for the fifth most by a freshman in ASU school history, with Jeremy West and Rod Allen also belting six in 2001.
Where They Are Playing This Summer:
| Andre Ethier | Rochester Honkers | Northwoods League |
| Joel Bocchi | Rochester Honkers | Northwoods League |
| Mark Sopko | Madison Mallards | Northwoods League |
| Bret Berglund | Madison Mallards | Northwoods League |
| Nick Cadena | Madison Mallards | Northwoods League |
| J.J. Jackson | Madison Mallards | Northwoods League |
| Josh Perrault | Wisconsin Woodchucks | Northwoods League |
| Mike Guerrero | Kansas City | Mink League |
| Bryce Kartler | Youngstown Express | Great Lakes Collegiate League |
| Nick Walsh | Youngstown Express | Great Lakes Collegiate League |
| Dustin Pedroia | USA National Team | USA Baseball |
| Rod Allen | Orleans Cardinals | Cape Cod League |
| Steve Garrabrants | Orleans Cardinals | Cape Cod League |
| Jered Liebeck | Anchorage Glacier Pilots | Alaskan Summer League |
| Ryan Schroyer | Alaska Goldpanners | Alaskan Summer League |
| Aaron Klusman | Athletes In Action | Alaskan Summer League |
| Garrett Schoenberger | Kenai Oilers | Alaskan Summer League |