(Photo: Hailey Rogalski/WCSN)
PHOENIX – On Sunday, the UNLV Rebels put on a 31-run onslaught on an inferior Pacific program. Forty-eight hours later, that same offense enters Phoenix Municipal Stadium, expected to resume its offensive flurry against Arizona State baseball. But after 27 outs, the scoreboard read the Rebels’ lowest run total of the year.
In a strange twist from last season, ASU’s pitching staff has been light-outs to begin its 2023 campaign. The Sun Devils (4-0) had complete control over the mound in their 6-3 win over the Rebels (3-1). Head coach Willie Bloomquist is reaping the benefits early of the complete overhaul of the last year’s disastrous bullpen from ground zero and, for the moment, is on cloud nine.
“Obviously, that’s something we needed to address,” Bloomquist said. “We worked very hard. Our pitching staff has worked extremely hard. The biggest thing that I can attribute to it is we’re not giving up free bases, which is outstanding.”
In 2022, ASU lost both games to UNLV, allowing a combined 21 runs. The 3-run performance from the bullpen tonight against the same batting order was highlighted by not allowing free bases. Walks were a criticism that Bloomquist harped on all last season, and Tuesday’s two walks showed improvement on the young season.
ASU continued its starting pitcher scoreless streak, extending the number to 16.1 innings, thanks to the efforts of junior right-hander Josh Hansell. Last season, the Chandler native pitched in only 4.1 innings but allowed 11 runs. The coaching staff praised Hansell’s improvement during the preseason, which showed on Thursday. In his second start as a Sun Devil, Hansell went a scoreless three innings, allowing one hit and a walk.
“He’s forcing guys to swing the bat and beat them. UNLV put up 31 runs last weekend. Those guys can swing the bat,” Bloomquist said. “For him to go out there and go three shutouts [innings] to start us off…that was huge for us. Hopefully, that’s a big confidence booster for him.”
The junior-right hander initially struggled to control the zone, leading to early baserunners for the Rebels. Despite the early turbulence, Hansell stayed composed and showcased his increased speed, fanning three batters and leaving four UNLV runners stranded. The 6-foot-5 Sun Devils prospect consists of all the tools to be a major leaguer, and tonight was a big step in the right direction.
“We all know the potential that he has,” Bloomquist said. “I’ve seen much more electric and better stuff from him. The main thing was he was attacking the zone and didn’t beat himself. That’s something that got him in trouble in the past.”
His UNLV counterpart, starting junior left-hander Noah Mattera, started strong on the bump, striking out the first two ASU batters, but sophomore catcher Ryan Campos ended those plans with a homer to left field the next at-bat. Not to be outdone, junior infielder Ethan Long homered to center field on the next pitch, yielding a 2-0 ASU lead.
The Sun Devils were looking for contact early against the Rebels’ pitchers. The aggressive approach led to quick outs and a lack of baserunners. Still, it also led to senior outfielder Wyatt Crenshaw shooting a rocket over the scoreboard in center field to extend the lead to 3-0 at the end of the third. Crenshaw has found success to begin his Sun Devil career, hitting .571 through four games.
“I’ve seen it all fall, seen it all spring. The kid is a tremendous athlete. He’s a winner,” Bloomquist said. “He’s the right character, the right type of kid to come in from a division two school he was at and made the jump. He’s an outstanding dynamic player… I’m not expecting him to hit .571 all year, but I am expecting him to play well.”
After Hansell’s departure, Bloomquist went to the bullpen for junior right-hander Matt Tieding. The first-year Sun Devil picked up where he left off, not allowing the powerhouse Rebels’ hitters to mount any momentum, admitting only one base runner during his appearance.
Tuesday’s game saw the program use seven pitchers, a usual indicator of a poor night on the mound but not tonight. Bloomquist had multiple games where it was a “necessity” to rely on 7 or more pitchers to survive their way through a game, but this year sees it more as a positive.
“We were trying to get through innings. Now we’re trying to actually match guys up in certain situations and who they’re going to be best against,” Bloomquist said. “For me, that’s important to continue defining roles as we go along.”
Freshman infielder Luke Hill tacked on the club’s fourth run in the sixth to cap a 3-hit performance. Hill in his short time has showcased a maturity at the plate that Bloomquist hopes older players can add to their games.
The added run support gave ASU’s pitching staff more confidence as it was on pace for back-to-back shutouts after only allowing one hit in the subsequent three frames. UNLV had other plans.
In the top of the seventh, after a walk and a double, the rebels had two runners in scoring position when sophomore infielder Gianni Horvat sliced one to right field to put his club on the board. Bloomquist went to the fireman, junior right-hander Christian Bodlovich, but junior outfielder Charles Rylan squeezed an RBI single right over the Sun Devils’ infield to cut the deficit to 4-2.
With UNLV runners on first and second with zero outs, ASU’s lead looked ready to dissipate. However, a stellar throw by Campos picked the runner off at second to get the first out. That play alleviated much pressure off Bodlovich, who escaped the frame with the lead intact.
“The turning point of that for me was the back pick that [Campos] had at second base,” Bloomquist said. “That’s a play that probably goes unnoticed by most, but that really was the turning point I think of that whole game.”
Dating back-to-back 2022, ASU struggled to put up baserunners late in games and couldn’t put up consistently good at-bats. However, just like its pitching, the Sun Devils have vastly improved their situational hitting when responding to an opponent’s late run because of the transfers’ arrivals. Most notably, Crenshaw, who has made his good first impression into a great one with his heroics at the bottom of the seventh.
After a double by fellow transfer junior infielder Luke Keaschall, Crenshaw hammered an RBI double to right field, giving ASU room to breathe. Crenshaw wasn’t done, as he stole third base to put himself in perfect position for an RBI sacrifice flyout by sophomore outfielder Will Rogers. The senior outfielder showcased his experience and maturity to give the Sun Devils some insurance late against the Rebels.
“At the time, it felt big,” Crenshaw said. “It was good to get our pitchers a little bit of a boost.”
The Colorado Chrisitan transfer said he hadn’t changed any of his preparation to cause this hot start. Crenshaw credited the “same old stuff,” arriving at the stadium early and working on his cut and the fundamentals. The senior outfielder was a late addition to the program but has made his presence known early into his tenure.
“I think I was the last guy, but [Bloomquist] said he wanted an older guy,” Crenshaw said. “An older guy that plays all positions, and that’s what I do.”
The two-run seventh by ASU essentially killed the UNLV momentum, only tacking on a single run after that, as junior right-hander Brock Peery closed out the overall excellent pitching performance by the staff to secure the program’s 6-3 win and remain undefeated.
“Top to bottom, we’re a lot better,” Peery said. “We haven’t been scoring a ton of runs, but we’ve been able to throw the ball really well. It’s just confidence, like when you know you have guys around you that can get the job done.”
The Sun Devils are undefeated through the first four games since 2019 and head down to Starkville to face off against the 2021 College World Series Champions, Mississippi State. Bloomquist sees the trip down south as an opportunity to see the team’s potential and if they can survive against an opponent from a tough conference like the SEC.
“They’re going to get baptized by fire going down there,” Bloomquist said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us certainly, but this is why you play college baseball.”
