(Photo: Nick Badders/WCSN)
According to Justin Toscano of DevilsDigest.com, outfielders Andrew Shaps and Ryan Lillard are no longer a part of Arizona State. Shaps has been dismissed, while Lillard left on his own accord. The reason for the move is unknown at this time, though more information is set to follow, per the source.
This news happens in the wake of ASU’s Friday night loss to Stanford last night 7-5. Shaps went 3-for-3 in the game with two RBI’s and Lillard struck out looking in his only plate attempt of the night.
Shaps and Lillard leaving comes two days removed from the dismissal of pitchers Zach Dixon and Chris Isbell.
Shaps was a Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2016 as he batted .321. This season, Shaps was suspended for the team’s first five games of the season due to a violation of team standards. Once he returned to the lineup, he played in the team’s remaining 37 games, starting each one in centerfield. Shaps was batting .299 with 17 RBI’s and was tied for the team-lead with 5 home runs on the season.
Lillard, who started the season as the starting left fielder, was batting .202 with most of his at-bats coming as a pinch-hitter after freshman Hunter Bishop assumed the primary role of starting left fielder.
It’s been a tough season for the Sun Devils — the program is poised to post its first season without 30 wins since 1962.
With Shaps and Lillard no longer being a part of the program, in addition to Dixon and Isbell earlier on in the week, ASU has seen five Sun Devils leave the team this year. Senior Sebastian Zawada left the team earlier this season to pursue independent baseball.
Rob Werner is an ASU Baseball beat writer for the Walter Cronkite Sports Network. For more news, you can follow him on twitter @robwerner28.
