ASU Baseball: Sun Devils begin final stretch of season with road series against Cal

(Photo: Brendan OKeeffe/WCSN)

After sweeping Rhode Island last weekend, Arizona State Baseball now prepares for a tough trek to the regular season’s finish line, as four challenging Pac-12 Conference matchups await the Sun Devils.

The journey begins in Berkeley, CA as ASU takes on California this weekend.

The Golden Bears (23-19, 9-9 Pac-12) are currently on a four-game win streak and are right behind the Sun Devils in the Pac-12 standings in seventh place, making the three-game set all the more significant.

After holding Washington to three runs total in its last series, Cal had a wild game with San Jose State on Tuesday, coming back from a 9-0 deficit with an 11-run fifth inning to ultimately win 18-10.

ASU also had its share of dramatics in its last win over Rhode Island, which featured three lead changes and two ties in a 14-13 victory. The Sun Devils almost squandered a four-run lead in the ninth inning, but redshirt junior right-hander Brady Corrigan was able to hold on and earn the save.

While the box score from Tuesday might not reflect it, the Golden Bears have been a top-notch pitching unit as of late, holding opponents to an average of 2.2 earned runs per game since April 17. They also have not allowed more than three runs in nine of their last 11 wins.

The team’s lead pitcher right now is sophomore right-hander Josh White, who will make his second start of the season on Friday after spending most of the year in relief. White is tied for ninth in the Pac-12 in strikeouts (55) and his 1.77 ERA would rank first in the conference if he met the threshhold for number of games started. He also can finish the job for Cal, as his three saves rank 10th in the Pac-12.

On the other end, ASU’s own multifaceted gem has been freshman two-way player Ethan Long. This past Monday, Long earned his second straight Pac-12 Player of the Week honor and was picked as one of Collegiate Baseball News’ National Players of the Week.

Long has hit eight home runs in his last seven games, a feat that has never been duplicated in ASU Baseball history. The home-run streak now gives him a .738 slugging percentage this season, good for second in the Pac-12 and 17th in the nation.

Over the stretch, Long has batted .533 (16-30), proving he can hit for contact as well as power. That ability was on display last Sunday against Rhode Island, when Long went 3-5 with six RBI and was a triple short of the cycle.

But that’s not it with Long, as the star freshman has also made six appearances on the bump. His four saves are tied for seventh in the conference despite not having pitched in almost two months. ASU head coach Tracy Smith and Long have both said that he could return to the mound in this last stretch of the regular season.

“I’m good with whatever is called upon me,” Long said. “If they want me to hit, I’ll hit. If they want me to pitch, I’ll pitch. If they want me to do both, I’ll do whatever it takes.

“[My] arm’s feeling great, [I’ve] been getting bullpens in. I should be back hopefully as soon as possible, and I think I will be back soon.”

Cal has its own slugger in sophomore outfielder Dylan Beavers, who leads the conference with 13 home runs. Long is close behind with 10, and is one shy of passing Barry Bonds for the second-most home runs ever by an ASU freshman.

The crucial series begins Friday night at 6:05 p.m MST.