ASU Baseball: After ACL injury, Davis making impact on and off field

(Photo Courtesy Auburn Athletics)

Arizona State Baseball senior infielder Conor Davis transferred to Tempe to take over the first base vacancy left by Spencer Torkelson, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2020 MLB Draft. While Davis wasn’t expected to produce the historic numbers his predecessor put up, it was a darn good solution heading into the Sun Devils’ 2021 campaign. Davis wanted to prove himself to MLB executives after not being chosen in the shortened five round draft that year.

But in a fall scrimmage last November, Davis tore his ACL, ending his redshirt senior season before it began. ASU would go on to shuffle multiple players through the first base spot in 2021, never naming a true starter.

The time out of action was a learning experience for Davis, who returns to Fall Ball in 2021 fully healthy from the injury suffered about one year ago.

“The biggest thing that I realized watching the whole year was being able just to take [in] the mental side of everything and help the younger guys,” Davis said. “It really helped me grow as a hitter, being able to help the guys who are either struggling or doing well and getting to bounce ideas off of them.”

While Davis is certainly a welcome sight to the lineup, new ASU Head Coach Willie Bloomquist has been looking for a leader of the clubhouse coming into his first season at the helm. That type of presence was left by the departing Drew Swift, who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Soon after Bloomquist’s hiring, he turned to Davis to be the veteran presence, even though he had only been a Sun Devil for one season.

“He’s been through a lot, he’s had a few years taken from him so having that leadership in the clubhouse is paramount and it’s no secret that he’s the leader,” Bloomquist said of Davis. “The biggest thing with him is holding guys accountable. He understands what we want to do as a staff.”

In his final season at Auburn, Davis hit .339 with 17 runs scored, four doubles and 14 RBI while leading the Tigers with three home runs in the shortened 2020 season. He provided solid defense too – Davis didn’t commit a single error in 132 attempts while helping turn 11 double plays.

Davis’ availability this upcoming season swings a few things in motion for Bloomquist – it allows sophomore infielder Ethan Long to take reps at third base while sophomore infielder Hunter Haas moves over to shortstop.

This year’s fall ball is going more smoothly than last’s for Davis, as he now has the chance to build a defensive rapport with the rest of the infield.

“It just feels awesome to come back and have the opportunity back on the field with all the guys who got to play last year,” Davis said. [To] get that time with them this fall [and] to start building some chemistry with them, it’s exciting.”

At the dish, Davis spent no time making an impression on not only his teammates, but the brand new coaching staff as well. In his first fall ball game, Davis hit two home runs and had nine runs batted in. He would later hit a third homer, putting his teammates in awe.

“We’re gonna have a lot more thump in the lineup getting him back,” redshirt sophomore outfielder Joe Lampe said. “Three homers already this fall, and [Davis] hasn’t missed a beat.”

Haas echoed Lampe’s assessment.

“We’re gonna be dangerous offensively this year one through nine,” Haas said. “Having Conor [Davis] back is a big bat we missed last year.”

While Davis’ presence is an overwhelmingly positive thing for ASU, there are some who have suffered as a result: those on the mound.

Redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Graham Osman was given a rude welcome to Fall Ball by Davis in his first start.

“I had never faced him before and the first fastball I threw him, he hit it 460 feet,” Osman said.

Throughout fall camp, Davis has impressed new hitting coach Bill Mueller with his discipline and vision at the plate.

“He’s getting better, [and] I think there’s still some improvement as far as strength,” Mueller said. “As far as his understanding of the strike zone and the ability to hit all fields, he’s been very good so far.”

Davis provides much needed power to an ASU lineup that ranked 59th in the country in home runs last season with 61. The number fell well behind notable College World Series finalists Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, who each ranked in the top 25 in homers hit in 2021.

The length of the lineup provides ASU a chance to score runs with one swing versus the base hit-oriented approach taken with last year’s younger, more inexperienced team.

Six of the nine starters from ASU’s season-ending game against Fairfield in the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament return in 2022. With Davis’ bat now in the lineup, the Sun Devils could see their season end a lot later this year. Davis himself thinks ASU’s lineup could be the best one he’s been a part of in his collegiate career.

“We have a lot of confidence right now that we’re gonna be able to swing the stick this year, not just [in] the middle of our lineup,” Davis said. “I feel like we’re going to have a really complete lineup. It’s one that I really haven’t seen put together before in my five years of college baseball.”