Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Arizona State junior right fielder Hunter Jump stepped into the batter’s box with junior first baseman Spencer Torkelson on first base, courtesy of the projected top-three draft pick’s 30th walk in what’s been an already record-breaking year.
With the first baseman 90 feet away, Jump figured he’d emulate the mighty power of Torkelson. A 3-1 pitch left the hand of Fresno State junior right-hander Jamison Hill and Jump turned on it, sending the ball just to the right of the Jimmy John’s sign in left center field for what amounted to a 395 foot home run and a 2-1 Sun Devil lead.
“It’s been a lot of help from a lot of outside sources,” Jump said. “I’ve been listening to my Dad and to my coaches. I’ve been trusting what Mike [ASU hitting coach Michael Earley] has in store for me. He’s helped me out since freshman year.”
While it was ASU’s spark early in the game, it was hardly the junior’s only contribution on the night. The former Central Arizona Community College standout also had a RBI double two innings later in the bottom of the third, which drove in junior left-fielder Trevor Hauver and gave ASU a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth.
Jump was still not done yet though.
After ASU squandered what eventually became a 4-1 lead thanks to junior third baseman Gage Workman bringing Jump home after his double, the right-fielder found himself up at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. This time with two runners on –including Torkelson again– Jump hammered a ball into right field and broke the tie, making it 5-4 Sun Devils and bringing back the lead which they had held early in the game.
It was Jump’s second go-ahead hit in as many nights, and the junior’s three crucial at-bats Saturday, which extended his hitting streak to seven games, all had the same traits: they gave ASU cushion or confidence.
“When we get to the field, we talk about video and what we have on the pitchers,” Jump said. “It’s about our approaches, and once we watch the pitchers, we set up our own approach going into the box. Whether guys are on-base or not, we all have something we’re doing. It’s just confidence.”
The go-ahead single in the sixth inning was the precursor to a five run inning, which saw ASU take a 9-4 lead thanks to a three run home run by freshman Nate Baez and carried the Sun Devils (12-4) to a 9-4 win over Fresno State (8-6) at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
“He’s a threat,” associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Ben Greenspan said. “Hunter [Jump] has elite hand-eye. If you look at his strikeouts, they’re near the bottom of our team. He has six strikeouts on the year. He’s a good guy to have up in a big spot because he’s not scared.”
Jump’s ascension into a producing role served as an example for ASU in the second game of its Fresno State series. Baez was moved from catcher to the second base in the lineup after junior second baseman Drew Swift fell ill, leading to senior catcher Nick Cheema not receiving a scheduled day off.
In the dugout, Greenspan led operations after Tracy Smith was suspended for the rest of the series due to his ejection from Friday night’s 4-3 win.
“I think if you count Skip getting ejected mid-game, I have a pretty good record,” Greenspan joked of his managing history.
Saturday continued a torrid stretch for Jump, who was 1-3 Friday night with a RBI and had a successful weekend against Nebraska a week ago, where the junior was 5-12 at the plate with five RBI.
“It’s been a mental change,” Jump said of his recent success. “It’s been working on the little things. It’s little tweaks… those little tell-tale signs we can watch from the pitcher and know what’s coming going into an at-bat.”
ASU’s early lead was constantly threatened throughout the night, and was eventually evaporated. Thornton had just a single 1-2-3 inning throughout his 5.1 acts Saturday.
“I thought he competed,” Greenspan said of Thornton. “I thought he threw strikes. He got a lot of swing and miss on his fastball. I thought he gave us a chance to win the game.
“They’re a good hitting team. They’ve got a lot of veteran hitters. What Thornton was able to do with [Fresno State center-fielder] Nate Thimjon and (Fresno State catcher) Zach Presno was really good. Those are good, mature hitters with strength.”
Fresno State added two runs in the top of the fifth, shrinking ASU’s lead to a mere 4-3. Thornton’s struggles continued into the sixth, as hard contact was granted to the Bulldogs. Freshman right-hander Bryce Barnett came into relieve Thornton, who finished with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work, but allowed four runs, two walks and a home run.
Barnett didn’t solve the problem he was dealt. Fresno State pinch-hitter Jake Gentry singled on the first pitch he saw, tying the game at 4-4. The run was charged to Thornton, and helped save Barnett’s line from being scratched as the freshman had seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief.
“I don’t think Bryce is lacking any motivation or work ethic,” Greenspan said. “I think he’s got an elite breaking ball, and if you look at the strikeout numbers on the season, that will play this year.”
After his four RBI night Saturday, Jump now has 13 on the season and is batting .305/.379/.508 in 59 ABs. His impressive line has supplanted senior outfielder Myles Denson, who was seen as the everyday man at the nine-spot before the season. Due to Jump’s breakout, Denson hasn’t started a game since the Villanova series.
“On back-to-back nights, Jump has come up later in the game with a chance to give us the lead and he’s done it both times,” Greenspan said. “I think when you talk to Hunter, he’s not lacking self-confidence. He’s a guy that wants to be in that spot and really embraces it.”
The lineup shifts and injuries haven’t affected ASU’s offense. The Sun Devils have scored nine or more runs in five of their last six games, and with conference play coming after tomorrow’s series finale against the Bulldogs, getting hot couldn’t come at a better time.
“We’re finally getting going right now,” Jump said.
