(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
The color commentator on the broadcast of the ‘Maroon and Gold World Series’ — Arizona State baseball’s fall intrasquad scrimmage competition — head baseball coach Tracy Smith said he always looks for an opportunity to send his fall ball championship series to a decisive Game 5.
When he said it on Friday afternoon, the Gold team held a 2-1 advantage over the Maroon squad and had an opportunity to put the series to bed against its coach’s desires. Quickly, though, the Maroon team showed that it would oblige the seventh-year ASU head coach in a game it ultimately won 17-4 to knot the series at two games apiece.
The Maroon team kicked off Friday’s matchup by scoring a flurry of runs early on in the game. In the bottom of the second inning it was redshirt freshman infielder Brian Kalmer who set the game on fire with his second double of the game driving in two runs to make 7-1 in favor of the Maroon side.
Kalmer, who homer in the contest, has emerged as a candidate to start at first base for the Sun Devils in 2021 after senior first baseman Conor Davis suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Nov. 11. Even before Davis’ injury, the Sun Devil coaching staff had sung Kalmer’s praises for the improvements he made over the offseason with his swing.
Kalmer was not the only player with a hot bat on the Maroon team on Friday. Redshirt freshman Sean Mclain put together an excellent day at the plate with four singles and a grand slam.
Junior outfielder Allbry Major was another key contributor to the Maroon team as well. In Friday’s scrimmage he recorded two doubles and a single in five plate appearances. Major transferred from Xavier over the offseason where he hit .281 with seven home runs and 34 RBI in 2019.
One of the only bright spots in the game for the Gold team came in the top of the fifth inning when redshirt junior outfielder Hunter Jump was able to sit back on a pitch and drive it to deep right center field for a home run.
Though the Sun Devils lost some of their best hitters in the 2020 MLB Draft including first overall pick Spencer Torkelson, their coaches have expressed confidence that the players they currently have in the fold will be able to quickly make up for the losses. ASU also returns its entire pitching staff from 2020 with the exception of closer RJ Dabovich, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the San Francisco Giants.
Sunday’s series finale showcased much higher quality pitching than Friday’s matchup. The Maroon team won a tightly-contested 4-1 contest.
