(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
When Arizona State Baseball players and fellow staff talk about new pitching coach Sam Peraza, they seem to have nothing but good things to say.
Ahead of the Sun Devils’ 2022 campaign – which is perhaps one of the most anticipated in program history – ASU faces a slew of uncertainties.
One of which calls into question the stability of the pitching staff, which new head coach Willie Bloomquist and the rest of his coaching staff touted as a veteran core full of experience in the fall.
Back then, it was about defining roles.
But with the season now 2.5 weeks away, all signs indicate that the puzzle on the mound hasn’t quite been finished yet.
“It still remains to be defined I think,” Bloomquist said of the pitching staff on Friday. “That might just be who we are – guys who just get outs. We kinda have an idea of what we want to do, but at the end of the day everyone is going to have to contribute. We might have to get creative based on the situation we have.”
Even so, as Bloomquist and his cohorts continue to piece it together, the rest of the program feels strongly about its new pitching coach and the mindset he’s brought along with him.
“I think speaking for the staff as a whole the thing that is most noticeable this year is the depth we have,” redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Luke La Flam said. “I think everyone can contribute and I think Sam [Peraza] has helped shape everyone’s role into what it needs to be. He’s come in with his vision and worked with the guys that we have and put them in a good place to perform in the areas they are best suited for.”
La Flam, along with redshirt senior right-hander Boyd Vander Kooi and sophomore righty Jared Glenn are all coming off of injuries – or are still recovering from them – heading into the upcoming season. This hasn’t stopped Peraza from impacting them behind the scenes though, which has included establishing a relationship and trustworthiness in just a few short months after spending six years at San Diego State.
His presence daily with those who are healthy further verifies that trustworthiness.
Without a single freshman and eight transfers added to the new-look ASU pitching staff, Peraza trusts that experience will be enough to have success in 2022. While the lack of identity and definition as a staff leads to pessimism, Peraza and Co. counter that anyone in the group can contribute as soon as possible.
“I’m looking at experience,” Peraza said. “We may not have that Friday, Saturday or Sunday guy go seven or eight innings, so we’re going to have to mix and match with our pitchers.”
Bloomquist agrees.
“Certainly I would love to have a stud Friday/Saturday guy but right now we’re waiting to see what that entails,” Bloomquist said. “I look at it as a good thing – everybody is going to be in the mix.”
The transfers alone combined for 259.2 innings pitched in 2021, the bulk of which come from redshirt junior right-hander Kyle Luckham, redshirt sophomore left-hander – and returner – Danny Marshall, redshirt senior right-hander Jacob Walker and redshirt junior left-hander Adam Tulloch. Luckham and Tulloch in particular are likely candidates to be a part of the weekend rotation come Opening Day, despite their struggles during Fall Ball.
Bloomquist and Peraza both agree that throwing strikes is of the utmost priority if the Sun Devils want to win, especially after multiple suspects struggled with it during the fall. Peraza welcomed the challenge, and so did the rest of his pitching staff.
Peraza recalled his first intrasquad with ASU featuring a total of 12 walks from the staff. Bloomquist assured that since then, the staff has embraced the change in mentality.
“Sam and I see eye-to-eye very well when it comes to not beating ourselves,” Bloomquist said. “Let your defense work, we aren’t going to have guys coming out throwing 98 mph so guys are going to have to compete and attack the strike zone. We can’t walk guys or hit guys – that’s what we’re preaching.
“We had to make that adjustment this fall. Guys have taken to it and we understand that at the end of the day if you can’t throw strikes, then you’re not gonna be here.”
The widespread impact reverberates beyond the field of play, and Peraza has clearly made a connection with everyone on his new staff, regardless of how direct it may be.
“I haven’t been able to work with him that much from a pitching standpoint because I’ve been hurt, but as a person he’s awesome to be around every single day,” Glenn said. “He brings great energy to the team and he makes it more enjoyable for us.”
Under former pitching coach Jason Kelly, who is now manning the same position with LSU, the Sun Devils embodied a mindset on the mound similar to what exists now: one that pushes throwing strikes and pitching with intent. Aside from 2021, where three-quarters of the weekend rotation was out for the season due to injuries within the first month, that philosophy worked.
While the majority of those hurlers – who made up perhaps one of the most talented pitching staffs in program history – are long gone, the philosophy and culture isn’t.
Peraza has helped maintain those same standards, and as a result, everyone seems bought in. The pitching staff continues to define what its identity is with a cloud of uncertainty hanging overhead, but they are confident that the man leading the charge is the right one for the job.
“I know it’s kind of cliche, but the expectations don’t change,” Peraza said. “I expected us to put forth a good product on the mound and to get the most out of our guys.
“Every time we step on the field, I expect us to win.”
