(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
If the Sun Devils had to think of one positive entering their weekend road series against Washington, it is that the only direction they can go from their last game is upward.
On Tuesday, Arizona State was thrashed by No. 22 Arizona 14-2, the team’s largest margin of defeat this season.
After the game, ASU head coach Tracy Smith said that the Sun Devils cannot dwell on the outcome and must move on to the Huskies.
“This isn’t who we are,” Smith said. “If we lose our confidence because of one baseball game, then you could run off a string [of losses] because this conference is too good. So we got to clear our heads and be ready for Friday.”
Washington (10-14, 2-7 Pac-12) is definitely a step below the top-ranked Wildcats, so this could be a bounce-back weekend for the Sun Devils.
ASU likely returns two starters in junior shortstop Drew Swift and senior catcher Sam Ferri, who were both scratched from the game on Tuesday with non-COVID related illnesses.
Swift has committed just one error on 93 chances this season, tied for second in the Pac-12.
Another exciting name to look out for this series is freshman middle infielder Sean McLain, who could make history on Friday.
The sizzling second baseman enters the series with a 22-game hitting streak, the fourth-longest in the program since 1998. If McLain gets another hit on Friday, he would be tied for third on ASU’s all-time list with Andre Ethier, who had a 23-game hitting streak in 2003.
With all the injuries on the pitching staff, the only known starters for this weekend are sophomore right-hander Tyler Thornton and junior left-hander Justin Fall.
Thornton was bounced early in his last Friday start against Arizona, giving up three runs in 3.2 innings. He has received two losses in his last three starts.
On the other hand, Fall has looked in peak form in his last two starts, shutting down two top-25 offenses (Washington State and Arizona) on his way to 12.2 innings and nine strikeouts combined. He is second in the Pac-12 in wins (4) and third in ERA (2.03).
Washington is coming off an impressive series win over then No. 10 UCLA, the Huskies’ first Pac-12 series win of the season. Before that series, they had lost seven consecutive games.
The Huskies have a very young team, with 19 different players making their Pac-12 debuts this season. In addition, Washington has played a freshman with no previous conference experience at every position in the field and at designated hitter through its first nine Pac-12 games.
While the newbies performed well against the Bruins, the inexperience has been on clear display this season.
Washington ranks dead-last in the Pac-12 in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average, hits, and RBI. The Huskies are in the middle of the pack with their pitching, holding a collective 4.09 ERA (7th in Pac-12) compared to ASU’s 3.51 ERA, good for second in the conference.
The area where Washington truly shines is stolen bases. The team’s 33 steals rank first in the Pac-12 and 50th in the nation.
Junior center-fielder Braiden Ward is the speedster for the Huskies, with his 16 steals ranking fourth in the country. Ward also leads Washington with a .308 average and a .402 on-base percentage.
Another key contributor is redshirt freshman Will Simpson, who is first on the team with four home runs and 12 RBI.
As the season nears the halfway point, Smith is not too concerned about the Sun Devils moving forward.
“The formula is pretty simple with this group,” Smith said. “If we throw strikes and play defense, we will be in a lot of baseball games.”
The series begins Friday night at 7:00 p.m MST in Seattle, and all three games can be seen on Washington Live Stream-3.
