(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Coming off of a 5-3 win against the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels on Tuesday night, Arizona State (13-18, 2-10 Pac-12) will look to turn around its rough start in Pac-12 play this season when they host the Washington State Cougars (15-14, 2-7 Pac-12) at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Both teams are coming off rough weekends as ASU was swept aside by California by a combined score of 25-12, while WSU lost two out of three to Arizona at home.
Head coach Tracy Smith will hand the ball to freshman Chaz Montoya after normal Friday starter Eli Lingos started against UNLV on Tuesday. The Glendale native is 2-2 with an ERA of 5.72 in 28 and 1/3 innings pitched.
He’ll be opposed by A.J. Block, who’s allowed just five earned runs in 17 innings of work in 2017.
The players to watch on the offensive side for the Cougars are highlighted by Justin Harrer, with a .309 average, 22 RBI and 11 doubles, combined with Shane Matheny boasting a .327 average, 19 RBI, and a .346 average with runners in scoring position.
The starters for both teams moving forward in the series have yet to be announced, but Jake Godfrey and Spencer Van Scoyoc are among the possibilities for the Sun Devils.
Bobby Kraus is a baseball beat reporter for the Walter Cronkite Sports Network. You can follow him on Twitter @bobbykraus22
