(Photo: Zachary Lucy/FourSeamsImages)
With fall ball just getting started, the Sun Devil baseball team got into the swing of things by participating in a scrimmage against members of the Texas Rangers organization.
The game was the first of two exhibition games allowed to be played this fall— a new legislation the NCAA adopted this year.
The game had a little more meaning to it as ASU and the Rangers teamed up to raise awareness toward Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia. The two teams partnered with the 4MOM charity, a charitable fund dedicated to helping people and families with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
This organization is especially meaningful to current Sun Devil, Hunter Bishop, who started the charitable foundation with his brother, Braden Bishop after their mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s just a few years ago.
The scrimmage against the Rangers featured a combination of players from Texas’ Instructional and Fall League programs.
“We’re always looking to play new teams under the lights and really get a chance to see our guys against some of the better college guys in the country,” said Paul Kruger, Assistant Director of Player Development for the Rangers Organization. “When we reached out to Sean [Cashman] and Arizona State, it just seemed like a perfect match.”
For ASU, it was a chance for the freshmen and new transfers to get on the field for the first time in a Sun Devil uniform.
Dusty Garcia was the only freshman position player to see any action, getting the start in center field for the second game of the night. Freshmen pitchers Erik Tolman and Blake Burzell took the mound in relief for ASU as well.
A couple transfers took the field with West Virginia transfer Cole Austin making a start at first base and coming in as a defensive replacement in right field.
Right-handed pitcher RJ Dabovich toed the rubber for ASU in game two. The Central Arizona College transfer got the start, allowing four runs off of three hits.
A few returners had stellar nights with game one starter, junior, Alec Marsh throwing three perfect innings while striking out eight.
In what was already a special night for Hunter Bishop, the junior blasted two homeruns, including a three-run shot over the bullpens in right field to put ASU ahead even more in game one.
“[Hunter] puts a lot of time and effort into this charity with his brother, and we just had this opportunity with the charity and with the Rangers,” said Sean Cashman of ASU baseball. “The Rangers wanted to be a part of this as well, and we’re very thankful that they had this game for us to raise awareness for the charity.”
ASU will face California State University, Northridge in its second fall scrimmage on Saturday, October 27. The game will also be an event to help raise awareness and funds for those with spinal cord injuries, in partnership with the Project 34 charity which was founded by Sun Devil baseball alumni Cory Hahn and Trevor Williams.
