(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
Arizona State Baseball is one day away from the beginning of the highly anticipated Willie Bloomquist-era. On Friday, the Sun Devils will open up at home against the Dixie State Trailblazers at 6:30 p.m. MST at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Outside of the well-documented coaching changes, ASU looks slightly different on the field as well. From what was seemingly an open competition in left field to a new-look left side of the infield, here’s how the Sun Devils’ lineup and pitching staff should look on Friday and over the course of the season.
Outfield
One of the most glaring holes coming into 2022 for ASU was left field. Last season, the Sun Devils flopped between senior outfielders Hunter Jump and Allbry Major, who both transferred out of the program over the offseason.
The only remaining outfielder on the roster who spent time in left last season is sophomore Kade Higgins. Regardless, it will be freshman catcher Will Rogers who will be making the transition to left in effort to keep his bat in the lineup.
“[Rogers] has been swinging the bat very well this spring,” Bloomquist said on Wednesday. “He doesn’t have a ton of experience in left field but we’re working with him out there. We feel confident he’ll be just fine.”
Redshirt sophomores Joe Lampe and Kai Murphy will patrol center field and right respectively. Lampe’s improvements as a defender and on the basepaths are refined following a summer in the Cape Cod League and a solid fall.
Last season, Lampe hit .294 in 55 games, stealing six bases in the process while flashing his elite speed elsewhere as well. He is noticeably bulkier ahead of his draft year, which could potentially boost his power output this season.
“I feel really good right now,” Lampe said. “I’m ready to attack pitchers and attack the fastball. The more simple I keep it, the more of an impact I’m gonna have on the team.”
Lampe set a goal to swipe 30 bases this spring, a mark that hasn’t been reached by a Sun Devil since Drew Maggi stole 36 in 2010. Meanwhile, Murphy comes in after his first full season as a two-way contributor following his transfer from Oregon State in 2020.
The left-hander managed a 4.50 ERA in 16 innings of work while struggling at the plate, hitting .230/.267/.383. His full-time transition to the outfield will perhaps limit his appearances as a pitcher this season, but Bloomquist and the staff aren’t afraid to turn to him for a spot start or relief outing when needed.
“We’re still on track with doing both,” Murphy said. “I’m staying in shape to play outfield everyday and hopefully I’ll be able to help the team on the mound as well.”
Infield
The Sun Devils are coming off one of their most prolific seasons defensively, in large part thanks to an infield that turned the most double plays in the nation and boasted two Pac-12 Conference All-Defensive Team honorees. Things look slightly different across the dirt now, however.
Former shortstop Drew Swift’s departure prompted sophomore infielder Hunter Haas’ switch from third base to short. Haas returns to his primary position after a standout year at third where he made just six errors.
“I got to talk to [Swift] a couple times over the break,” Haas said. “He’s been giving me some random tips about being comfortable playing [at short]. He was as good as anyone last season – he’s been awesome about it.
“I’ve played shortstop pretty much my whole life up until last year so it’s been good. It feels like my home.”
Haas also provides lineup versatility after hitting .304 last season and stealing a team-leading 12 bases.
His middle infield partner, redshirt sophomore second baseman Sean McLain, is also coming off a breakout 2021 campaign. McLain returned from an injury riddled/COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and proceeded to hit .322 with 26 extra-base knocks and 37 RBIs.
Sprinkled in there was a historic 23-game hitting streak, in which the Sun Devils also went 17-6.
The corners are where ASU sports a different look. Senior first baseman Conor Davis will log his first start on Friday since transferring from Auburn ahead of last season, which he missed after tearing his ACL the previous fall.
“I had to learn to process the negative stuff,” Davis said of his recovery. “I’ve totally transformed the way I look at things and play. That’s probably been the biggest thing – trying to build off the negatives and turn them into positives.”
Davis was brought in to inherit the role of former No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick Spencer Torkelson, after hitting .287/.368/.418 in 638 career at-bats with Auburn. The sixth-year man broke out once more during the fall, hitting two home runs in his first intrasquad outing according to Bloomquist.
Davis’ bat profiles well in the middle of the Sun Devil order, but perhaps no player on the roster poses more of a threat at the plate than sophomore infielder Ethan Long.
Long will make the switch from being a two-way presence to now occupying third base full-time, where he will share the left side of the infield with Haas for the first time since the two played travel ball together.
“When I got there it was a little tough and I told [Bloomquist], ‘I want to learn everything you guys know,’” Long said. “I’ll be honest, all I know right now at third is, ‘See [the] ball, go get it and throw it to first’. Since I first started there I’ve learned a lot and I still have a lot to learn.”
His defensive positioning may be something to watch early on, but it will likely be overshadowed immediately by his bat.
Long’s freshman year saw him hit 15 of his team-leading 16 home runs in less than a month. His .704 slugging percentage led the Pac-12 and ranked No. 21 nationally to go along with a .340 average.
Long and McLain are both on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List following their standout performances last season.
“It’s nice to see but I try to not let it get to my head at all,” Long said of the expectations this year. “It’s extra motivation for me to keep working hard and show these guys how hard I work.”
Given his proven potency at the plate, Long almost certainly will be handled with extra caution by pitchers this season. He was starting to get pitched around toward the end of 2021, and that trend could very well continue.
It is worth noting that freshman infielder Jacob Tobias – who was ranked as the No. 3 third baseman in California in the Class of 2021 according to Perfect Game – should get plenty of plate appearances this season. The burly slugger was frequently brought up as one of the standouts from the fall and early in spring camp.
He adds plenty of power to a lineup that drilled 61 homers last season. Bloomquist will platoon him between DH and first base when needed.
“I’ll play anywhere they need me to,” Tobias said. “Whether it’s DH or first base – I can play third if they need me to as well. It’s just about working to help the team out.”
Catchers
Redshirt sophomore backstop Nate Baez will enter his third year with the team with a firm grip on the starting catcher spot. For parts of the last two seasons, Baez has spent as much if not more time on the infield than behind the plate.
His positional versatility naturally prohibited him to get comfortable in one spot, which led to some defensive woes behind the plate. Now that he has fully taken over lead duties at catcher, Baez has been able to develop a connection with ASUs pitching staff while improving his own abilities defensively as well.
“Last year I kinda just squatted behind the plate and caught but this year I’ve developed a relationship with each one of our pitchers,” Baez said. “I know everything about them and I can tell by looking at them how they’re feeling.”
The bat is enough for Bloomquist to award Baez the job. After struggling for most of the spring, Baez found a different gear during the final month of the regular season in 2021. He started every game from May 9 through June 6, entering that stretch hitting .207.
By the end of the year Baez raised his average to .276, bashing eight homers en route to an All Pac-12 Honorable Mention.
The Sun Devils carry an additional three catchers on the roster in 2022, including redshirt senior transfer Bronson Balholm and freshman Ryan Campos. Rogers could slot back behind the plate if needed as well.
Pitchers
On Wednesday, pitching coach Sam Peraza announced the starting rotation for the opening series against Dixie State. Redshirt junior transfers Adam Tulloch and Kyle Luckham will start the opener and Saturday respectively, while redshirt senior transfer Jacob Walker will likely get the nod on Sunday.
The Sun Devils wanted to prioritize experience on the mound, and the rotation boasts eight overall years in that department.
“Those guys have earned it,” Peraza said. “Adam has done a really good job the last three Fridays this spring – he has experience. With Luckham it’s the same type of thing. We think Kyle can lengthen the game out for us so that’s why we put him on Saturday.
“Walker is a fifth-year guy that has started and came out of the bullpen. I think that’s the best way we can start the season.”
Tulloch and Luckham were brought in to be innings eaters, combining for 119.2 a season ago. With so much up in the air with how the rotation shapes out moving forward, one aspect appears certain: redshirt senior right-hander Boyd Vander Kooi will be a part of it at some point.
Vander Kooi’s long recovery from Tommy John Surgery is not quite finished but Peraza feels that he can ease him back into the rotation full time once conference play roles around. In 157.1 career innings, Vander Kooi has a 4.18 ERA across 32 total appearances.
“You talk about experience, [Boyd] has plenty of it,” Peraza said. “I have no problem with letting him throw an inning this weekend if it becomes available.
“Man, I’m excited about Boyd. When we get him back we get significantly better as a pitching staff.”
Bloomquist and Peraza have been stressing the importance of attacking the strike zone and pitching for outs, an aspect that has apparently improved since the fall. The sentiment is the same for a bullpen that returns most of its core from last season.
Redshirt sophomores Graham Osman and Christian Bodlovich were leaned on the most last season, a trend that may continue. Sophomore right-hander Brock Peery is another rubber arm that could see a more emphasized role this year as well.
Sophomore right-hander Jared Glenn figures to be another go-to arm after posting 52 innings in 24 appearances a year ago, but has been rehabbing through the fall after partially tearing his rotator cuff toward the end of last season.
According to Peraza, Glenn has made massive progress in his recovery efforts. He faced live hitters during Wednesday’s practice and is expected to be ready for some action this weekend.
“He was a couple weeks behind Boyd and he’s caught up,” Peraza said. “He’s worked really hard in the weight room and in his recovery. If we have the opportunity – and I hope we do – I want to see Glenn and Boyd out there this weekend.”
Both Glenn and Vander Kooi have helped each other through the long process of returning to the field as soon as possible.
“Me and [Vander Kooi] are in the training room five hours a day for each other,” Glenn said. “I get sick of the guy at times, but I’m super happy for him.
“What gets you through this is knowing how it feels to be out there in front of all these people playing with your buddies.”
ASU’s remaining depth in the bullpen is made up of experienced returners and transfers, but redshirt junior right-hander Will Levine is being elevated to closer after inheriting the role late last season.
“[Levine] and Chase Webster will kind of share the closing role opening weekend,” Peraza said. “Chase is more of a one inning closer type of guy, whereas Will can give us multiple innings and finish a game.”
Levine was preparing to potentially become a starter in the fall, which may not be entirely out of the question as the season drags on, but after 36 reliable innings in relief last season, he is seemingly more suited for a closing gig.
