(Photo: Joshua Eaton/WCSN)
PHOENIX — Phoenix Municipal Stadium plays the song “Hey Baby” by DJ Ötzi after every Arizona State baseball home run. On Saturday, fans got a healthy dose of that tune as the Sun Devils had a record-breaking day for home runs.
The Sun Devils (28-16, 14-7 Big 12) had eight home runs in a 16-6 victory over BYU (20-21, 6-15 Big 12) that set the ASU records of the most home runs in a game with eight and the most home runs in an inning with six. ASU won in eight innings on the run rule to complete the sweep.
“I can’t remember a better inning than that,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “Guys came and finished a job today, which I was obviously excited about.”
The Sun Devils came into the game riding a wave of home runs as they hit six the day before. They totaled 15 in the series, making it the most of the year. The most they had in one prior was eight against Oral Roberts, the second series of the year.
It took less than two innings to set the records as ASU had BYU right-handers junior Garrison Sumner and senior Hayden Coon figured out. Coon has been a good arm for the Cougars as he came into the game with 2.76 ERA and only one home run allowed. However, he had the Cougars’ worst performance on the mound, failing to record an out. The ASU bats flipped a switch against Coon as four of the seven batters he faced launched home runs.
Sumner has struggled on the season as he entered the game with a 7.02 ERA. The long ball had been a struggle point as he averaged over two home runs given up per nine innings. Sumner gave up four as well but unlike Coon, he shut down a few ASU batters. After Sumner and Coon left the game, the BYU bullpen gave up three more runs, but none on the long ball.
The most jaw-dropping homer was Jackson’s grand slam, which went the farthest on the night, traveling 440 feet according to Sun Devil Baseball Analytics. Jackson and sophomore catcher Brody Briggs each had two blasts in the second as the eight and nine hole hitters came up huge for the Sun Devils.
“That was crazy,” junior center fielder Isaiah Jackson said. “It’s just fun to be a part of that energy and seeing all the boys hit barrels.”
Jackson has had his eight home runs come sporadically throughout the year. His eight homers on the year have tied his career high, which he set in both of his two previous collegiate seasons. It was thought that Jackson would transform into a powerful bat as he reportedly hit over 20 homers in fall ball, but he has yet to reach that level of impact.
Briggs doubled his home run season total in the game. Briggs’ other two home runs came in the March 16 game against TCU.
Senior shortstop Matt King also had two home runs on the day. One of his was in a back-to-back stretch with senior first baseman Jacob Tobias, who has homered in back-to-back games himself.
King has seen all five of his home runs come in the month of April. King is one shy of his career high in homers, which he set in his sophomore season at UTSA. Tobias’ seven home runs have come sporadically. Tobias’ power numbers are down as seven ties his career low that he set in his freshman year.
Junior right fielder Kien Vu slugged the other home run, and he had the most home runs in the series with three. His homers have been the first since his high ankle sprain as he continues to return to the form he was pre-injury.
Lately, Bloomquist has been stressing that he wants players to take pitches low in the zone and hit the ball up while being in front of the ball regardless of the score and point of the game. That approach has worked the last few games as the team is on a tear. The team has taken on a different mindset with that in the past month or so to stay locked in mentally.
“Our approach has come a long way,” Vu said. “It felt good to kind of get it rolling and see what we can do.”
ASU had eight different players slug home runs in the series as they look to close out the Big 12 regular season with scorching bats.
“We have every part of the puzzle we need,” Jackson said. “Now we’ve completed the puzzle.”
