(Photo: Sydni Griffin/WCSN)
PHOENIX — The 2023 season has been full of ups and downs for Arizona State sophomore catcher Will Rogers.
After finishing with a .299 batting average, 25 RBI and 9 home runs – the third-most on the team – as a freshman, the expectation was that Rogers would take a step forward at the plate in the second year of collegiate career. And on Opening Day against San Diego State, it appeared that the Shoreview, Minn. native had made the necessary strides.
In ASU’s 6-5 win over the Aztecs, Rogers went 3-for-5, providing a solo home run and the walk-off single, a stat line that showed great promise. But things just wouldn’t be the same in the games ahead.
What followed his opening night heroics was a stretch headlined by inconsistency at the plate. He certainly had his moments – including another walk-off hit against North Dakota State, this time a no-doubt solo shot into left field. However, Rogers also experienced struggles, and with a crowded depth chart, the sophomore soon found himself outside of the Sun Devils’ everyday lineup.
Rogers wasn’t deterred. Instead, his competitive spirit drove him to search for another way to contribute. While it took some time, he eventually found a suitable role — coming out of the bullpen.
“I’m just looking for every opportunity to get out there and play,” Rogers said. “I love this game for so many reasons. And I just want to get out in the field and compete, and that’s all I can ask for.”
The idea of Rogers taking the mound in close games is quite new, as the first six pitching appearances of his career all came during blowouts. Despite not initially being used in high-leverage situations this season, Rogers was open to playing in any situation.
“Honestly, they could throw me out there whenever, and I’d be ready to go,” Rogers said.
But on Friday, he got a chance to take the mound in a pivotal moment. Now ranked the No. 20 team in the nation, ASU trailed No. 7 Stanford 8-6 in the top of the eighth. With two outs on the board, head coach Willie Bloomquist put Rogers into the game, showing his increased trust in the new reliever.
Despite facing junior outfielder Eddie Park, who knocked a double into left-center field during the prior inning, Rogers was up to the task. In the ninth, Bloomquist needed an arm to prevent Stanford from increasing its lead. ASU’s second-year skipper decided to take a chance, letting his unproven reliever remain in the game.
Rogers didn’t disappoint, putting together a shutout inning to keep the Sun Devils within striking distance.
The frame began smoothly, with Rogers retiring two straight batters in six pitches. However, his next opponent — sophomore outfielder and former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Braden Montgomery — would cause some problems. After building a 3-2 count, Rogers delivered a pitch that landed just outside of the strike zone and was ruled a ball. Rogers was visibly upset with the call and conceded a first-pitch double to junior catcher Alberto Rios during the next at-bat.
“I was trying to compete, I thought I made a really good pitch,” Rogers said. “It’s not on the umpire or anyone else, it’s just the competitor in me. I want that to be an out so our guys can get up there and start swinging the bats again. That pitch happened and it wasn’t the result I wanted, and tried to do the same thing next pitch.”
But he was able to refocus, earning the final out to keep the Sun Devils’ deficit at two runs heading into the bottom of the inning. Rogers ended his night with a strikeout, hit and walk throwing 20 total pitches in 1.1 frames of work. His outing could allow him to can continue to improve and become a viable option in a bullpen that is missing junior righty Jesse Wainscott, a key arm in the bullpen. Friday likely isn’t the last time Rogers’ services will be required — especially in the midst of a grueling final stretch of the regular season.
“We need somebody to step up,” Bloomquist said. “That’s kind of a power arm in that pen to help us and he’s capable of doing it, so that’s where he can help us and be effective. I’m not saying [he’s] not going to get at-bats still, but right now, he can help us on the mound and you can see why. He could be a valuable piece for us coming down the stretch.”
Of course, there’s still progress to be made, as the transition to pitching from hitting isn’t an easy one. But with a bit of fine-tuning, it’s possible Rogers can find a new way to make an impact for his team.
“He’s got the stuff,” Bloomquist said. “There’s a couple of rough edges that we have to clean up, from being a bonafide pitcher, but he has moxie out there. He’s got a little bit of mound presence, and change his arm angles with different breaks on his breaking ball. And he’s got some [velocity] to get it by guys too… He’s the type of kid that’s not going to complain. He just wants to help us win.”
