Dominant Offensive Performance Leads ASU to Rout of UConn

(Photo: Elijah Longoria/WCSN)

PHOENIX – As Arizona State entered its first midweek game of the new season, it was hoping to give fans an offensive show of fireworks. In their first series against Omaha, ASU relied more heavily on its pitching to get a sweep.

Head coach Willie Bloomquist expressed frustration with the lack of explosion in the offensive game for the Sun Devils. Over the weekend, it felt as if something was keeping the ASU hitters from giving the Phoenix Municipal faithful that spectacle.

On this chilly Tuesday night with skies clear for a show, the Sun Devils(4-0) offense finally found its full stride, exploding for 17 runs in their 17-7 rout of the Big East preseason favorite Connecticut Huskies (0-4). The win even comes with ASU losing its top seven home run hitters from last season.

“We went out and recruited good players that would come in and fit our mold and our style that we like to teach,” Bloomquist said. “These guys are starting to buy into it and hopefully starting to get it because we are going to need these guys to swing the bats as we continue to go throughout the year.”

While the Sun Devils did have to use the portal to replenish their roster, Tuesday night’s main attractions came from the same dugout as last season. Senior second-baseman Nu’u Contrades has been off to a red-hot start to the season, batting with a .500 average and adding seven RBIs and two home runs.

“I’m just seeing it well,” Contrades said. “I have been working on keeping my direction good, and that’s the one thing he’s been harping me on. He’s been reminding me just to stay in the right center, and it’s been working.”

Sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston hit seven RBIs, including a bases-clearing double and a monster grand slam in the fifth inning. Both of his big moments on the night came with runners in scoring position, an area the Sun Devils went 2-for-10 in on Sunday.

Sunday’s game even had an almost identical scenario to Tuesday’s, with the bases loaded and nobody out. On Sunday, ASU managed to get nothing out of that situation. But on Tuesday, Hairston stepped up both times and delivered the firework show Bloomquist had wanted to see.

“We tried to emphasize the fact that the pressure is on the guy on the bump,” Bloomquist said. “We got bases loaded and nobody out, the pressure is not on you as a hitter. It’s on the guy on the mound. So, don’t start chasing stuff off the plate and down in the zone. Get him up in the zone and relax.”

With just the two major returners in the lineup on Tuesday, the Sun Devils looked to some of the guys they brought in during the offseason. Junior center-fielder Dominic Longo joined in on the display, going 3-for-4 with a two-run home run to get the Sun Devils started.

“It was awesome,” Longo said, “It was cool to be a part of it. Our offense is a good offense. So, when we get rolling, it lights out for sure.”

Redshirt sophomore Utah transfer third baseman Austen Roellig had a disappointing opening series, failing to record a hit. Like many Sun Devil hitters, Roellig found his success Tuesday, going 3-for-3, including his first homer of the season. Roellig became one of nine Sun Devil hitters to record a hit and helped keep a fourth inning, in which ASU batted around the order, alive.

“I think getting the right players,” Bloomquist said, “Then just continuing to stay with our approach, our offensive plan. We have produced a lot of good hitters here at ASU over the years. This is a ballpark where you come in, and you are confident swinging the bat, and this team is no different.”

Amidst ASU’s electric offensive display, senior right-hander Kole Klecker had a quiet, but effective, homecoming. The Chandler, Ariz., native spun five innings of two-hit, one-run ball while striking out seven.

Klecker entered his senior season with similar expectations that followed after his inaugural campaign at TCU, where he was named an All-American after his freshman season.

Pitching coach Jeremy Accardo said in the preseason that he thought they got Klecker’s confidence back. Against UConn, Klecker looked like he proved him right, going five innings, giving up one run on two hits, and striking out seven batters.

“I think [Klecker] set the tone extremely well on the mound,” Bloomquist said. “Worked quick, got us in the dugout so our bats could go to work. He did a really good job with the tempo, throwing strikes and working ahead.”

Bloomquist said throughout the preseason that Klecker was likely throwing the best out of any of the Sun Devils pitchers, but ultimately decided to leave him out of the initial weekend rotation to have him pitch mid-week.

“We mapped out when we have those non-conference midweek games, which are tough,” Bloomquist said. “He’s been throwing the ball really well, arguably as good as anybody this spring. You have teams like UConn, Oklahoma and that team down south. Those are not going to be easy.”

In addition to Tuesday’s performance from both Klecker and the offense, which felt like it was a step in the right direction for ASU, it also serves as early-season proof that this Sun Devil team can win games in different ways. In its first two series, ASU has showcased an ability to win low-scoring, ugly games, along with high-scoring power-hitting games.

The Sun Devils will be looking to continue their undefeated hot start this weekend, as St. John’s travels to Phoenix for a three-game series, starting on Friday at 6:35 p.m. MST.

“That’s what the encouraging part is,” Bloomquist said. “We’re trying to beat teams in different ways. We’re not always going to be able to sit back and crank out home runs. We’re going to have to move runners. We have to be able to hit and run, steal bases when the situation presents itself.”