(Photo: Samantha Maxwell/WCSN)
PHOENIX — Amid losing back-to-back games for the first time since March 8, Arizona State baseball has experienced its toughest stretch since starting Pac-12 play, all without its best player behind the dish.
Sophomore catcher Ryan Campos missed his fourth consecutive game on Friday with an oblique injury, which began to limit his action against Grand Canyon. Although head coach Willie Bloomquist was hopeful Campos would return against Oregon State, he decided to keep him out after Campos took batting practice.
“We got him in a live [at-bat] yesterday, and he felt it a little bit,” Bloomquist said. “Didn’t set him back, but it’s just, we’re on the early side of this thing. He’s been feeling good, and we were kind of hoping — I guess more than anything. But he was telling me he was feeling good enough to maybe go so I told him, ‘You’re gonna have to take an at-bat and make sure it feels good.’ And he took one swing, and he still felt it a little bit. And I said, ‘That’s enough, we’re not going to push this thing.’”
Holding a top spot in the lineup, the Mesa, Ariz. native has been critical to the Sun Devils’ success in 2023, bolstering a .413 batting average, 21 RBIs and 50 hits in 121 plate appearances. The batting numbers have caught national recognition, earning him a spot on USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on April 5.
In addition to his offensive success, Campos’ glove behind the dish has been impressive, catching in most of his starts. With pitching struggles impacting the team, some have wondered if it correlated to his absence, but Bloomquist was quick to dismiss the notion, explaining how the pitchers must adjust to different catchers, especially for those who want to move up to the big leagues.
For now, the question surrounding Campos is his return to the lineup. Bloomquist noted oblique injuries — if not handled appropriately — can linger and cause absences in a season’s crucial closing moments, which he believes is too important to let that happen.
“He’s too valuable late in this run,” Bloomquist said. “If we got to be without him for another series — or you know at most two to get him back for the stretch run — then that’s what we’re gonna have to do. I’d rather do that than then risk trying to play him too early and have him lost for the rest of the season. He’s just he’s too valuable.”
Possible pitching change on Friday night
Since opening night, junior left-handed pitcher Ross Dunn has held the position of the Friday night starter, arguably touting him as the program’s best pitcher as college baseball teams usually send their leading arm on the first night of a weekend series.
In his previous two starts, Dunn has thrown nearly identical stat lines, pitching four innings and allowing a combined 10 hits with 11 walks. Against Oregon State, Dunn let up five of his seven runs in the first inning, setting the offense back before it had gotten to the plate.
“You can’t come out and walk that many guys and set the tone that way,” Bloomquist said. “Your Friday night guy has to come out and throw strikes down the zone and get your defense involved. Right now, it’s not happening.”
His struggle with walks and commending of the zone has forced Bloomquist and his staff to reevaluate if Dunn is worthy of the Friday night role. But switching the rotation is no easy task through 37 games, as pitchers have grown accustomed to their schedule. Changing throwing routines could hinder Dunn’s performance on another day and the new Friday arm.
“That situation, we’ll talk as a staff and see if it’s better moving forward to make a change. The question becomes who,” Bloomquist said. “We need (Dunn) to pitch the way he’s capable of because he’s better than that. He knows that. The staff is outstanding, but it doesn’t do a whole lot of good if you’re gonna walk a lot of guys and fall behind hitters.”
Before the season had begun, pitching coach Sam Pereza spoke about the idea of pitching junior righty Owen Stevenson, who has started three times in 15 appearances for ASU. At San Francisco in 2022, Stevenson was used as a starter, meaning a possible transition wouldn’t be new to the California native.
But Stevenson has solidified himself as a go-to option out of the bullpen in 2023, especially in the final moments of the ball game. Since the beginning of Pac-12 play, Stevenson has averaged 1.7 innings pitched per game and has yet to throw more than two frames of relief. Stevenson’s last start was against Grand Canyon on March 22, where he pitched two innings, allowing three hits and a run.
“It’s tough to keep Owen away from one of those top three starting spots,” Pereza said on Feb. 14 “I mean, he’s been really good for us. And he’s maintained his stuff. It’s not like he comes out for any last year he came out and flashed a certain number for rainy and wasn’t able to maintain it. This year. He’s pretty well conditioned where he can maintain it for a couple of weeks.”
Keaschall provides offensive output and leadership
Junior second baseman Luke Keaschall has proved his value to ASU this season, making his impact known with his bat and glove.
Friday night was no different, providing a spark to the lineup when the bats experienced a slow start. His first home run was a 420-foot solo shot to left field, giving the Sun Devils their first runs of the evening. During a six-run eighth frame, Keaschall continued his offensive output with a two-run homr, exiting the ballpark with a velocity of 104 and landing 423 feet away from home plate. Between the home runs was a double, once again giving his team a chance to score another run.
“We keep proving that we can come back from any deficit,” Keashall said. “Every guy in the dugout believes that they can do it, and no one’s a selfish hitter. Everyone just tries to have a good at-bat and pass it to the next guy, and it leads to big innings. I mean, it’s as simple as just not trying to do too much and get on base.”
Bloomquist had high remarks for the San Francisco transfer, explaining how he tells other Sun Devils to work with Keaschall because “he’s the type of kid that just comes and packs his lunch and ready to play every day.”
Keaschall has also been influential in the development of freshman shortstop Luke Hill, according to Bloomquist, who explained how Keaschall will rein in Hill when his mind starts to drift.
“I often tell our freshmen if you want to know what it’s like to be a baseball player and learn what it’s like to be — I believe Luke Keaschall will play in the big leagues — follow him around, watch him and do what he does because that kids work ethic and mentality is exactly what you want in a baseball player,” Bloomquist said.
