PHOENIX — On March 3, what could’ve been a routine RBI double for Arizona State redshirt junior designated hitter Nu’u Contrades turned into him clutching second base after tumbling to the ground.
The co-team captain of the Sun Devils went down with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss five games, and even when he did return, he’d have to step away from the primary second baseman role in favor of operating out of the designated hitter spot.
Despite not being fully healthy upon his return, Contrades’ 24 hits, 19 RBIs and seven home runs over the next 21 games cemented his case as one of the most consistently productive bats ASU has to offer.
So much so that 52 days after watching him lying face down in the dirt from the dugout, ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist penciled Contrades in as the No. 2 hitter ahead of a home series against Baylor directly after making a call to action to protect star sophomore center fielder Landon Hairston following a loss to New Mexico State on Wednesday.
“We have to either mix the lineup up a little bit, or put somebody with a big threat behind him so they just can’t walk him, and if they do, there’s gonna be somebody behind him that can hopefully make them pay,” Bloomquist said.
Contrades responded by putting together a second consecutive performance of two hits and two RBIs on Saturday night to help No. 25 Arizona State (30-14, 13-7 Big 12) defeat Baylor (22-20, 9-11 Big 12) 4-2 and give the fourth-year head coach exactly what he has been looking for.
“Having Nu’u come up behind (Hairston), he’s been swinging the bat really well all year and has some thumping in his bat to where he can put a crooked number on the board with one swing,” Bloomquist said.
Hairston got the ball rolling immediately in the top of the first inning with a base hit. The night prior, the center fielder only gave Contrades one chance to allow him to advance on the base paths due to a 1-for-5 outing.
When served up a curveball on a 1-2 count, the designated hitter ensured the opportunity wouldn’t go to waste by hammering the offering into the gap and up against the wall in left-center field. Hairston’s dash from first base to home plate handed Contrades an RBI double while putting the Sun Devils on the board first.
“Really, really seems to like that four hole a little bit. He’s getting a lot of hits there,” Bloomquist said.
However, a walk from Hairston in the bottom of the eighth that was followed up with a double play became the only other instance of Contrades taking an at-bat with the center fielder on base.
Regardless, the new two-hole hitter had no problem doing it all himself when he extended ASU’s lead to a score of 3-1 in the bottom of the third via a 405-foot solo home run which ricocheted off the National Champions memoriam in deep right field.
He also recorded two of the Sun Devils’ eight total hits, and although the game was defined by the team’s dominance on the mound, his efforts on the offensive side of the ball played a considerable part in avoiding a rubber match for just the second time in a season full of narrow finishes.
“Playing these games are awesome,” Contrades said. “You always like to be in close games and find out who can do it. Going through these games are awesome, and coming out on top is awesome as well.”
Since being named ASU’s No. 2 hitter, Contrades is 4-for-8 with four hits, four RBIs and two home runs.
He has also upped his season-long totals to 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, putting him comfortably in third place amongst the rest of the team.
Even in the face of the pressure alongside being placed in the two-hole, his success spans from the philosophy of not needing to fix what wasn’t broken in the first place.
“Just sticking by what’s worked,” Contrades said. “Trying to just stick to my approach, hit the ball hard the other way. Main thing. Not really any changes.”
Bloomquist shared optimism about allowing Contrades to return to second base duties in the near future, especially considering ASU does not have a midweek game scheduled before the team’s road trip to UCF next weekend.
“He’s been pounding on my desk to play full this weekend, and I just have to be smart,” Bloomquist said. “We were so close to, I think, getting over the hump on this thing.”
“We can buy a few more days and hopefully get him over this hump to where he’s good to go the rest of the year. That would be the plan.”
While a two-game sample size doesn’t provide enough evidence to deem the move a major success just yet, the numbers do speak for themselves with Contrades’ ascension in the order.
Wednesday’s result forced Bloomquist to take a roll of the dice, and if the co-captain’s impact can take some of the weight off of Hairston’s shoulder while also upping his game to the next level, the Sun Devils’ skipper may just find his way to the jackpot.
“We’re having to be creative with it, but on the same token, whatever works,” Bloomquist said.
