(Photo: Sammy Nute/WCSN)
PHOENIX — Entering the 2024 season, there was no question that Arizona State baseball would need to depend on its lineup, especially early on.
With a slew of inexperienced arms, it would take some time for the Sun Devils’ pitching to find its footing. Even head coach Willie Bloomquist admitted that his staff, largely comprised of freshmen and transfers, was prone to growing pains. The possibility of new faces making an impact later in the season is very real, but in all likelihood, it will take some time.
That sentiment held true throughout ASU’s opening three-game series against Santa Clara, and it did once again on Tuesday night with No. 24 Kansas State in town. Facing one of the more talented lineups in the Big 12, the Sun Devils issued 12 walks and ran through eight pitchers — usually not a recipe that leads to a victory.
And yet, ASU (3-1) came out on top, holding the Wildcats (2-2) to only six runs in a 9-6 win.
“That’s a good team,” Bloomquist said of Kansas State. “They’re ranked for a reason. They were right on the bubble last year of getting into the tournament. They got a lot of returners, good arms, guys who can hit the ball a long ways and talented players. So for us to — given all the, I won’t say negative stuff, but all the adversity — that we faced today and all the self-induced wounds we gave ourselves, we still found a way to win.”
Bloomquist gave the nod to right-hander Adam Behrens, who allowed an earned run and three baserunners on Feb. 17 against Santa Clara, and despite some blemishes to his name, the freshman did not disappoint. In a 4.0-inning start, Behrens struck out four and only issued one walk. He appeared dialed in during his first frame of work, putting down Kansas State’s lineup in order.
However, this success didn’t quite carry over the next time he took the mound. During the ensuing two innings, Behrens conceded two extra-base hits — a two-run shot in the second to senior third baseman Danniel Rivera and a towering solo blast to projected first-round pick junior shortstop Kaelen Culpepper a frame later — in addition to three singles. However, he responded in a big way during his final go-around on the bump with the game tied at three, inducing three consecutive outs to escape the inning unscathed.
“(Behrens) has pitched very mature through the entire fall and obviously to this point in the spring,” senior righty Matt Tieding said. “He’s not a guy that we’ve had to try to teach them how to slow the game down or anything. He’s consistently found the strike zone and like I said, thrown very mature. So (Bloomquist) made the right call giving him the start tonight, and (Behrens) proved why.”
Following a disastrous relief appearance that saw freshman southpaw Bradyn Barnes issue four walks in just 0.2 innings. The last straw came when Barnes, with the bases loaded and his team up 4-3, walked junior second baseman Brady Day in four pitches, allowing Culpepper to cross the dish and once again tie the game.
So Bloomquist turned to junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Schiefer, who desperately needed one more out to escape the inning and. The transfer from Central Arizona College achieved just that, as he struck out sophomore designated hitter Jayden Lobliner and stopped the bleeding. When Schiefer entered the game again in the sixth, he picked up right where he left off, posting a 1-2-3 inning that saw him fan one.
“It’s a big moment for sure,” Schiefer said of entering the game with the bases juiced. “But you’ve got to simplify it. It’s really not that complicated. You got a job to do, so rise to the occasion. Get the job done.”
When it was time for ASU to pitch again, it again had a one-run lead. But Schiefer, sophomore lefty Sean Fitzpatrick and freshman right-hander Wyatt Halvorson allowed a combined five baserunners in the inning, allowing the Wildcats to battle back and draw even.
Then junior left-haded pitcher Matt Cornelius entered the game.
Like Schiefer, Cornelius is a community college transfer, this time from Pima, and he was exceptional in his 1.1 frames of work, retiring two via the strikeout, issuing no walks and earning the win. Of the 20 pitches he tossed on Tuesday, only seven landed outside the strike zone. This allowed the Sun Devils’ lineup to help them pull away from Kansas State, as they led 9-5 entering the ninth.
“I was really, really excited with Matt Cornelius and Ryan Schieffer,” Bloomquist said. “Both threw the ball outstanding in tough situations they came into.”
Problems arose again when freshman closer Cole Carlon issued three walks in 0.2 innings of work, again loading the bases. A sacrifice fly from freshman catcher Nick English made it a three-run game, and Tieding entered the game in need of one more out to seal the win. However, Tieding had minimal issues on the mound, striking out sophomore outfielder Carson Queck, the first batter he faced.
“I don’t know if you really (calm your nerves in a high-pressure situation),” Tieding said. “That’s why you play baseball, right? So it’s almost like that. It wasn’t about calming the pressure for me at all. It’s about embracing it, just having fun. And so taking that whole moment in I think was more of the mentality rather than just trying to calm down.”
Tuesday’s win wasn’t necessarily a “pretty” one, as ASU made it difficult for itself on the mound. Ultimately, though, the Sun Devils are 3-1 and defeated a top-25 team, which in itself can be viewed as a benchmark victory.
“At the end of the day, good teams pick each other up when they need to be picked up,” Bloomquist said. “And so we’ll try to build on it and take the positives away from it and get better on the things we need to work on.”
