Sun Devil arms against pros in exhibition against USA Baseball

(Photo: Austin Hurst/WCSN)

PHOENIX – Senior right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez walked off the mound in the fourth inning to his final pitch being called a strike. It was a call that the umpire made many times throughout the night as the Arizona State pitching staff made their impact felt against the combination of minor league players and MLB veterans that make up USA Baseball.

In total, Arizona State pitchers struck out 14 hitters and overall pitched well despite losing 4-3. Through six innings the pitching staff allowed only one hit, four walks and racked up 10 strikeouts while only allowing one run while . Throughout the total of Friday night’s exhibition game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the staff limited the pros to five hits and five walks while finishing with 14 strikeouts.

Martinez, a transfer from Louisiana-Lafayette, could be a big part of the rotation after making ten starts throughout his collegiate career. At worst, he showed he can be a lively arm in short bursts. His strikeout to end the fourth inning completed him striking out the side after allowing a leadoff walk.

One of his victims in the fourth inning was the No. 22 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, third baseman Matt Shaw of the Cubs organization. Shaw, who posted a .867 OPS across AA and AAA this year, was frozen on a pitch that caught the outside corner of the plate for the second out of the inning. Shaw’s strikeouts were sandwiched between designated hitter Luke Ritter of the Mets organization and Tim Elko of the White Sox organization.

The fourth inning was Martinez’s second inning of work. He had a three up, three down third inning to start his night where he got second baseman Termarr Johnson, the No. 75 prospect in baseball and No. 3 in the Pirates organization, to go down looking at an offspeed pitch.

Martinez’s fastball touched 95 and he seemed to feature both a slider and changeup as well in relief of Friday’s starter, left-handed junior Ben Jacobs.

He started the game against MLB veteran Rich Hill, and Jacobs was working with a low 90s fastball and good low 80s offspeed pitches.

Jacobs was pitching against the uniform he suited up in over the summer. As a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team over the summer, he pitched in 4.1 innings and struck out seven batters while only allowing one run. Now facing a branch of USA Baseball instead of wearing the uniform, he dominated.

Jacobs allowed only one hit in two innings of work where he, like Martinez, struck out four batters, thanks in part to a three-strikeout second inning. In that frame, Jacobs set down Shaw, Elko and No. 53 prospect, No. 3 in the Phillies organization, center fielder Justin Crawford.

His strikeout victim in the third innings was super prospect Carson Williams. Williams, a shortstop from the Rays organization and the No. 4 in baseball was set down on a 93 MPH fastball that he swung and missed at. Despite his high regard as a prospect, the Sun Devils pitchers set him down time and time again. Williams was 0-3 on the night with three strikeouts and a walk. Williams night in many ways was a microcosm for the USA Baseball bats against an ASU pitching staff that is used to struggling more than succeeding.

Arizona State Baseball has posted a 6.42 ERA in manager Willie Bloomquist’s three seasons at the helm of Sun Devil baseball. That’s in large part due to the hot desert environment which makes the ball fly and home runs prevalent. In an environment like this, strikeouts are exceptionally important, they keep the ball out of play and away from the other side of the fence. It’s part of what made Martinez’s and Jacobs’ performances mean so much.

One baseball was able to find the other side of the fence. A solo home run from pinch hitter Ryan Ward, a utility player in the Dodgers organization. His ninth-inning shot off of senior right-hander Will Koger was blasted over the right field wall and was the difference maker in the game, breaking the 3-3 tie and giving USA Baseball the 4-3 lead that it would hold onto in the bottom half of the inning.

The Sun Devils scored three runs on five hits and two walks against the professional pitching they faced. Senior designated hitter Manny Garza’s RBI double and sophomore catcher Brody Briggs’s RBI single right after were the two big hits in the fifth inning that gave ASU a momentary 3-1 lead.

USA Baseball would chip back at the lead before Ward’s big blast. One of those runs was scored on a sacrifice fly from infielder Termarr Johnson. Johnson driving in runs at Muni was something that was almost a regular occurrence. He was committed to Arizona State coming out of Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia in 2022. When Johnson was drafted fourth overall by the Pirates in that year’s amateur draft, he signed with the team ending any dreams of him in the maroon and gold, but Friday was the closest Sun Devil fans have ever gotten to seeing that was tonight.

Arizona State held its own throughout the game and can be proud of its performance despite the loss. It was a great experience for both pitchers and hitters alike facing top-hitting prospects and matching up against MLB veterans like Rich Hill.

ASU Baseball continues its fall play against Grand Canyon on the road on Saturday before returning to Muni for the Maroon and Gold World Series on November 19.