Sun Devils Rout Loyola Marymount behind Best Offensive Performance in 20 years

(Photo: Aiden Longbrake/WCSN)

PHOENIX – On March 13, 2005, Arizona State traveled to the cold, windy state of Illinois to play Western Illinois. In that game, the Sun Devils trounced the Leathernecks 30-13, in which they had 35 hits on 61 at-bats.

That ASU team consisted of MLB players such as Andrew Romine and Eric Sogard, along with being coached by legendary Sun Devil and current Milwaukee Brewers Manager Pat Murphy. Also special about that 2005 team is that it made it all the way to the College World Series.

Just under 21 years later, the Sun Devils(11-4) would get close to the 30 runs hit by the 05’ team, as they routed Loyola Marymount(5-13) 29-4 to complete their third home series sweep of the season. The impressive offensive performance is the sixth-highest total in program history, and the most since that game in 2005.

“It was a good offensive output,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “It was great to get some of these younger guys in the game, get them some opportunities out there. It came with a big loss with [Contrades] going down. I wasn’t celebrating too much while the game was going on.”

The ASU offense combined for 23 hits on Sunday, including 15 different Sun Devils getting in the hit column. It wasn’t just one inning that led ASU, as it scored a run in all but the second frame. The Sun Devils hit six home runs, utilizing the “hitters’ ballpark” that Phoenix Municipal Stadium is known to be.

“Getting pitches up in the zone and not chasing,” Bloomquist said of ASU’s offensive approach. “The blessing and the curse of playing at Muni is that the ball carries and the ball flies, especially on day games.

However, unfortunately for Bloomquist and the Sun Devils, the win came with a loss of their senior captain Nu’u Contrades. In the first inning, Contrades pulled up with what appeared to be a muscle injury while rounding first base on his RBI double. Bloomquist said he expects Contrades to be out for a longer stretch.

“Nu’u is one of the tougher kids I’ve been around,” Bloomquist said. “For him to go down like that and have no fighting with me when I said it’s time to take it to the house today. We haven’t got any tests done. I don’t expect this to be a day-to-day thing.”

Contrades has started the season batting .396 with 20 RBIs and five home runs. Along with his offense, his defensive play at second base has allowed the Sun Devils to achieve their hot start to the season.

“We’re going to have guys step up, bottom line,” Bloomquist said. “Having him go down, it’s going to sting. He’s arguably been one of our best players, if not our best player, here early on. Part of our roster construction involves depth and dogfights over positions. This is where you are hoping those moves were right.”

With Contrades’ presence off the field, ASU’s new pieces will be key to it continuing its hot offensive start. Senior third-baseman Austen Roellig, who came in for Contrades in the first went 4-for-4 and scored five runs for the Sun Devils.

“They’re going to have to [pick up Contrades’ production],” Bloomquist said. “We don’t have a choice. [Roellig] is going to have to step up. Beckett Zavorek is going to have to step up. Finn Leach, I told him he was going to have to get ready to grow up quickly.”

Zavorek, like many Sun Devils on Sunday, also joined in the run scoring, as he launched his first career home run in the first. Although he started on opening day, Zavorek has been in and out of the lineup since, and Contrades’ absence may pose an opportunity to stay in.

“It felt good,” Zavorek said. “I was just trying to put a good swing on the ball with like there are two outs, and just trying to keep it, keep the momentum going so we could extend the lead a little bit, but not trying to do too much, just trying to stay with myself and hopefully more success comes.”

On the flip side, junior center-fielder Dominic Longo started the season on the bench, with junior outfielder Sam Myers starting in center. However, since then, Longo has turned up his offensive game, with home runs in four of his last five games.

“He’s done a great job,” Bloomquist said. “Ironically, that’s a kid who on opening day wasn’t in there. Sam Myers had kind of won the job there to start the year. Didn’t complain, didn’t squawk about it, just kept waiting for his turn and staying ready.”

With all of the runs being brought across the plate came an opportunity for some of the Sun Devils’ young players to get some experience. Freshman infielder Finn Leach, along with freshmen outfielders Ryan Darrah and Jaxsyn Durst, all got their first career RBIs on Sunday.

“It’s great,” Bloomquist said. “Those guys work hard and are every bit a part of this as anybody else. They’re scrapping every day and putting their time in, just like everybody. The arguments for the 10-run rule, but for me, it’s an opportunity to get those guys in the game.”

In such a lopsided, high-scoring game, the pitcher of the winning side can sometimes be overshadowed. Senior pitcher Kole Klecker made his first weekend start after two solid wins in mid-week games. It wasn’t Klecker’s best performance of the season, giving up three runs and six hits, but with 29 insurance runs, it made his job much easier.

“He gave up some barrels there early in the first couple of innings, but settled in,” Bloomquist said. “He was just missing over the middle. No matter who you face, you are going to get it if you leave it right over the middle. To his credit, he was pounding the zone, which is good.”

The Sun Devils will now look to continue to reach the heights of the 2005 team as they move ahead to conference play, in which Bloomquist said he anticipates the weekend starters to remain the same. What he didn’t say was who would start Tuesday as the Sun Devils look to continue their win streak against their in-state rivals, Arizona, at 6:35 p.m. MST.

“I think so,” Bloomquist said about keeping the rotation the same. “Nobody did anything to hurt themselves. And with the exception of those three starters, everyone is ready to go on Tuesday. That’ll be the big focus, putting the pieces together and trying to win a game Tuesday.”