(Photo: Sam Fenway/WCSN)
Arizona State baseball needed anything on its road trip to Los Angeles to salvage what has been a brutal nine-game stretch in Pac-12 play.
After being swept by then-No. 5 Oregon State — a somewhat predictable result when facing a powerhouse that, to date, still boasts a top-10 ranking in the latest D1 Baseball Poll — the Sun Devils returned to Tempe, where it dropped two of three to Utah. ASU also struggled in its three midweek matchups during that span, losing to GCU and going 1-1 against Cal State Fullerton.
However, the Sun Devils (20-21, 10-11 Pac-12) resoundingly bounced back this weekend as they took all three games against a struggling UCLA (13-24, 6-15 Pac-12) squad. On Friday, redshirt sophomore left-hander Ben Jacobs provided ASU a strong 5.0-inning start in a 5-3 win.
The visitors’ offense then exploded in an 8-2 victory on Saturday but didn’t cool down on Sunday, as a multi-home run effort from junior first baseman Jacob Tobias helped the Sun Devils defeat UCLA 13-1.
Here are five takeaways from arguably ASU’s best weekend of the season, one that featured strong pitching and hitting, a SportsCenter Top-10 play and the program’s first sweep of the Bruins since 2010.
Solid Starters
ASUs weekend rotation was already thin, having only two consistent starters with freshman right-handed pitcher Thomas Burns and senior left-handed pitcher Connor Markl, but an injury to the former seemed to make the staff even more sparse.
However, that was not the case against UCLA. Jacobs, Markl and senior right-handed pitcher Hunter Omlid combined for four earned runs and 19 strikeouts in 14 ⅓ innings pitched this weekend.
Markl’s success may not be shocking because he pitched at least five innings and allowed four or less runs in each of his last six outings, but the performances of the other two starters can be considered a bit more surprising. None of the outings abide by the definition of a quality start — at least six innings pitched and three or less earned runs allowed — but it was enough for the Sun Devils to get the sweep.
With Burns injured, ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist turned to Jacobs to be his Friday starter for the past two Pac-12 series. The UCLA transfer looked good in that role by allowing two earned runs with at least four innings pitched in his last two games, including eight strikeouts against his former team on Friday. Bloomquist’s latest update on Burns is that it would be “far-fetched” for the freshman to pitch next weekend, so Jacobs could be in line for another Friday start next week against USC.
On the other hand, the Sunday spot has been a rotating door of ASU pitchers. Six Sun Devils started on a Sunday this season with Omlid being the most recent attempted solution. Similarly to Jacobs, the righty showcased his strikeout stuff with eight punchouts against the Bruins while only allowing one run in four innings.
The starting rotation dealt with struggles and injuries all season, but some productive performances in Los Angeles put a lot less stress on the bullpen.
– Justin de Haas
Bullpen Holds Steady
ASU’s relievers weren’t needed as often as usual against the Bruins thanks to impressive starts on all three days, but made their presence felt when called upon. The caveat to this, however, is that UCLA’s bats haven’t been anything special in what has been a forgettable season, hitting a combined .253, good for the second-lowest team batting average in the Pac-12.
Even against a sputtering Bruins lineup, the fact that the shaky Sun Devils’ bullpen allowed only two runs in 12 ⅔ innings is encouraging, especially considering it was responsible for 16 of the 23 runs Utah scored over three games in Tempe a week ago.
Friday’s contest was by far the closest of the weekend, and relievers played an integral role in guiding ASU to its second straight win that sealed the series victory. When Jacobs exited after the fifth inning, the Sun Devils were hanging onto a 4-2 lead, but redshirt senior righty Matt Tieding and junior Ryan Schiefer combined to allow five baserunners, one run and strike out five in the game’s final four frames.
Following Markl’s impressive start on Saturday, sophomore left-hander Sean Fitzpatrick looked to be in control early, picking up consecutive strikeouts to end the sixth inning after walking the first batter he faced on the night. While he relinquished a solo shot and walk to begin the eighth, the Sun Devils still possessed a six-run lead, which helped redshirt junior Jonah Giblin cruise through the game’s final two frames with minimal issues.
By the time freshman lefty Cole Carlon headed to the bump for the sixth — the second of his three-inning relief appearances — on Sunday, ASU comfortably sat in the drivers’ seat with an 11-1 advantage over the Bruins. Carlon navigated his next two frames of work just as he did his first: with ease.
In total, Carlon allowed three baserunners and fanned three, paving the way for freshman right-handed pitcher Wyatt Halvorson and junior southpaw Matt Cornelius, who each put up zeros in their respective inning-long appearances.
ASU’s bullpen shutting down a weaker opponent should be taken with a grain of salt, but is nonetheless something that can be built off as the race for a spot in the Pac-12 Tournament intensifies in the 15 remaining games of the regular season.
– Sean Brennan
Offense Finds Its Rhythm
Since getting swept by Utah two weekends ago, Arizona State’s offense seems to be heating up. In their last five games ASU is averaging just under seven runs per game, going 4-1 in that span. All season it seems like the Sun Devils haven’t been able to do enough on either side of the ball to win games but they’ve shown in the last few games that they can flash some consistency.
In their last five games, ASU’s offense has actually gotten increasingly better with each game putting up 3, 4, 5, 8, and 13 runs in each. In their sweep over UCLA, Arizona State was able to shell off the Bruins pitching.
In Sunday’s matchup, ASU took advantage of freshman RHP Landon Stump, Stump had been solid for UCLA all season but has given up five runs in two of his last three outings. ASU’s ability to take advantage of struggling pitchers is something that has been up and down all season so the four runs ASU scored on him in 3 ⅔ innings bodes well for the Sun Devils.
Another good sign for the Sun Devils as of recent is the “sharing of the wealth” on the offense. In Saturday’s matchup, nine of the 10 batters that ASU sent to the plate recorded a hit and in Sunday’s 13-1 win ASU had nine out of 11 batters tally a hit in their dominant win.
ASU has shown they can score runs, but the question is whether they can stay consistent unlike they’ve been able to do in the past.
-Justin Carter
Kien Vu Continues Sophomore Standout Season
For the last two seasons of Arizona State baseball, arguably the team’s strongest position group has been in the outfield. This year, graduate Harris Williams has taken over from Wyatt Crenshaw as the veteran presence in the outfield, while junior Nick McLain and sophomore Isaiah Jackson have normally held down the other positions.
With that depth, sophomore Kien Vu struggled to crack a consistent spot in the starting lineup in each of the last two years, operating as a good fourth outfielder option with late game pinch-hitting and pinch-running potential.
However, with the once potent Sun Devil offense struggling through a midseason slump, Bloomquist gave Vu a starting chance in the final game of a series against Cal, and the sophomore has not let go. Since securing his spot in the lineup, Vu has gone a scorching 23-for-51 with six home runs, raising his season slashline to .457/.522/.790.
In Los Angeles, where ASU finally delivered a complete series full of offense and consistent pitching, Vu was the standout. The San Diego, California native notched seven hits and two walks in 13 at-bats, including two homers. Vu’s most impactful moment came in Friday’s game. With ASU up just 4-2 in the top of the ninth, Vu took the first pitch he saw and placed it over the left field wall, putting away the game for the Sun Devils
On Sunday, Vu displayed more opposite field power by hitting 2-1 fastball deep to left-center field. After hitting just one homer in his freshman campaign, Vu is now up to six on this season in 21 fewer at-bats. If Vu can keep it up, he provides another dangerous option to a strong Sun Devils’ outfield.
– Sammy Nute
Isaiah Jackson Credited With the Top Play — Literally.
By the bottom of the eighth inning, the game and series was all but over. The score was 11-1, and with two outs, all ASU had to do was close out the game. No highlight reel plays were needed. The foot just had to stay on the gas pedal for the Sun Devils to leave Jackie Robinson Stadium with a win.
UCLA senior outfielder JonJon Vaughns stepped up to the plate for the fourth and final time of the game. Halvorson was on the mound. There were runners for UCLA on first and second base. Vaughns was up to two strikes when he hit a fly ball to center field.
Center fielder Isaiah Jackson rushed toward the eight-foot high fence that read, “UCLA health.” Jackson’s hat came off as he scaled the fence, using his non-gloved hand to hold himself in place as he extended his glove. The ball fell right into Jackson’s glove and remained there, as Jackson hopped back down to the ground to do a standing celebration. What should’ve been a three RBI home run was instead an out, and UCLA entered the ninth scoreless.
“I had the luxury, growing up in Seattle, watching Ken Griffey Jr. make a lot of plays similar to that, but that’s the best catch in person with my own two eyes that I’ve seen.” head coach Willie Bloomquist said via Jaden Taylor of Blaze Radio.
When the catch was posted on Sun Devil baseball social media, Sportscenter host and ASU alumni Matt Barrie took notice. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Barrie tweeted, “Dear colleagues at @SportsCenter, I have a SC Top Ten play for you.”
Jackson’s catch not only made an appearance on the Sportscenter Top 10, but was credited with the number one play of the day as well. Thousands of watchers not just in the state of Arizona, but across the country, saw his incredible grab.
-Tyler Weiss
