Sun Devils take care of business against Cal State Fullerton

(Photo: Samantha Maxwell/WCSN)

PHOENIX — The last time Arizona State baseball took the field for a midweek game, it couldn’t have gone more wrong. The Sun Devils were crushed 20-0 by rival Arizona, where the Wildcats scored the game-winning run before the first out was even recorded.

Junior left-handed pitcher Timmy Manning was making his first start since losing his spot in the starting rotation following a disastrous outing against UC Irvine on March 5. Manning has been a solid piece coming out of the bullpen, but his ERA as a starter is a glaring 14.40.

So when head coach Willie Bloomquist trotted out Manning as the starter in ASU’s (27-13, 13-2 Pac-12) 9-1 win over Cal State Fullerton (23-12, 15-3 Big West) on Tuesday, questions soon followed. However, Manning’s outing could not have been more perfect, as the Florida native faced nine batters in three innings pitched and retired all nine in order, striking out four in the process.

What worked on Tuesday that wasn’t there last week?

“Just confidence, I think,” Bloomquist said. “(Manning) just came out and threw the ball aggressively and was on the attack mode tonight. Everything just looked a lot more confident with him. Last week is a day we all want to forget, but when you have those days, you try to learn from them.

“We talked about it like, ‘Hey man, you’re getting the ball again, so don’t start doubting yourself. You have really good stuff.’ Just breathing confidence into him, and he came out tonight and was excited to get a chance to start again, and he did very well.”

Confidence is key, but it also helps when an offense is able to give a team a lead early in the game. Recently, the Sun Devils have been reserving their offense for when they are behind later in games, but a single from junior second baseman Luke Keaschall and a sacrifice fly from sophomore first baseman Jacob Tobias gave the Sun Devils a 2-0 lead by the end of the first frame.

For a team that has been coming back from all kinds of deficits, getting out to a lead early felt good for a change.

“These games are fun, too,” Keaschall said. “Less emotional definitely, but it’s always nice when you get out to a lead and hold it and be in control the whole game.”

Keaschall’s RBI in the first was just the beginning of another stellar game for the Watsonville native. He ended the night going 5-for-5 at the plate, including a home run to dead center and adding two doubles for his Pac-12-leading 20th and 21st of the year. His 5-for-5 is the first for a Sun Devil since Gage Canning did it against Oregon in 2018.

In his final season at San Francisco, Keachall tallied eight home runs and 18 doubles. With 14 games left in the regular season, Keaschall has already blown by both numbers hitting 11 home runs and the aforementioned 21 doubles. All of the extra-base hits have turned Keaschall into an especially effective slugger, notching an impressive .725 slugging percentage.

“I did expect it,” Bloomquist said about if he expected the power numbers from Keaschall. “Just based upon what type of kid he is and his work ethic and how much he cares about being a good baseball player and cares about being a good teammate and helping this program. I get to be around him every day. And I see the work he puts in and how diligent he is, and how much he cares.

“Whatever he puts his mind to, he has a way of figuring it out and getting it done. He’s the type of kid that you’d like to clone and just have a ton of them coming in just like him every year. We would be pretty dang good if that were the case, so there are not enough Luke Keaschalls in the world.”

With an 8-1 lead by the end of the seventh inning, Bloomquist was able to throw some of the arms who have not been able to get innings in the ASU’s recent close games. Freshman southpaw Austin Humphries entered in the top of the eighth and was effective, throwing an inning, striking out one and allowing one hit.

The surprise of the night was in the ninth when sophomore outfielder Will Rogers stepped onto the mound, entering in the ninth for his second appearance of the season. His last pitching performance didn’t go as planned as he surrendered four earned runs and two hits in just a third of an inning in a 16-3 loss to Mississippi State on Feb. 26. He exited that game with a 360.0 ERA, so Tuesday was a chance for redemption, lowering his ERA to 27.

Rogers’ surrendered two hits and one walk, but with the bases loaded and two outs, Rogers showed off his arm, pumping 94 by senior designated hitter Carter White, ending the game.

“I’ve seen that out of (Rogers) before,” Bloomquist said. “Anybody that has seen him throw the ball from the outfield knows that that type of velocity was in there. I actually think there’s more in there once he starts really getting comfortable. He’s got good breaking stuff as well. That’s something that we could build upon hopefully with him and continue to keep him getting sharper and sharper.”