Devils Win Third Straight Series, Sweeping The Lobos

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

Seth Martinez gets his 8th win of the season, throws 9 strike outs.

PHOENIX, AZ - (April 29, 2016) After a mid-week 0-8 loss to the Arizona Wildcats, the Arizona State University Sun Devils re-focused and won their third straight series - sweeping The University of New Mexico Lobos all three games that began on Friday evening, April 29, and ended Sunday afternoon, May 1, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

In game one on Friday evening, the Devils started the game strong scoring six runs in the first two innings at the plate while pitching four strike outs in two innings. In the second inning, three straight doubles scored three runs boosting the score after two innings to a 6-0 lead for the Devils. The Devils finish the night with 12 hits, beating the Lobos by a score of 9-5.

The Devils' Coach Tracy Smith commented about Seth Martinez' pitching his eighth win of the season "We've grown to expect this from Seth. He made good pitches when he needed to". When asked about the intensity in this game's win, he said "we're viewing this as a conference weekend". He reminded us what he said after the mid-week loss to Arizona Wildcats "I know how the season's been to this point. It's a roller coaster - it's up, it's down. It seems like we never allow ourselves to get two (games) up. In spite of all that, I'm still saying we can win the Pac-12 conference...wouldn't that be a great story".

Game two was more of the same with the Devils getting 16 hits and keeping the Lobos scoreless until the seventh inning. The final score was 7-4.

Jordan Aboites steps in and steps up in game 2 win.

During the game, Jordan Aboites came in for an injured Andrew Snow and produced two hits, and an RBI. The winning pitcher was Eli Lingos, who pitched seven innings, got four strike outs, and only allowed one run.

After the game, Coach Smith was asked what he thought of Jordan's contribution. Smith responded "We've talked about what it means to be at Arizona State and what it means to be playing for this school with a dirtbag mentality...the "whatever it takes" attitude. I think that was another example of that". He finished his comment with "we talked a lot about it in practice, no excuses...just go get the job done. I thought he did a good job of that".

The final game of the series was a defensive battle on both sides. After eight innings, both teams were scoreless. The Lobos left eight runners on base throughout the game. In the botttom of the ninth inning, Colby Woodmansee was hit by a pitch. Then one batter later, Brian Serven was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on base. Andrew Shaps hit the game winning single to right field which gave time for Woodmansee to slide safely at the plate for a final score of 1-0.

The Lobos (30-16), travel  to Roswell, NM to play New Mexico State on Tuesday, May 3 at 6:00 p.m. Then, they travel to UNLV for a Mountain West match-up over the weekend in a three game series, starting Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

The Devils (26-15), pushing hard for the post season, host Pac-12 rival Oregon Ducks in a three game series starting Friday evening, 6:30 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. All three games can followed on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.

Wildcats Shutout The Devils 8-0

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

Rick Monday with team and flag he saved 40 years ago.

PHOENIX, AZ - (April 26, 2016) It was 40 years ago this week when Rick Monday, an Arizona State University alumni and former baseball player, ran out to save an American flag that two people were attempting to burn in the outfield during a Chicago Cubs baseball game. Today, the flag and the hero were celebrated as the greatest play in baseball history.

But even with Monday's motivating speeches on how great our country is, and what the flag stands for, the Devils were unable to keep the rival Arizona Wildcats from taking the game in an 8-0 shutout at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday evening, April 26.

Wildcats' Louis Boyd gets 2 hits, 1 RBI in win over the Devils.

The Wildcats recorded 16 hits and no errors. All of the Wildcats starting players either scored or had a hit in front of 2,942 fans who watched the display of domination from the visiting rival team. Ryan Aguilar, a senior outfielder from Yorba Linda, California, led the team with three hits, producing one RBI.  Wildcats' pitcher Kevin Ginkel (Lakeside, CA) went the distance for the shutout, allowing only two hits by the Devils.

After the game, Devils Head Coach Tracy Smith stated "We didn't play good defense tonight". He also said "We should be good enough that a one pitch pitcher should not be able handle us for nine innings". "We've got to put this aside...we gotta think about how we can do better this weekend".

Wildcats' Kevin Ginkel throws 91 pitches in 9 innings in shutout.

The Wildcats (27-14) travel to California to take on the USC Trojans in a three game series starting Friday night at 7 p.m PST. Saturday's 7 p.m game will be televised by ESPN. Sunday's game starts at 2 p.m. PST.

The Devils (23-15) host a three game series against New Mexico at Phoenix Municipal Stadium starting Friday, April 29, at 6:30 p..m. Saturday's game will be at 6:30 p.m. The final game on Sunday begins at 12:30 p.m.

Devils Beat the Wildcats In First of Five Territorial Cup Games

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

David Greer hit his second home run in less than a week.

PHOENIX, AZ (April 12, 2016) The Arizona State University Sun Devils hosted rival Arizona Wildcats on Tuesday, April 12 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium for the first round of the Territorial Cup Series.

The Devils won the game 7-5 and currently lead the 2016 Territorial Cup Series 7.5 to 5.5. The next game between these teams will be held in Tucson on April 26, 2016.

Tuesday night's game had an attendance of 2,649 fans wearing a mixture of colors in support of their favorite in-state teams. For two teams that have been playing each other since 1907, both are faced with performances this year that is not up to standards. Both teams usually rank in the top-25 with one of them being mentioned as a top-10. This year, both  teams have struggled and are showing inconsistency in areas unusual to their programs.

Top players in the game included the winning pitching performance by Devils' Sr. Jordan Aboites (Long Beach, CA) who now has two wins on the season. Another mention-able performance was David Greer's second home run in less than a week, which gave the Devils a boost in the sixth inning to help put away a competitive Wildcats team who scored two runs in the top of the ninth, putting a scare on all Devils fans in attendance.

Jordan Aboites get the win after pitching 5.1 innings.

The Wildcats go back to Tucson to host the Stanford Cardinal in a three game series that begins Friday, April 15 at 6 p.m. The series will be covered by Pac-12 Network.

The Devils host Cal for a three game series starting Friday April 15, 2016 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Pac-12 coverage is available on Friday and Saturday.

Devils Baseball Loses Two To The Huskies In Weekend Series

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

PHOENIX, AZ - The Arizona State University Sun Devils Baseball team hosted Pac-12 rival Washington Huskies for a three game series that began on Friday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, April 8. The Huskies took the series, giving head coach Lindsay Meggs his 800th career win.

Brian Serven leads Pac-12 with 20 runners caught stealing.

Coming into the series, Meggs had 798 career wins. The Huskies extended it to 799 on Friday night defeating the Devils 4-2, out-hitting the Devils 11 hits to 4. Both teams had a pair of errors.

On a good note for the Devils, catcher Brian Serven (Jr, from Palm Desert, CA)  leads the Pac-12 in runners caught stealing with 20. The next closest is 13.

After game one, Devil Head Coach Tracy Smith stated "Right now we're no where near the level of play we need to be and that we expect." He then made it very clear to the rest of the questions asked - "It's the consistency piece that has to develop".

Colby Woodmansee has 25 RBI after this 2 run home run.

In game two, the Devils came out of a home run slump, getting two - 2 run home runs which contributed to the 6-3 victory over the Huskies.

Colby Woodmansee gave the Devils offense a boost in the fifth inning with his 23rd RBI of the year. He later added two more on a home run over the left field fence to give the Devils a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning.  David Greer would add another two run home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to a final score of 6-3.

David Greer put final touches on win with this 2 run home run.

The weather for game three on Sunday felt like winter here in the valley of the sun with temperatures in the low-60s. A rain delay in the top of the fourth inning put the scoreless game on hold for a couple of hours while fans huddled together under anything providing protection.

After two hours, game resumed with the Huskies getting three runs in the top of the fifth. The Devils' Ryan Lillard hit a double to left field, then scored from third after a wild pitch, making the score 3-1 after seven innings. In the eighth inning, the Devils had a melt-down on defense after the pitching staff walked in a run and allowed two more runs to score to give the Huskies the 6-1 victory.

After the game, Devils' Coach Tracy Smith said "It was truly a struggle offensively today. We weren't threatening, kind of hard to score when you don't get on base." He also brought up comments about consistency stating "As I said before, look for consistency. Right now we don't have it."

The Huskies (16-11,7-5), after giving Coach Meggs his 800th career win, go back to Seattle to host Seattle on Tuesday April 12, at 5:00 pm PST.

The Devils (17-12, 4-8) look to build on consistency when they host rival Arizona Wildcats for one game on Tuesday, April 12, at 7:00 pm.

The Sun Devils Sweep The Eagles, Diamondbacks Donate $200,000

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

TEMPE, AZ (March 6, 2016) The Arizona State University Sun Devil baseball team struggled through game one and two of the three game series against Eastern Michigan University's Eagles winning all three but allowing 29 hits over the weekend at Phoenix Municipal Stadium March 4 - 6, 2016.

Cory Hahn receiving $200,000 donation from Diamondbacks

Prior to game one, ASU graduate and former athlete Cory Hahn, who was paralyzed in a baseball accident while playing for ASU, was honored by the unveiling of his shield on the right field fence for his personal contributions as an athlete and as an inspiring spokesperson for the Cory Hahn Center Field Foundation, a scholarship program named in his honor. The Arizona Diamondbacks organization met him at the mound to hand over a donation of $200,000 prior to him throwing out the first pitch.

In game one, the Eagles out-hit the Devils with 14 hits to the Devils' 13 but left 11 runners on base, which allowed the struggling Devils the ability to squeak out a low scoring victory by a score of 2-1.  

Game two went into extra innings as the Eagles were able to tie up the game  in the top of the ninth inning when a walk and two hit batters allowed for a game tying run to cross the plate.
After the game, Coach Tracy  was asked what message he will be giving his pitching staff going into game three after hitting seven batters during game two. His response was simple. "Wow, that many?  My message, don't hit the batter".

Sebastian Zawada crossing plate after 1 of 2 home runs in game 3.

That message may have contributed to the pitching staff performance in game three. The final game on Sunday afternoon was dominated by the Devil's defensive play and junior designated hitter Sebastian Zawada's (Tucson, AZ) performance which consisted of two home runs contributing to five runs, allowing the Devils to defeat the Eagles for the third game by a score of 8-1.

The Eagles will be heading back to Michigan and hosting Oakland on March 11, 2016. The game time has not been set.

The Sun Devils travel to California on Tuesday for a two game series against Cal State Fullerton on March 8 and 9. Game time is set for 6 p.m PST on both days.

Local Players Woodmansee and Greager Clear The Bases In Wolf Pack Victory

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

Daniel Williams (Round Rock, TX) Scores in Loss to Wolf Pack

TEMPE, AZ (February 23, 2016) the Arizona State University Sun Devil baseballl team hosted the Nevada Wolf Pack on Tuesday evening, Feb 23 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The Wolf Pack started the game with four hits, scoring four in the top of the first.

In the bottom of the second, Sun Devil jr. Colby Woodmansee (Phoenix,AZ) hit his fifth double of the year on a shot off the left field fence.  He scored on a single RBI by fr. Gage Canning (Ramona,CA).

In the third inning, Wolf Pack Sr. Bryce Greager (Fountain Hills, AZ) hit a two run home run over left field wall putting the Wolf Pack in front 6-1.

In the top of the fourth, Greager gets two more RBI putting the Wolf Pack up by a score of 8-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Woodmansee hits a triple, which would have scored another run for the Devils but the lead runner was thrown out at home plate. Woodmansee scored on a sacrifice fly by Gage Canning. The score after five innings was 8-2 in favor of the visiting Wolf Pack, who have never lost to the Devils.

In the fifth, Woodmansee hit a three run home run for the Devils, making the score 9-5 cutting into the Wolf Pack lead.

ASU Fans look on in disbelief in Devils' loss.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Wolf Pack added two more runs to finish the game with 11 runs, defeating the Devils for the third time. The Wolf Pack leads the all-time series between these teams 3-0.

The Wolf Pack travel to UC Irvine for a three game series that starts Friday, February 26, at 6 P.M. PST.

The Devils will be on the road for a three gane series with Long Beach State on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Game time for Friday os 6 p.m. PST.

Sun Devil Baseball Starts The 2016 Season With 4 Wins

Mike Stockman
Phoenix Area Sports

ColbyWoodmansee tags runner attempting to steal second base.

TEMPE, AZ (February 21, 2016) The Arizona State University Sun Devil Baseball team started the 2016 season with four straight victories over Big East visitor Xavier Musketeers this weekend at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

On Friday evening, the Devils opened the season with 10 hits while the Musketeers were held to five hits.  The Devils won the opening game by a score of 5 - 2.

After the game, the Devils’ Head Coach Tracy Smith stated “the good part about tonight was I liked the way we played defense…we had nervous at bats today.”



Eder Erives grabs a bunt during double header and throws out runner.

Saturday was a double header. The first of the two games finished with the final score of 2-1. In the second game of the double header, the Musketeers were able to out-hit the Devils 12 to 9 but were unable to turn the advantage into a win. The Devils finished the evening with a win by the score of 8-2.

Game four on Sunday resulted in a 5-1 victory for the Devils, who are looking to keep the momentum alive. When asked what they need to work on before the next game, sophomore Andrew Shaps (Paradise Valley, AZ) said “all around consistent, everybody needs to keep getting better. He then ended the comment with “I think overall we did great this weekend”.

The Devils host the Nevada Wolfpack on Tuesday, Feb 23 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Game time is 6:30 P.M and will be available on ASU Live Stream | Pac-12.com.