Arizona State Sun Devils
Overall Rank: #32
Conference Rank: #5 Pac-12
Arizona State Team Page
Arizona State is coming off a successful 2013 season where they went 37-22-1 and 16-14 in Pac-12 play. The Sun Devils were the number two seed in the Cal State Fullerton Regional and opened with a win over New Mexico, but were eliminated as they lost twice to the hosting Titans. Arizona State will return a number of key players from last year, led by a group of sophomores, who will look to get the Sun Devils back this season.
2013: 37-22-1, 16-14
2013 Postseason: NCAA Tournament
Coach: Tim Esmay
Field Players:
The Sun Devils return three full-time starters off last year’s team in shortstop Drew Stankiewicz and outfielders Trevor Allen and Jake Peevyhouse. Allen had the best offensive output of the bunch, hitting .297 and led the team in home runs with nine and RBI’s with 49. He also was a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen bases. Stankiewicz hit .295 with two home runs and 25 RBI’s, and also stole seven bases. Peevyhouse rounds out the group and hit .255 with two home runs and 26 RBI’s. He did have a .358 on base percentage after drawing 23 walks. A pair of sophomores, RJ Ybarra and Dalton DiNatale, also return after each hit over .300 in extended action. Ybarra hit .313 in 112 at bats with five home runs and 22 RBI’s. He saw the majority of his playing time at DH. DiNatale hit .302 with two home runs and 25 RBI’s while starting 31 games at first base. Nate Causey is also back after seeing time at catcher and DH. Causey hit .274 with five homers and 26 RBI’s. And he had a .407 on base percentage. David Graybill also figures to see playing time after starting 17 games last year. He hit .268 in 56 at bats last year. Johnny Sewald could also see time after being used primarily off the bench last year. Sewald played in 27 games and hit .238. Providing depth will be Jordan Abolites, Cullen O’Dwyer, Tucker Esmay and Tony DiMartino. Freshman infielder Colby Woodmansee should see some time in 2013 after a solid prep career.
Pitchers:
On the mound, Ryan Kellogg is the Sun Devils go-to guy. Kellog went 11-1 with a 3.15 ERA as a freshman last year. He will be the Friday night starter this season. The Sun Devils also have a dominant closer in Ryan Burr. The sophomore had 12 saves and appeared in 31 games as a freshman. He finished with a 4-2 record and a 2.20 ERA. Hitters only hit .141 off Burr. Zak Miller will be back in the starting rotation after going 4-0 with a 4.85 ERA in 11 starts last year. The Sun Devils will look to find a pitcher to complete the rotation. In the bullpen, Darin Gillies returns after pitching in 28 games last year. He was 2-2 with a 4.67 ERA. Josh McAlister and Brett Lilek also are back. McAlister had a 0.89 ERA in just over 20 innings, while Lilek had a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings. Freshmen Seth Martinez and Eder Erives could see playing time in key roles early on.
Who to Watch:
Josh McAlister could be key for the Sun Devils out of the bullpen. He had a 0.89 ERA last season while pitching in 13 games. Batters also only hit .211 off of him. With some significant losses in the pitching staff, the senior should see a lot of time this year. With three years of experience under his belt and a track record of pitching well, McAlister should play a prominent role for the Sun Devils and replace some of the lost production.
Final Projection:
Arizona State will look to build on last season’s success. It won’t be easy for the Sun Devils though. They face a brutal early season schedule. They open with a series against Baylor and have a game against New Mexico before playing in a pair of tournaments in back to back weeks. In those tournaments, the Sun Devils will play Big West powers Long Beach State and UC Irvine, Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and 2013 WCC champ Gonzaga. If the Sun Devils can win a good portion of those games, they should find themselves back in an NCAA Regional again this year.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Trevor Allen, OF, 219
Hits: Trevor Allen, OF, 65
Home Runs: Trevor Allen, OF, 9
RBIs: Trevor Allen, OF, 49
Runs: Trevor Allen, OF, 41
Stolen Bases: Trevor Allen, OF, 7; Drew Stankiewicz, IF, 7
Wins: Ryan Kellogg, P, 11
Innings Pitched: Ryan Kellogg, P, 103
Strikeouts: Ryan Kellogg, P, 54
Saves: Ryan Burr, P, 12
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