SCOTTSDALE - After Tuesday’s loss vs. Stanford, ASU headed into Thursday needing a win to keep its season alive. They would face Oregon State, who lost Wednesday against Stanford, as the eighth-seeded Cardinal punched their ticket to the next round. Oregon State swept the Devils earlier in the season, but this time around, ASU’s season was on the line.
In heartbreaking fashion, the Beavers (42-14, 19-10 Pac-12) outlasted the Devils (32-26, 17-13 Pac-12) in a close 3-2 game. With that loss, ASU’s season is over, as its resume for the postseason isn’t very strong.
“It’s never easy when your season comes to an end,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “We put a lot of effort and energy into this season, been phenomenal teammates to each other, and to see that come to an end is never easy.”
Both pitching staffs were on the money today, with sophomore lefty Ben Jacobs going five and two-thirds of an inning for ASU and allowing three runs in the fourth. Jacobs also struck out ten batters, much better than his last performance against the Beavers last time around, where he pitched just two innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits.
Junior righty Aiden May started the game for the Beavers and allowed the two runs from the Devils in the third. Sophomore lefty Nelson Keljo came in for the Beavers in the fifth and was lights out. In three innings, he no-hit the Devils and struck out four batters.
“We ran into some good pitching,” Bloomquist said. “You can’t expect to put up 12 runs every game. I don’t fault anybody for anything as we hit a lot of balls hard but just didn’t find holes.”
The ASU football team was in attendance for today’s game alongside head coach Kenny Dillingham. The Sun Devils also announced today that Graham Rossini is officially the new athletic director for ASU, and he was in attendance for the must-win game. He and Dillingham met alongside the first base dugout and shared a moment that could signify a fresh start for ASU athletics.
“It’s what ASU does,” Bloomquist said. “We support each other through thick and thin, and I was pumped to see Kenny and his boys out here supporting us today. That matters to us. We’re behind each other and support all sports here, and as for Rossini, I couldn’t be happier for him. There’s not anyone that cares as much as he does about ASU.”
The Devils broke the scoreless tie in the third with two runs. The Devils first three batters of the inning reached base safely, and junior third baseman Jacob Tobias grounded a ball to shortstop and reached safely on a fielder’s choice to score a run. Freshman designated hitter Brandon Compton then singled to right field for the second run of the game.
The lead wasn’t safe for long, though. The Beaver went scoreless again in the third but erased the goose egg on the scoreboard in the fourth with an RBI sac fly. The next batter was junior infielder Mason Guerra, and he destroyed a ball over the left field wall for the go-ahead two-run shot.
Neither team scored after that, and ASU struggled to get any base runners on. In four separate innings, they failed to even reach first safely.
Today was ASU’s last Pac-12 game, and Bloomquist has been involved for nearly 30 years after playing for the Devils from 1996 to 1999. Named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1999, he left his mark on the Conference of Champions.
“This conference has been a staple for a lot of years,” Bloomquist said. “It’s brought in a lot of national championships and an ungodly amount of major league players and draft picks. To see that dissolve is saddening in a lot of ways. It’s been a fun and rival-filled conference, and to see that part of it come to an end is disappointing. But for us, we need to turn the page, and we’re being welcomed into the Big 12 with open arms.”
“We want to be at the point where we’re continuing to play at this time of the year,” Bloomquist said. “I’ll self reflect on everyone’s position moving forward, and we’ll see where that takes us. I like the direction we’re going, but we’re just not quite there fast enough. I still think we’re a regional team whether or not we make it, but that’s not up to us at this point; it’s up to the committee.”
The Devils’ pitching staff was very hit-and-miss this year. More often than not, they had to rely on the offense to put up video game numbers, which they were able to. The staff had notable seniors, Connor Markl, Matt Tieding, and Hunter Omlid, who likely pitched their last games for ASU.
They did however have a lot of pitchers come into their own this year. Bloomquist had talked all year long about the growth of sophomore Ben Jacobs. On top of that, freshmen Wyatt Halvorson, Thomas Burns, and Cole Carlon all played a considerable amount of innings.
“We’re going to have to get some help on the mound and be active in the transfer portal,” Bloomquist said. “Hopefully, there are some good arms that see the opportunity to come to ASU and see everything we have to offer here. We’ll be aggressive in that market and try to continue to get better. We can’t be satisfied with this, so we gotta keep getting better.”
The Devils also didn’t make it easier on themselves at all with their nonconference schedule. They faced three ranked teams in nonconference play and went 1-3, and they faced a respectable Ohio State team they beat in two of three games.
“We challenged ourselves across the board,” Bloomquist said. “We put together a very tough schedule, we had a young staff, and I think the improvement from the early parts of the year to now doesn’t go unnoticed. These guys really improved and got to the point where we have the possibility of being a regional team.”
The batting lineup will look very different next year. Left fielder Harris Williams, third baseman Kevin Karstetter, and shortstop Steven Ondina are all seniors, as is Eamonn Lance, who pinch-hit and came up big multiple times late in the season.
They also have catcher Ryan Campos and first baseman Jacob Tobias who both have decisions to make surrounding the MLB draft. Campos was already a highly-ranked prospect heading into the season, and Tobias made his case later in the season.
“These last three years were the best years of my life,” junior catcher Ryan Campos said. “Willie is a great guy and a great coach. He gets a bad rep sometimes, but he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. I grew up an ASU fan, and it’s been my dream to play here.”
Campos was very emotional after the loss in what could be his last game, putting on the maroon and gold. The Arizona native grew up an ASU fan and has a big decision ahead of him.
The Devils’ future is also bright, as they have a duo of sophomores in the outfield who have their fingerprints all over this season. Kien Vu shined in left and center field and earned an all-conference team nod, and Isaiah Jackson made play after play in center while making the all-conference defensive team.
The Devils also have the Pac-12 freshman of the year, Brandon Compton. He was a key piece in the dangerous top half of the lineup this year, helping the Devils reach 100 home runs as a team for the first time since 1991.
While it is a sad time for the team, there are still a lot of silver linings to take away from this season. The Devils will be welcomed into the Big 12 conference with open arms, a conference they went 3-1 against this year.
With Kenny Dillingham just finishing his first year as head coach for the football team, Graham Rossini entering his first year as athletic director, and the Devils heading into the Big 12 conference, it will be a year of new beginnings. Bloomquist made it clear he liked the direction the Devils were heading, and a new conference could be the fresh start they needed.
“The baseball program is trending in the right direction,” Blommquist remarked, “although we’re not where we want to be, but I’m confident that we’ll get the support we need to get this program going in the right direction.”
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