PHOENIX - After a dominant weekend sweep against Stanford last weekend, the Sun Devils came back home to face Texas Tech and UNLV. In the final series at Phoenix Municipal Stadium that ASU would play as a member of the Pac-12, a weekend sweep can only aid the Devils’ NCAA Tournament resume.
They continued their rampage in Thursday night’s game, beating Texas Tech 21-5 in just seven innings. Every single starter for ASU got a hit tonight, tying their season high in runs and hits with 21 runs and 23 hits. Head Coach Willie Bloomquist has no intention of changing the lineup anytime soon.
“I’m letting those boys swing the bat,” Bloomquist said. “The only hard part is getting guys in the lineup and keeping them sharp, but I’m not changing the lineup anytime soon. They’re a different breed than pitchers. Position players are used to playing every day, so as long as they continue to swing the bats the way they are, I’ll continue trying to keep everyone as sharp as I can.”
Texas Tech held an early lead after scoring a quick three runs in the first, but the Devils came right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. The second inning they exploded with a six-run second inning, and never looked back.
Sophomore lefty Ben Jacobs started for the Devils and after giving up three early runs, came right back and only allowed one more run in the next three innings. He struck out seven batters in those four innings and gave the Devils plenty of time to build their lead.
“All of our starters are going to be crucial for the Pac-12 tournament,” Bloomquist said. “Just the amount of growth and work our pitching staff have put in with him to continue to pour confidence into him is amazing. I think what you saw tonight is a perfect example of how much he’s grown. He was a bit erratic in the first and it cost him, but the way he was able to turn the page on it and settle in was tremendous.”
Junior first baseman Jacob Tobias picked up exactly where he left off Sunday against Stanford but added just a little more tonight. He went five-for-five at the plate with two homers and eight RBIs, the fourth most for a Devil in a single game.
“He’s been consistent in putting an end to any rough patch he’s had recently,” Bloomquist said. “Shortening the negative times and extending the positive times is what he’s done. In the past, there might have been a rough stretch for three or four weeks compared to now, where it may take just a game or two for him to get back to where he was at.”
By the fourth inning, it was 16-4 in favor of the Devils. A game like this can be huge towards ASU’s final resume for the postseason, and for the team itself against a team they’ll be seeing plenty of next year in the Big 12.
“It’s tough to gauge them after just one game, but after watching film on them, it’s a very capable team,” Bloomquist said. “They can swing the bats very well, they have some good starting pitching, and some bullpen talent as well. Don’t let tonight’s score fool you because they’re a very good team.”
Texas Tech was able to get one more run in the sixth, but then the Devils put the icing on the cake in the eighth with five more runs to make it 21-5. With ASU scoring nine or more runs in 11 of its last 13 games, Sun Devil fans have become accustomed to high scoring affairs.
“For us to score runs and remain consistent is something we knew would be our strength coming into this year,” Bloomquist said. “The fact that they’re coming into their own and doing what they’re doing as of late is nice. While it would have been nice to have this all year, it’s great to have it now where every win matters in such a crucial time.”
Bloomquist showed up to the press conference in an Isaiah Jackson shirt that highlighted Jackson’s home run robbery against UCLA that topped ESPN’s SportsCenter top plays that week.
“We are all about NIL and helping out our players,” Bloomquist said. “ASU is on board with it, and I thought it was pretty cool, so I got my shirt on to support him … these creative ways to help these players in the landscape we’re in is going to be what it’s all about.”
Now winners of their last four games after losing to Arizona, the Devils seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time. Every win matters throughout the season, but these seem to be just a bit sweeter with what’s at stake.
“This is a big win for us,” Bloomquist said. “Hopefully, we can come back tomorrow and get another one against them because all these wins right now are good resume builders for us. Texas Tech is a 30-win team for a reason. They’re very capable, and we just need to keep doing what we’re doing.”
