Passing with flying colors: ASU aces first road test with a dominant win
It was fair not to know exactly what to expect from Arizona State on Friday night. Despite a disappointing 2022 campaign, Mississippi State’s program is still basking in the glow of its 2021 national championship. ASU is still unproven, but it took a big step in proving itself on the national scale with this performance. At 4-0, spirits were high, but no one could have predicted the severity of the beating ASU put on Mississippi State in Starkville in the series opener. It was all Sun Devils from the jump as they slugged, pitched, and defended their way to a dominant 13-4 win on Friday night in the south.
Luke Keaschall ensured the late arriving crowd at Dudy Noble field knew they were dealing with a formidable foe early in the afternoon. He laced a lead off homer down the left field line on the game's third pitch, foreshadowing the dominance that would come from the rest of the lineup all evening long.
MSU starter Cade Smith struggled from the jump; he walked the following two batters after Keaschall’s lead off bomb. ASU scored three in the opening frame, and it felt like Smith got off easy.
In the second, Wyatt Crenshaw added to his growing legend with a two-run bomb down the right field line. The importance of what Crenshaw has done in his first five games as a Sun Devil can’t be overstated. He collected three more hits on Friday, raising his batting average to .583. Two singles, one of which drove in the 10th Sun Devil run, supplemented his second inning display of power.
ASU drew 12, yes 12, walks. Ryan Campos and Ethan Long both were walked three times, while Jacob Tobias took the free jog twice. The lone blemish this evening was Isaiah Jackson, who went 0-6 with five strikeouts. The Sun Devils did plenty to pick up their star freshman, racking up 12 total hits to match the 12 walks. ASU batters reached base 26 times.
Heavily favored heading into the ballgame and the weekend series as a whole, Mississippi State was embarrassed on its home field by an ASU team that looked better in every facet. The dominance started at the plate but was cemented on the mound.
In last week’s season opener, Ross Dunn was on a strict pitch count and only tossed 2.2 innings in his Sun Devil debut. He was on a similar pitch count on Friday night but was efficient enough to complete 3.2 innings. The one similarity? Both outings were scoreless. Dunn was nearly perfect for his first three innings, striking out four and allowing just two baserunners. While his velocity hasn’t been as high as it’s been in the past, his command of a devastating three-pitch mix has allowed him to make easy work of both San Diego State and Mississippi State.
After dealing with some arm issues in the fall, he couldn’t ramp up properly. When he’s truly bringing it with no reservations, you’ll see a dominant 97 from the left three-quarter arm slot.
Given the score, there was obviously very little drama for ASU. The only heart-pumping moment came in the home half of the fourth, with ASU already clutching a 7-0 lead. Bloomquist pulled Dunn after he allowed a two-out double that put runners on second and third with two down. He called on Brock peery, who is usually in a back end role for ASU but has been tabbed as a potential bail out type, which is exactly what he was tasked to do in this situation. Peery issued a five-pitch walk to load the bases on the first batter he faced. He gained his composure, bearing down and getting an inning-ending strikeout on one of his signature frisbee sliders. It felt like the nail in the coffin of a Mississippi State team that never got up off the mat.
Otherwise on the mound, Bloomquist and Peraza stuck to the script despite the lopsided score. Owen Stevenson took over after Peery’s escape act; he went three innings, striking out three while surrendering as many runs. Stevenson was lauded for his improved velocity and overall stuff for much of the fall and early spring practices. His stuff has been there, sitting around 93-94 with the fastball and mixing in an effective breaking ball combination. He has been hit harder than ASU’s starting pitchers, allowing five runs in his first six innings as a Sun Devil. His experience as a Friday starter at San Francisco carries weight, and his improved velocity will play come conference games. Whether he’s used as a long reliever or as a starter, Stevenson figures to be one of the most impactful arms on the team.
He was followed by Jonah Giblin, who pitched the eighth and ninth innings. Giblin was perfect in the eighth but flirted with trouble in the ninth before putting the game away without allowing a Bulldog run.
Two things can be true after a win like this, and both likely apply in this case. Arizona State is a formidable team, better than it was given credit for in many preseason polls.
Mississippi State has some major issues on the mound, ones that will continue to get exposed, especially when SEC play starts next month.
If ASU’s arms bring it like they did last weekend and like Dunn did tonight, they won’t just be satisfied with a series win; they’ll be eyeing a Starkville sweep.
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!
