CAPE COD, Mass. - Arizona State made its biggest offseason splash so far on Thursday, earning the commitment of former San Francisco infielder Luke Keaschall through the transfer portal. Keaschall was the Dons' best all-around player in 2022 and is held in high regard by professional scouts. According to D1baseball.com, he's the No. 31 2023 MLB draft prospect. A true five-tool talent, Keaschall is poised to immediately assume a starting role for Willie Bloomquist's Sun Devils this next spring.
ASU beat out other suitors for many reasons, but the relationship cultivated by Willie Bloomquist during Keaschall's time in the portal ended up making a difference.
"Once I hit the portal, I already had a connection with Coach Bloomquist because he was a player for my former coach," Keaschall said to Devil's Digest. "I had heard really good things about him, and when I got on campus, we just meshed really well."
As an infielder, Keaschall speaks the same player's language as his new head coach. He raved about Bloomquist, speaking highly of his leadership and ability to be a "player's coach."
In his freshman and sophomore seasons at San Francisco, Keaschall batted .312 with 64 RBIs. He blasted 12 home runs, a number I expect to see increase in Tempe in 2023. He ranked first in the West Coast Conference in the following categories. Runs, doubles, stolen bases, and HBP. He was second in on-base and third in hits and walks. This kind of impact bat not only replaces the absence of Hunter Haas, but it’s also an offensive upgrade. If Sean McLain and Ethan Long decide to return to the team in 2023, the Sun Devils would have one of the most formidable infields in the conference, with Jacob Tobias taking over first base duties.
Keaschall is currently playing for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The league typically showcases premiere Division I talent, and Keaschall fits the bill. In three games so far this summer, he’s already belted a home run and has driven in three runs in just two starts. He entered the portal soon after the conclusion of the 2022 season, which was a tumultuous one for San Francisco. With a head coach fired mid-season, the continuity at the top within ASU baseball was likely attractive to the Watsonville, CA product.
Following the departure of Hunter Haas and Cam Magee vía the transfer portal, some question marks were appropriately raised regarding the state of the ASU infield. Keaschall is a big solution there as he is the epitome of versatility. He’ll play all over the infield for the Maroon and Gold but can also hold his own in the outfield. He played every position outside of pitcher and catcher at USF. The accolades are plenty for Keaschall. Most notably, he was named the WCC freshman of the year in 2021 after arriving in San Francisco as the program’s highest-ranked recruit in the 2020 class. This pedigree fits right in with that of his future contemporaries.
What else attracted Keaschall to Arizona State? The decorated history of the program speaks for itself.
“The program is awesome, a lot of accomplishments for them,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the first year with his new recruits and do something special.”
There has been a lot made of the recent departures from Arizona State via the transfer portal, and rightfully so. It’s important to note that ASU sports can benefit from the fluidity provided by the portal as well. Willie Bloomquist and Sam Peraza are trying to do their part at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
