Last year, everything was new. Whether Willie Bloomquist liked it or not. Now in the midst of preparation for his second season as head coach of his alma mater, there’s actually still a lot of new. The transfers have and will be well documented. The freshmen, however, haven’t received their shine, and there’s a lot of it to go around as fall ball begins to wrap up.
Based on what I’ve seen so far this fall, this Sun Devil staff should feel lucky that freshman outfielder Isaiah Jackson isn’t a member of the Houston Astros organization right now. He was selected by Houston in the 16th round as more of a gesture than anything else. Had Jackson indicated to scouts that his intention was to go pro out of high school, he would have been taken in the first five rounds. A big part of the reason he didn’t take that route is his belief in the program being built at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Watching Jackson play, even though it’s only been a few fall practices and scrimmages, it’s clear he is incredibly comfortable in himself as a ballplayer. There’s a certain intangible in baseball that he undeniably possesses. An “it” factor that can separate the good from the great. When he rattled consecutive home runs off the roof of the pitching facility beyond the home bullpen in right field during a practice in October, he turned to Bloomquist and shrugged. “Feels nice today,” he shouted towards his head coach.
“He’s got a chance to be really special,” Bloomquist said. “He’s a great kid and a hard worker. We’re really excited with the potential there.” ASU fans should be as well.
Jackson’s length and athleticism are immediately obvious to anyone who has seen him play. He’s a center fielder by trade but has said numerous times that he’s comfortable in the corner outfield positions and will play anywhere he’s asked to.
“I can play anywhere out there, really, I’d love to play center, but it’s wherever I’m told to play,” he said during the fall’s first media day in October.
At the risk of setting an unusually high bar for the young man, I must praise Jackson’s maturity. He’s precocious and articulate. Call it his sixth tool. He was recruited and committed to ASU under Tracy Smith. He stuck it out through the coaching change and decided to keep his pledge after getting an idea about what Bloomquist and his staff were all about.
“I was kind of uneasy at first, but when I heard Bloomy was coming in, an old pro guy, an alumni, I was like, ‘okay,” Jackson explained. “I just wanted to have a conversation with him. I loved everything he had to say and felt that I was still comfortable with my decision.”
He’s the headliner of this class for a reason. All the natural ability is there, a couple of years with the strength and conditioning staff supplementing his tireless work in the cage will make him a front line high end prospect. The ceiling for Jackson is remarkably high.
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Luke Hill had never spoken to Arizona State media before he waltzed into Phoenix Muni’s Omaha room on Thursday afternoon. “Wow!” he exclaimed when he saw the gaggle of reporters there for him and his teammates. He gathered himself. “Hi everybody. I’m Luke,” he said despite having been introduced by the SID already.
Hill is a shortstop by trade, hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He grew up in the shadow of LSU but has made his way west as part of Willie Bloomquist’s first full recruiting class. It’s easy to see why Hill was an attractive target for this staff. In his approximately three-minute sit down with the media, Hill echoed sentiments that have been uttered by Bloomquist countless times since he took the head job in June of 2021. Hill described the passion he’s developed for this school and program, as well as his relentless desire to be a part of a winner.
“I want to win,” he said in no uncertain terms. “We’re here to win a national championship.”
Hill’s outgoing personality has been infectious, according to teammates. He was described by junior reliever Blake Pivaroff as “a very energetic kid.” And by sophomore catcher Ryan Campos as “an absolute dude.” Hill has obviously endeared himself to everyone within the program by the way he holds himself, but he’s also impressed on the field.
“Nobody better stub their toe in this infield,” Bloomquist said with a grin. “Because he’ll be ready.”
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In one of the first fall scrimmages in early October, Nu’u Contrades took a low breaking ball and managed to get a barrel on it. He didn’t just get enough of it to muscle a base hit; he hit it out. To dead left center. Contrades rounded the bases for the first time at Muni like he’d done it 50 times before. When it’s all said and done, he just might take that trot 50 times during his time in maroon and gold.
“He’s got some serious raw power,” Campos said when asked what type of tools Contrades brings to the table. “I love how hard he works too. Glad he’s on our side for sure.”
Contrades wasn’t aware that Campos had shared such kind words about him but was quick to identify him as someone who has been a role model for not only Contrades but the entire freshman class. He explained how much the group is coming together and that players like Campos have made it easy for transfers and freshmen to feel right at home. Feeling at home is never easy as a freshman, but Contrades has found that repetition and routine have been his friend as he heads down the stretch toward his first college baseball season.
“The first couple of games, everything was kind of fast, but I’ve taken a step back and kind of slowed the game down,” Contrades said. “The coaches have really helped with that. Just taking things slowly and remembering fundamentals.”
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To the mound, which has so often been an ugly footnote when assessing this program over the last ten or so years. Things are definitely looking up on the bump, especially with the robust class of transfer arms Bloomquist and recruiting coordinator Sam Peraza were able to bring in this offseason. But the freshman pitchers are no joke, either. Literally speaking, there’s nowhere to go but up in that category. Last year’s squad didn’t have a single true freshman pitcher on the roster.
Ryan Hanks has earned praise for the way he’s thrown the ball this fall. He’s listed at 6’1,” but he seems taller. The same list has him at 205, but he seems bigger. Hanks can bring it. Peraza described him as “a big Texan who likes to get up there and let it go.” Hanks doesn’t overthink things.
Logan Saloman was the most highly touted arm in this recruiting class. His fall hasn’t necessarily reflected it, but Peraza (pitching coach on top of his recruiting coordinator duties) still sees the local right-hander fitting into the staff in a key role come spring. Like many freshman pitchers, Saloman has been dealing with some dead arm that has kept him from showcasing his best stuff.
When operating at full throttle, the freshman arms will be the best of any recent ASU recruiting class.
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