With career nearly done, Lingos delivers another effective start in ASU win

PHOENIX – On Sunday afternoon, Eli Lingos was camped helplessly in the dugout as ASU second straight losing season was confirmed. Not even he, the team’s most vocal dugout presence, could keep the Sun Devils from spiraling to an ugly 12-7 loss to the Pacific Tigers.

The senior pitcher took the bump himself on Monday and helped ASU deliver one of its best team performances of the year, going six innings and giving up just three runs in the Sun Devils 8-3 series-splitting win over the Tigers at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

It was, as coach Tracy Smith affectionately calls it, another typical Eli Lingos start. The slumping program is going to miss him next season.

“He is a great example for young guys in our program,” Smith said. “Both in the game and when he’s not in the game.”

Lingos has been everything the rest of ASU’s pitching staff hasn’t this campaign. He – as Smith likes to say – competes in the zone. Sometimes, the pitch-to-contact strategy gets him trouble. He usually gets out of it. Mental mistakes are few and far between.

“When things happen or don’t go his way behind him, it doesn’t affect his next pitch,” Smith said. “That’s what he does so well.”

On Monday, for example, Pacific loaded the bases against Lingos with one out in the fourth and ASU leading 4-0. A bloop single and base hit to right trimmed ASU’s lead to 4-2. Then Lingos got Pacific second baseman Kevin Sandri to ground into an inning-ending double-play at third. Disaster averted.

ASU third baseman Gage Workman, who turned the force-out throw-out play, called it a momentum-changing moment. In the next half inning, Workman (who collected three hits and three RBIs on Monday) lined a two-run double to right that reinstated ASU’s four-run lead and put the Sun Devils’ victory in cruise control.

Of the 79 pitches, he threw against Pacific, none were overpowering. He once again found other ways to be effective.

“Eli is sick of this, I’ve been saying it for four years: When I’m talking to the team, the staff, about him – and I say this in the most complimentary way possible – he doesn’t have the greatest stuff in the world,” Smith said. It’s good but, if you watch Eli … you learn something about being competitive in the zone with your pitches.”

Lingos walked zero batters and struck out four on Monday, improving his record to 7-5, a new career high for victories. His 3.61 ERA and 66 strikeouts this season are also personal bests.

He’s developed a reputation as a starting pitcher that always gives his team a chance to win. It’s a confidence boost for a lineup that has often had to overcome ineffective pitching from the rest of ASU’s staff.

“It’s very comforting when you roll out there and know Eli is on the mound,” sophomore Hunter Bishop said. “We were talking about it today: When Eli rolls out there, you know we are going to hit. Everybody is real excited when Eli is going on the mound.”

Smith thinks Lingos’ routine of throwing strikes and working quick helps keep the rest of ASU’s lineup engaged. It was no coincidence that the Sun Devils turned in one of their best defensive performances of the year behind him on Monday.

“He helps the defense because he is always in the zone, always making guys make contact,” Workman said. “The defense is always ready, on their toes.”

It’s a method some of ASU’s younger arms could benefit from.

Lingos will leave a mighty hole in the Sun Devils’ otherwise inexperienced rotation next spring. Freshman Boyd Vander Kooi has Friday night potential but has battled injuries in his first year in college. Alec Marsh, a sophomore, had been having a surprising season prior to a rough outing on Sunday but was already surpassing expectations as a No. 1 starter. JUCO transfer junior Sam Romero has been inconsistent all year as ASU’s usual Saturday guy.

Lingos had been a rock at the back-end of ASU’s rotation this year. There is no obvious candidate to replace his role as a “reverse ace” moving forward.

“[There’s] two [more games] he’s going to pitch in left in his career, where I’ll get to see him, have him on my team doing that,” Smith said. “I’m hoping he gets a shot beyond this (college baseball). It’s been fun to watch because he’s been competitive.”