Workman to return in 2019; Sun Devils excited for Arizona road trip

Gage Workman really should be a senior in high school right now. Instead, the Arizona State freshman third baseman – who reclassified from the 2018 to 2017 recruiting class – has turned in a promising first collegiate season, batting over .300 while locking down the third base spot in the Sun Devils’ lineup.

On Monday, he confirmed he’ll be returning next season to build off it.

Workman, a member of the LDS church, said he has decided to not do a traditional church mission and instead will come back to ASU in 2019. Originally, Workman had been planning to hit pause on his collegiate career to embark upon his church mission. In July 2016, when Workman decided to reclassify, his father, Widd, told azcentral: “The idea is to graduate a year early, get a year [of college baseball] under his belt, before going on the mission when he is 18."

Those plans have changed though. Workman made his announcement following a three-hit, three-RBI performance in ASU’s 8-3 win over Pacific, adding that he will play summer baseball in the Cape Cod League with the Brewster Whitecaps, where he said he will room with teammate Hunter Bishop.

ASU coach Tracy Smith said he would’ve been supportive of whatever decision Workman made regarding his mission. But having the All-State Gilbert Basha High product back next season will be a big boost to the Sun Devils lineup. Workman projects to fill a key role in the offense.

“Sometimes it gets lost in the negativity of this season but there are some pretty good performances going on with some tremendously young players,” Smith said when asked about Workman. “He’s supposed to be finishing up his high school season right now but here he is, hitting .301 in the Pac-12. That’s pretty darn good.”

In addition to his batting average, Workman, a 14th round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in last summer’s MLB Draft, has a .357 on-base percentage and is slugging .490. His 23 RBIs are fourth-most on the team.

“He’s going to be a good one,” Smith added. “Not that he isn’t already but he is going to be a monster.”

BISHOP REFLECTS ON HOME RUN-ROBBING CATCH

A night after one of ASU’s worst defensive games of the season, the Sun Devils responded with a clean game in the field on Monday. Hunter Bishop’s run-saving, eighth-inning catch was the highlight.

With the Sun Devils up 7-3, Bishop robbed Pacific third baseman, Carter Hayes of a two-run jack, leaping at the left field wall to bring back the home run.

Bishop said he had never robbed someone of a homer like that before, though he quipped he’s seen his brother Braiden, a minor league prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization, do it before.

“The hardest part is putting your head down and feeling out where the wall is and taking your eye off the ball,” Bishop said. “I had to work on that a lot over the summer and then with our (assistant) coach Mike Earley a lot [this season]. It’s just kind of trusting yourself and knowing that once you see the ball off the bat, you can trust where it is.”

As a team, ASU didn’t make an error on Monday, just the 16th time in 49 games this season they’ve done so.

“If we don’t play the way we do defensively tonight, we probably lose the baseball game,” Smith said.

SUN DEVILS EXCITED FOR TERRITORIAL CUP TRIP

Though the Sun Devils can’t finish the season with a winning record overall, they still have a chance to go .500 or better in conference play this year. On Thursday, they head to Tucson to open a three-game series with Arizona, insisting there is still plenty left to play for.

“The fact that it is your in-state rival and we are ahead of them in the conference [standings] right now, we are playing for something,” Smith said. “It’s important. You want to beat Arizona.”

Back in March, the Wildcats came to Phoenix Municipal Stadium for a one-game trip and picked up a 6-2 win. Asked on Monday night if ASU has improved since then, both Bishop and Workman turned to each other and nodded their heads.

“We are going to be real serious about it,” Bishop added. “We don’t like them. Obviously, the rivalry will amp it up a little bit but we are going to go take care of business. We know we can beat them.”

ASU is expected to use the same weekend rotation of Alec Marsh (3-3, 3.63 ERA), Sam Romero (2-1, 6.12 ERA) and Eli Lingos (7-5, 3.61 ERA) in Tucson.