Our good friend Mark Rafferty of PitchFork Nation which is the top Arizona State sports blog on the Internet checked out the weekend series between Arizona State and Loyola Marymount. He has some interesting views on the ASU squad including Mike Leake. The full article is available by clicking here.

Tags: Arizona State, Big West, Loyola-Marymount, Pac 10

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
(DURHAM, N.C.) – USA Baseball announced today its initial list of 12 collegiate players who have accepted invitations for the 2008 National Team Trials held June 11-23 throughout the northeast and southeast United States. The list is comprised of eight sophomores and four freshmen. In all, 32 players will be invited to the National Team Trials with 22 of those players being selected for the National Team roster. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2009 Top Players, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Big 12, Big West, Cal State Fullerton, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Pac 10, SEC, Tennessee, University of San Diego, USA National Team, Vanderbilt, West Coast Conference

ASU 10 – @ UCLA 5

@ Cal 11 - Arizona 5

Washington 5 – @ USC 4

ASU moves a half game in front of Stanford for first place in the Pac-10. The starting pitching for both teams ended up with nearly identical box scores, but neither figured in the decision. Mike Leake for ASU and Tim Murphy for UCLA both struck out 10, walked zero and gave up 8 hits. Tommy Rafferty picked up his 9^th win (tied for most in the nation) after pitching the final 2 innings and gave up zero runs, 1 hit, 1 walk and struck out 2. Offensively Jermaine Curtis for UCLA had the most hits going 4 for 5 with a double. For ASU Jason Kipnis went 3 for 5 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI’s while Marcel Champagnie also had 3 hits, 2 RBI’s and stole 2 bases.

Cal snaps a four game loosing streak with the win. Tyson Ross of Cal picked up the win allowing 11 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks and 5 strike outs in 8 innings. Cal also got home runs from Charlie Cutler, Josh Satin, Brett Jackson and Blake Smith. Defending Pac-10 pitcher of the week Preston Guilmet takes the loss for Arizona as he gave up only 7 hits but 7 earned runs along with 1 walk and 8 strike outs in 6.1 innings.

Washington’s Jorden Merry picked up his 7th win after going 7.2 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 4 walks and 3 strike outs. Tommy Milone takes the loss for USC after he went 8 innings, giving up 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 walks and 7 strike outs. Kyle Conley was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate for Washington with 2 RBI’s.

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Tags: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Pac 10, Pac 10 Recap, USC, Washington

Junior/3B/1B/Arizona State

Brett Wallace can hit - fastballs, curveballs, changeups, oranges, grapefruit, pinatas…you get the idea.
So, the obvious question is: why don’t most of the projection lists have him as a top 10 talent? I wondered the same thing - more specifically, why is there a feeling that Smoak, Hosmer, and Alonso are better 1B prospects? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2008 Top Players, Arizona State, CBB Column, Pac 10

USC 10 - @ Stanford 9

@ ASU 18 – Cal 2 (7 innings)

@ OSU 3 - Arizona 2

UCLA 4 - @ Washington 3

San Jose State 6 - @ WSU 2

USC snaps a six game loosing streak. Stanford’s loss drops them into a tie with ASU for first place in the Pac-10. Derek Perren went 2 for 3 for USC with a double, a home runs and 5 RBI’s. Jason Castro had another good day for Stanford, going 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI’s.

ASU scored 10 runs in the second inning on only 3 hits. ASU’s win and Stanford’s loss puts both teams in a tie for first pace in the Pac-10 standings. The game was concluded after seven innings due to a combination of the 10 run mercy rule and Sunday travel requirements. Ryan Sontag was perfect at the plate for ASU going 3 for 3 including a triple. Petey Paramore’s only hit for ASU was a two run home run into a very strong wind blowing in. Cal starter Daniel Wolford only faced two batters and left the game after developing blisters. Dwight Tanaka of Cal was hit in the batting helmet by a pitch and left the game. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, Pac 10, Pac 10 Recap, San Jose St., Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

@ ASU 11 – Cal 7

@ Stanford 26 – USC 5

@ OSU 4 - Arizona 3

UCLA 8 - @ Washington 1

@ WSU 8 – San Jose State 3

After pitching a complete game on Friday, Mike Leake started at 1B in place of an injured Ike Davis on Saturday for ASU. He was fantastic defensively and even better offensively, driving in the winning run with a 3 RBI triple in the 7^th. David Cooper had 3 singles for Cal, but no RBI’s. while Dylan Tonneson hit a 3 run home run to tie the game up in the 6^th, but had trouble behind the plate as the catcher.

Stanford didn’t need Erik Davis to pitch a complete game as the offense exploded for 24 hits. Toby Gerhart came on as a pinch hitter and went 2 for 2 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI’s, while Jason Castro went 4 for 6 with a triple and 4 RBI’s.

OSU snapped Arizona’s 13 game winning streak. Lonnie Lechelt goes 3 for 4 with a double and a run for OSU, while Tanner Robles picks up the win throwing 7.2 innings, walking 0, striking out 7, while giving up only 2 hits and 2 earned runs. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, Pac 10, Pac 10 Recap, San Jose St., Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

@ ASU 11 – Cal 7

Arizona 7 - @ OSU 0

@ Stanford 4 – USC 0

@ Washington 5 – UCLA 2

@ WSU 8 – San Jose State 3

ASU takes over sole possession of second place in the Pac-10.  Mike Leake throws a complete game and picks up the win, walks 4, strikes out 6 and allows 11 hits.  Tyson Ross takes the loss allowing 9 runs, 8 earned, walks 5, strikes out 5 in 5.1 innings.

Arizona wins its’ 13 straight game.  Preston Guilmet goes the distance in blanking OSU, walks 1, strikes out 10 and allows only 5 hits.  C.J. Ziegler, Brad Glenn and Jon Gaston homer.  Mike Stutes takes the loss while going the distance, walking 8, striking out 10, giving up 6 hits and 6 earned runs.

Stanford remains in first place in the Pac-10 with the win.  Austin Young goes 7.1 innings for the win, walks 2, strikes out 1 and allows just 3 hits.  Brent Milleville had 3 hits including 2 doubles.  Tommy Milone takes the loss while going the distance, walking 2, striking out 7, giving up 9 hits and 4 earned runs.

Matt Way throws a complete game and picks up the win for WSU, walks 1, strikes out 8, allows 6 hits and 3 earned runs.

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Tags: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, Pac 10, Pac 10 Recap, San Jose St., Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

During the season, I will be providing random thoughts from around the nation. On Saturday night, We had Pat Murphy of Arizona State get ejected in the fifth inning as his Sun Devils went on to lose to the Oregon State Beavers. He tried to spark his team which ended up losing the game but picked up a victory on Sunday to salvage a game from the Beavers. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ACC, Arizona State, Clemson, Duke, Pac 10

@ Cal 5 - Washington 4

@ UCLA 8 - Stanford 2

@ ASU 15 – OSU 12

@ Arizona 4 – WSU 2

@ UCSB 6 – USC 0

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Tags: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, Pac 10, Stanford, UC-Santa Barbara, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

(Tempe, AZ) – Statistically Oregon State had the fewest runs, hits, runs batted in, home runs and total bases in the entire Pac-10, however on Saturday evening at Winkles Field - Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark the Beavers padded their numbers as they defeated Arizona State 12 to 3. Joey Wong, Lonnie Lechelt and Jordan Lennerton all left the ballpark with men on base in front of them. While on the mound Tanner Robles was effective and the OSU defense turned three double plays to keep ASU humble.

Sophomore Ryan Ortiz paced the Beavers from the fifth spot in the lineup. He went 3 for 5 on the evening and scored twice.

The victory by OSU provides their first ever series win in Tempe, and is the Sun Devils first series loss at home since 2005.

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Tags: Arizona State, Oregon State, Pac 10

(Tempe, AZ) – National Player of the Year candidate Ike Davis was really slow trying to get to first base after grounding out to the shortstop in the bottom of the sixth inning on Friday night. Davis had barely gotten half way to first base by the time Oregon State had gone short to first to record the out.

Earlier in the game the entire Sun Devil team had gone out to warm up and ASU starter Mike Leake had already thrown all his warm up pitches by the time Davis made his way to first base. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2008 Top Players, Arizona State, Injury, Pac 10

(Pullman, WA) – Down by five runs with one out in the top of the ninth inning, Marcel Champagnie hits a three run home run. With an 0-2 count and two outs, Ryan Sontag hits a two run home run to tie the ballgame. And after all the previous excitement, Ike Davis sends the first pitch he sees over the right field fence for a three run home run, resurrecting the Arizona State Sun Devils.

On Sunday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field, Washington State and Arizona State competed in the rubber game of their three game Pac-10 series. Trading the lead back and forth all afternoon, ASU’s improbable eight run ninth proved too much to overcome, giving the Sun Devils the series with the 16 to 13 win.

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Tags: Arizona State, Pac 10, Washington State

(Pullman, WA) – Washington State had a tough time playing defense on their own FieldTurf at Bailey-Brayton Field on a clear but cool Friday night, committing four errors on the evening. Arizona State on the other hand was flawless on the unfamiliar field, while taking advantage of the Cougar miscues to take game one of this three game Pac-10 conference series, 15 to 3.

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Tags: 2008 Top Players, Arizona State, Pac 10, Washington State

(Stanford, CA) – The Cardinal hit the ball all around Sunken Diamond on Saturday afternoon, and on three occasions out of the park as well.  Stanford scored early and then often, while Senior Erik Davis went the distance and gained the win, humbling the high powered Arizona State offense. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Arizona State, Pac 10, Stanford

(Stanford, CA) – On a chilly Friday night at Sunken Diamond, Arizona State head coach Pat Murphy worked the Abbot and Costello “Who’s on First” routine for a 6 to 4 victory.  After ten innings of play, the only Sun Devil’s who finished the game in the same spot that they started were middle infielders Raoul Torrez at second base and Marcel Champagnie at short.  Junior Ike Davis was the star of the show, hitting an early home run and picking up the win for ASU at the end.  Davis started the game at first base, climbed the hill and got the final out of the seventh, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, went back to first base for the first two outs of the ninth, climbed back up the hill and retired the final batter of the ninth, and pitched another 1-2-3 tenth as well.  At the end of the night Ike had gone 2 for 3 at plate with the home run, scored three times and walked three times while from the mound he pitched 2.2 innings, struck out four and did not allow a batter to reach base. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Arizona State, Pac 10, Stanford