ASU Sweeps UW...Nearing Season Finish

Sweet Spot News Sources
Arizona State won its seventh straight game and completed a three-game sweep of Washington with a 13-7 victory Sunday in front of a crowd of 2,215 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. The Sun Devils improve to 44-9, 15-6 in the Pac-10, with the win.

Freshman Seth Blair earned the win and moved to 4-1 on the season, going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs and six hits.

Ryan Sontag and Ike Davis had three hits each while Brett Wallace hit his team-leading 19th home run, a grand slam in the eighth inning, to lead the Sun Devil offense to their fifth straight game scoring 11 or more runs. It was the second grand slam of the season for Wallace and the second of his carrer.

Washington took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the second, but the ASU offense got to Huskies starter Nick Haughian in the fourth, scoring five runs off the left-hander. Kiel Roling had an RBI double, Raoul Torrez drove in a run with a bunt single, Greg Bordes brought in another on a sacrifice bunt with the bases loaded and Sontag then capped off the inning with a two-run single to right center.

The Huskies cut into the lead with two runs in the fifth, but the Sun Devils scored three more in the sixth when Torrez drove in two with a triple down the right field line and then scored on a wild pitch.

The two teams traded runs in the seventh, with ASU scoring on a groundout by Petey Paramore. After Washington added another run in the top of the eighth, Wallace crushed a grand slam over the right field fence to put the Sun Devils on top 13-5. It was Wallace's second career grand slam, with his first coming earlier this season in ASU's win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 23.

The Huskies scored two runs and had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth, but Dustin Brader got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game and secure the victory.

Sontag was 3-for-4 with a walk and Davis went 3-for-5 with two doubles, while Wallace, Torrez and Marcel Champagnie all had two hits each in the win.

The Sun Devils wrap up the regular season with a three-game series at Arizona beginning on Thursday.


Notes:
May 15, 2008 - Ike Davis and Brett Wallace Named Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalists
May 15, 2008 - Mike Leake Named Semifinalist For Roger Clemens Award
May 14, 2008 - Petey Paramore Named a Semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award

ASU Finishes off LMU

Beats LMU 9-5

Wins 40th Game Of Season With 11-3 Win Over LMU

Completes Sweep of LMU With 12-10 Win

The big question is whether junior masher Ike Davis will be back in the lineup this weekend against UW. With or without him, ASU is preparing for a busy postseason.
Davis as well as junior 3B Brett Wallace are tabbed as likely 1st-round picks come June's MLB draft.

Catching up on ASU

If you need to catch up as much as I need to...

Mar. 7: Matt Newman Pitches #3 Baseball Past #10 Wichita State 6-1

Mar. 9: ASU Beats LMU 9-5

Notes:
Sophomore Mike Leake and junior Petey Paramore are going to class too...Could true freshman Matt Newman really be the third starting pitcher ASU has been missing all season?...ASU has plenty of concerns, prime among them: When will junior Ike Davis be back im the lineup?...Dustin Brader, Ryan Sontag, Tommy Rafferty, Derick Olvey and Mike Jones all graduated earlier this week.

ASU Takes Series Against UCLA

Sweet Spot News Sources
No. 3 Arizona State used another big ninth inning to beat UCLA 11-8 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon. After scoring five in the ninth on Friday night to win, the Sun Devils scored four times in the ninth on Sunday to secure the victory. With the win, Arizona moves to 37-8, 12-6 in the Pac-10.

The Devils broke out the heavy metal on Sunday as1 0 of the 11 runs Arizona State scored came via the home run. ASU hit a season high six homers, including two by Brett Wallace and two sets of back-to-back homers. Arizona State hit 10 homers on the weekend.

Tommy Rafferty improved his record to 10-0 on the year, throwing the final 4.2 innings of the game. He allowed three runs on seven hits while fanning seven in relief of starter Seth Blair.

For the third straight game UCLA scored in the first inning, scoring once off Blair to take a 1-0 lead. The Sun Devils tied it in the third, when Mike Leake left the yard in left field for his first career home run. They took the lead in the very next at bat, when Raoul Torrez homered down the left field line for his second homer of the year and a 2-1 lead. It was the second time this weekend the Devils went back-to-back; Brett Wallace and Petey Paramore did it on Friday night in the 10-5 win.

Brett Wallace did not want to be left out of the power display in the third, sending his 14th homer of the year over the right field wall with Jason Kipnis aboard to make it 4-1 Devils.

The Bruins drew to within one in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead to 4-3. A Marcel Champagnie error at shortstop opened the door for two unearned runs to cross. The Sun Devils would get them back in the fifth, thanks to back-to-back home runs by Jason Kipnis and Brett Wallace. After Andy Workman reach on an error and was moved over by a Ryan Sontag sac bunt, Kipnis took Gavin Brooks deep to right center for his 11th dinger of the year and third of the series. Brett Wallace sent the very next Brooks offering to almost the same spot as Kipnis for his second homer of the day and 15th of the year. That put ASU up 7-3.

The Bruins pulled back to within two at 7-5 thanks to a two-run single by Mickey Weisser in the bottom of the fifth. That chased Seth Blair, who lasted 4.1 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on seven hits. UCLA evened things up in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two against Tommy Rafferty with two outs.

Arizona State had a chance to break things open in the eighth, loading the bases with only one out, but they failed to push a run across. Raoul Torrez struck out looking for the second out, then Petey Paramore was thrown out trying to steal home on a delayed steal play.

The Bruins squandered their own chance in the bottom half of the inning, leaving the bases loaded against Rafferty.

Arizona State took the lead back in the ninth on a Brett Wallace RBI single to right center that scored Ryan Sontag and made it 8-7. Petey Paramore added some insurance by blasting a three-run shot to right to make it 11-7. It was his sixth of the year, tying his career high.

UCLA added one in the ninth off Rafferty, but were unable to keep the Devils from winning the series.

Brett Wallace went 3-5 with four RBI, including two home runs. The two homers for Wallace give him 38 in his career, tying him with Mitch Jones for eighth on the school's all-time list.

Petey Paramore was 3-4, homering and driving in three. Mike Leake fell a triple short of the cycle, collecting three hits on the afternoon as well. Jason Kipnis had two hits on the day also.

Arizona State was once again without the services of Ike Davis, who was announced as a pinch hitter in the eighth. Davis was taken out for Mike Jones before seeing a pitch. He has not seen action in the past five games.

The Sun Devils now travel to Kansas for a Tuesday night meeting with Kansas State in Manhattan before heading to Wichita for a Wednesday night contest with Wichita State.

ASU Drops Game 2 in LA

Sweet Spot News Sources
UCLA evened up the three-game weekend series with Arizona State with an 8-3 win on Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. ASU had their chances but stranded 12 runners in the loss. The Devils fall to 36-8, 11-6 in Pac-10 play.

The Bruins were able to keep ASU at arm's length all afternoon, as the Sun Devils could never pull even after falling behind early. UCLA Starter Charles Brewer went 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and striking out two. He gave up three runs and picked up his sixth win of the season. ASU starter Josh Satow lasted 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on four hits. He walked five and struck out one, taking the loss to fall to 5-3.

UCLA scored off Satow in the first when Brandon Crawford singled home Blair Dunlap to put UCLA up 1-0. Casey Haerther made it 3-0 with a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the third.

Arizona State got on the board in the fourth, scoring on a Kiel Roling sacrifice fly that brought home Brett Wallace to make it 3-1. Marcel Champagnie's pinch hit single up the middle later in the inning scored Petey Paramore to cut the lead to 3-2. UCLA made it 4-2 on a Jermaine Curtis solo shot in the fifth.

Arizona State pulled to within 4-3 in the sixth when Ryan Sontag drew a bases loaded walk to score Rocky Laguna. ASU was unable to get anyone else across, leaving the bases juiced. UCLA would answer right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run off Dustin Brader to make it 5-3.

UCLA added some insurance in the eighth of Reyes Dorado, scoring three times to make it 8-3 heading to the ninth. The Bruins closed out the Devils in the ninth to seal the win.

The Bruins bullpen kept the Devils at bay, as two UCLA relief pitchers held Arizona State to only two hits over the final 3.2 innings. ASU stranded seven runners over the final four innings.

Sun Devil pitchers issued eight walks and allowed nine UCLA hits. Brett Wallace and Petey Paramore each had two hits in the loss. Arizona State was once again without Ike Davis, who missed his fourth straight game.

The Devils and Bruins will play the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. from Jackie Robinson Stadium.

ASU Takes Game One from UCLA

ASU used a five-run ninth inning to beat UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. Friday night.
Junior Ike Davis remains out with injuries but junior Marcel Champagnie went 3-5 out of the DH role. Champagnie was previously benched because of spotty defensive play at SS.

Notes:
--Former Arizona State star and Major League Baseball Home Run King Barry Bonds visited the Sun Devils before the game, chatting with players in the dugout and watching the game from the stands at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
--The Trib's Dan Zeiger wrote a feature on senior outfielder Ryan Sontag.

What Will Become of Marcel Champagnie?

For most of the 2008 season, junior SS Marcel Champagnie was the ASU baseball team's pleasant surprise. And just as quick as the Canada native emerged, he's disappeared.

Despite his .370 batting average, good for fourth on the team, Champagnie hasn't seen the field in a week. His 15 errors account for the reasoning.

In his stead is redshirt junior Greg Bordes (who I wrote a big feature about for Fox Sports), who has started at SS in six straight.

Coach Pat Murphy seems content to stick with Bordes and is in the process of deciding what to do with Champagnie, who keeps his offensive potential on the bench with him. Last weekend, Murphy tried Champagnie in RF, but Champagnie immediately made an error.

I spoke with Champagnie about three weeks ago (while I wrote a feature on his rise from anonymity) and got the feeling that, despite the likelihood that he'll never again play regularly for ASU, he's here to stay. He loves the school.

Champagnie does have a future in professional baseball, but his inactivity of late hurts his chances of being drafted before round 20 in this June's MLB draft.

One option is for him to stay at ASU for his senior season and work on his defense, perhaps as a center fielder. But with ASU's program (much like USC football), it's often tough to see the field once you've been discarded.

State Press: Leake is ASU's MVP

Most will say without hesitation that the ASU baseball team's best player is one of a handful of juniors.

Ike Davis, Brett Wallace and Petey Paramore, arguably the best three hitters, all qualify (though not Kiel Roling, named Pac-10 player of the week). Each is having a great season, but none among them is the most valuable. That designation is reserved for a sophomore: pitcher Mike Leake.

The right-hander is matching his freshman success and already has 20 career wins to his name.

In 11 starts this season, Leake is 7-1 with a 3.29 ERA. His strikeout to walk ratio in 76 2/3 innings is a ridiculous 68-to-12. More importantly, he's learned how to maneuver out of jams and pitch deep enough into games to spare a thin staff behind him.