With the 2008-09 college sports year officially coming to a close, let’s take a look back at how the ASU teams that wrapped up their seasons during the summer fared on the national stage.

Baseball

Preseason Expectations
After a school-record 15 Sun Devils were selected in the 2008 MLB draft (and only junior center fielder Jason Kipnis opted to return to Tempe), the ASU baseball team came into the 2009 season with the least-experienced roster in any major conference in the nation.

But with junior ace pitcher Mike Leake still on the mound, coach Pat Murphy still in the dugout and a highly touted recruiting class ready to make its ASU debut, the Sun Devils were ranked in the top 10 in most major preseason polls and were out to prove that the program was “reloading” rather than “rebuilding.”

The End Result
There were times where ASU looked like one of the youngest teams in the country, but the new group of Sun Devils leaned on a stellar pitching staff and always seemed to find a way to scratch out win after win.

ASU spent much of the year ranked No. 1 in the nation, won its third straight Pac-10 title and advanced to the College World Series for the third time in five seasons.

The Sun Devils went 2-2 in Omaha, beating North Carolina twice but losing two heartbreakers to Texas in less than a week to be eliminated from the CWS.

ASU finished with a record of 51-14 and ranked No. 3 in Baseball America’s final poll.

The MVP
If it wasn’t for the 103 mph fastball of San Diego State’s Stephen Strasburg, ASU’s Leake would have been the college pitcher getting all the national attention this season.

Leake was about as dominating as a college pitcher can be, leading the nation with a 16-1 record and ranking second in ERA (1.17) and strikeouts (162). He earned his 40th career victory in the Super Regional against Clemson, which tied him with College Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Bane for third on ASU’s all-time wins list.

For his efforts, Leake was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season, a First-Team All-American and the National Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Leake’s performance also got the attention of major league scouts, as he was selected No. 8 overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2009 MLB Draft.

The Breakout Star
Junior left-hander Josh Spence quickly turned into ASU’s “No. 1A” starter and one of the nation’s premier pitchers.

The Australian junior college transfer commonly known as “The Mate” finished the season with a 10-1 record and a 2.37 ERA.

And even though Spence missed about a month with what many thought was a season-ending hand injury, he was named to the All-Pac-10 team and was on the hill during both of the Sun Devils’ CWS Series victories.

But Spence is likely a one-year wonder, as he was taken in the third round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Honorable mention goes to junior left fielder Kole Calhoun, who turned into arguably the most-feared hitter in the CWS. In his four games in Omaha, Calhoun had nine hits in 16 at-bats (.563 average) with three home runs and 11 runs batted in.

2010 Outlook
ASU will have to replace its top two starting pitchers in Leake and Spence, as well as the Pac-10 Player of the Year in Kipnis, but the Sun Devils have a ton of talent returning that got experience on the sport’s biggest stage this season.

Calhoun will be back for his senior season after not being drafted, along with All-Pac-10 selections sophomore left-hander Mitchell Lambson and junior outfielder/pitcher Matt Newman.

ASU should be a preseason top 10 team in 2010 and the squad to beat in the Pac-10.

Softball

Preseason Expectations
The ASU softball team came into the 2009 season as the defending national champions aiming to get back to the Women’s College World Series for the fourth straight season.

The Sun Devils were ranked No. 2 in the preseason and returned a National Player of the Year Candidate in senior center fielder Kaitlin Cochran, but question marks loomed in the circle after the graduation of ace pitcher Katie Burkhart.

The End Result
The Sun Devils had a bumpy ride during conference play, finishing in sixth place after posting a record of just 10-11 against Pac-10 foes.

But ASU began to hit its stride during the postseason, as the Sun Devils battled out of the losers’ bracket during the Tempe Regional and swept North Dakota State during the Super Regional to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City for the fourth consecutive year.

The Sun Devils beat Missouri 7-3 in their first game of the WCWS, but they dropped a 1-0 extra-inning heartbreaker to eventual national champion Washington and then lost to Alabama 6-2 the following day to be eliminated.

ASU finished ranked No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll after ending the season with a 47-19 record.

The MVP
Cochran has officially cemented herself in the ASU record books and leaves Tempe as the best hitter in program history.

She finished her senior season with a .410 average, 20 home runs and 59 runs batted in 64 walks. She also now ranks first in school history in hits (315), home runs (69) and RBIs (230).

The Breakout Star
The questions about who would fill Burkhart’s shoes in the circle were answered by a freshman from Tulsa, Okla.

Hillary Bach had a fantastic rookie campaign, posting a 31-11 record and a 2.82 ERA while solidifying her position as the Sun Devils’ ace. She threw five complete-game shutouts during the postseason and went toe-to-toe with UW’s Danielle Lawrie, the National Player of the Year, during their showdown in Oklahoma City.

Bach still has three years left in Tempe, and she has the potential to develop into one of the Pac-10’s best pitchers by the time her Sun Devil career is said and done.

2010 Outlook
Cochran is one of those players that cannot be replaced, but ASU has a very strong nucleus returning that should be able to challenge for the Pac-10 title and another WCWS berth in 2010.

Junior Krista Donnenwirth and senior Katie Crabb will be the veteran leaders, while Bach, designated player Taylor Haro and shortstop Katelyn Boyd will be a dangerous trio of sophomores next season.

Women’s Golf

Preseason Expectations
ASU always seems to be regarded as one of the nation’s elite women’s golf programs, and 2009 was no different.

The Sun Devils started the spring season ranked No. 1 in the nation, but they faced the task of adjusting to life without superstar Anna Nordqvist, who left ASU early to begin her professional career.

The End Result
The Sun Devils racked up title after title, as ASU won the Pac-10 and West Regional Championships.

ASU then finished the season on the highest note possible, as the Sun Devils won the seventh NCAA Championship in program history in May.

The Sun Devils overcame an 11-shot deficit following the first two rounds of play to overtake the lead and win the national title by eight strokes over runner-up UCLA.

The MVP
Senior Azahara Munoz will leave ASU as the most recent on a long list of great golfers to go through the Sun Devil program.

Munoz, who won the 2008 NCAA Individual Championship, was an NGCA All-American in 2009 and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships during her senior season.

Munoz will compete at the U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur in July and then plans to turn pro.

The Breakout Star
If Munoz is the most recent elite golfer to play at ASU, then Carlota Ciganda is next in line.

The freshman from Spain took home medalist honors at the Pac-10 and West Regional Championships, finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation by Golfweek and was named a First-Team All-American by the NGCA.

With all the success Ciganda had during her rookie season, an NCAA Individual Championship is not out of the question for her in 2010.

2009-10 Outlook
ASU loses Munoz and fellow senior Jennifer Osborn, but the Sun Devils do return five players from their NCAA Championship squad and should be a national title contender again next season.

Ciganda and senior Jaclyn Sweeney will anchor the 2009-10 Sun Devils, and ASU will also add Jennifer Johnson, the No. 1 junior player in the country, to the roster.

Men’s Golf

Preseason Expectations
Expectations were high for the ASU men’s golf team, as the Sun Devils returned their entire lineup that competed in the 2008 NCAA Championships and five of the six golfers that helped the team win the 2008 Pac-10 title.

ASU started the season ranked No. 8 in the country with a young squad led by sophomore Jesper Kennegard.

The End Result
After dropping out of the top 10 and finishing third at the Pac-10 Championships, the Sun Devils caught fire and easily won the 2009 NCAA West Regional by nine stokes over second-place Oregon.

ASU then finished second in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championships to guarantee a top 8 finish before falling to eventual national champion Texas A&M during the first round of match play.

The MVP
Kennegard, who had a fantastic freshman season in 2008-09, finished his sophomore season in strong fashion when he won the NCAA West Regional individual title and placed ninth at the NCAA Championships.

Because of his play down the stretch, Kennegard was named the Pac-10 Golfer of the Month for in May.

The Breakout Star
During the 2007-08 season, Scott Pinckney made just four appearances, did not record any top-10 finishes and did not represent the Sun Devils in the Pac-10 Championships, the West Regional or the NCAA Championships.

In 2009, the sophomore from Anthem had three top-10 finishes and was an integral part of the Sun Devils’ run in the West Regional and NCAA Championships.

Pinckney tied for 13th at the NCAA Championships after shooting a 67 in the second round, and he will look to build on that success in his junior season in 2009-10.

2009-10 Outlook
The Sun Devils will once again return their entire roster that played in the NCAA Championships, which means ASU should be in prime position to be a top team next season.

And what has been a “young” ASU team the past two seasons will become a veteran squad in 2009-10, and that experience and leadership could finally put the Sun Devils over the hump to challenge for a national title.

Track and Field

Preseason Expectations
The ASU track and field program has turned into a national power, and the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranked the men’s team second nationally and the women’s team sixth heading into the 2009 indoor season.

The Sun Devils looked to be particularly strong in the field, where former national champion throwers Ryan Whiting (junior) and Sarah Stevens (senior) were expected to anchor the men’s and women’s team, respectively.

The End Result
Both the men’s and women’s teams finished fifth in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and followed that up with a third-place finish by the women’s team and a sixth-place finish by the men at the Pac-10 Track and Field Championships.

But the best was yet to come for the Sun Devils, as the women’s team won the NCAA West Regional and finished third at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, while the men’s team finished fourth at the regional meet and eighth at the national meet.

The MVP
Whiting turned out one of the best seasons in ASU history, as he became just the 18th man in the past 45 years to sweep the NCAA indoor and outdoor shot put titles.

Whiting’s toss of 20.99 meters at the NCAA West Regional also set a school and regional record.

Stevens should also get recognition here, as she finished her decorated Sun Devil career with a school-record 15 All-American honors over four years and was named the USTFCCCA Women’s West Field Athlete of the Year.

The Breakout Star
Charonda Williams carried the Sun Devil sprinters during her senior season, as she became the first woman in Pac-10 history to defend a sweep of the 100-meter and 200-meter dash titles at the conference meet.

She followed that performance by racking up three All-American honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash.

Williams was also named the USTFCCCA Women’s Track Athlete of the Year.

2010 Outlook
ASU will certainly miss Stevens and Williams, but the Sun Devil women return four All-Americans in junior Jasmine Chaney, sophomore Cj Navarro, sophomore Kayla Sanchez and junior Dominique’ Maloy.

Whiting will also be back to defend his shot put national titles, as well as senior Jason Lewis, who won the 2009 NCAA indoor title in the weight throw.

And with the tradition that ASU has established in recent years, hoisting the NCAA Championship hardware has become the yearly goal for both Sun Devil teams.

Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu