Junior outfielder/righthanded pitcher Trever Allen runs to home plate, scoring for the Sun Devils against Utah on Sunday, May 18, at Packard Stadium. ASU won 14-6. (Photo by Becca Smouse)After getting its first series sweep of the season against Utah, ASU will try to end the season with a repeat performance as it travels to Pullman, Washington, to face off against Washington State.
ASU bounced back from being swept in an away series against Oklahoma State to win its last six games, concluding with a 14-6 drubbing of Utah in the last Pac-12 game played at Packard Stadium.
The Sun Devils played one last home game on Tuesday, beating Abilene Christian 4-2. Following that game, the rest of the regular season will be played on the road.
Coach Tim Esmay says his team is now playing at its best following what looked at times to be a rocky season.
"It's been a grind, but the guys continued to play, and we're playing pretty well here towards the end," Esmay said in a press conference following the series sweep of Utah. "If you're going to play well, it needs to be now."
ASU is now 30-21 on the season, and in its six game win streak, the team averaged nine runs while only giving up four.
Junior infielder Tucker Esmay hits a pitch against Utah on Sunday, May 18, at Packard Stadium. ASU won 14-6. (Photo by Becca Smouse)Junior shortstop Drew Stankiewicz was also named the Pac-12 Player of the Week. Stankiewicz batted .389 with five RBI, five runs scored, two doubles, one home run and two stolen bases.
Stankiewicz is not the only Sun Devil who could have won that award. Junior first baseman Nate Causey batted .438 in that span with five RBI, two home runs and a double.
As much as ASU is going in the right direction, Washington State is going the other way. The Cougars have lost four of their last five and are 23-28 on the season. Their 10-1 win over Stanford on May 18 was the first time they scored over five runs in nearly a month.
ASU has been successful against other Pac-12 teams throughout the season, and Esmay acknowledges how well his team has played in conference.
"It's a tough conference. We've won seven out of nine series, and that's getting the job done in the Pac," he said. "At the end of the day, the body of work says these guys are getting it done in the conference."
The Sun Devils are fourth in the Pac-12 standings. While they are 30-21 on the season, they have a record of 17-10 against other Pac-12 teams, making them one of only three teams in the conference to have a better winning percentage against Pac-12 foes than their overall winning percentage.
Reach the reporter at hkossodo@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @HKossodo
