Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

No. 7 ASU baseball braces for road showdown with No. 15 Oregon

Ryan Burr New Mexico
Junior Ryan Burr closes out the ninth inning against University of New Mexico at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Wednesday March 18, 2015. The Sun Devils defeated the Lobos 4-3. (Jacob Stanek/ The State Press)

 

Junior Ryan Burr closes out the ninth inning against University of New Mexico at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Wednesday March 18, 2015. The Sun Devils defeated the Lobos 4-3. (Jacob Stanek/ The State Press) Junior Ryan Burr closes out the ninth inning against University of New Mexico at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Wednesday March 18, 2015. The Sun Devils defeated the Lobos 4-3. (Jacob Stanek/ The State Press)

No. 7 ASU baseball closed out a 19-game home stand Wednesday with a 4-3 win over New Mexico and have hit the road to Eugene, Oregon, for a series with the No. 15 Ducks (14-6, 1-2 Pac-12).

The Sun Devils (13-6, 2-1 Pac-12) have played well at home over the years, but last season went just 10-12 away from Packard Stadium.

After settling into Phoenix Muni, traveling to PK Park will be a challenge for head coach Tracy Smith and his relatively young group.

ASU last played Oregon on the road in 2012 and the Ducks swept the series, outscoring the Sun Devils by a mere four runs over three games.

ASU won the first game against the Ducks in 2013 6-5 in 11 innings and then the second game 14-9, only to get shellacked 16-3 on Sunday.

Last season, the Sun Devils took two of three games, winning 9-4 and 8-6 in the final two games after dropping the opener 5-4.

Glancing at both teams’ non-conference schedules, there are impressive, quality wins (TCU, UC Santa Barbara) and questionable losses (Cal State Bakersfield, San Francisco).

If recent history allows us to establish anything about these two teams this early in conference play, it’s that no lead is safe, and that pitching and defense will be of the utmost importance for two teams that like to light up the scoreboard.

“To be a good road team, you’ve got to have a mentality and a certain toughness to you,” Smith said. “I’ve been trying to strategize in my mind, how do you best recreate some of those scenarios, and what do you do? In the world I’m coming from, we did that for weeks on end. You’ve got to embrace that ‘the world is against us’ mentality.”

Put simply: Eliminate the distractions and the excuses, and you’ll compete at the same level.

“You’re not going to get anything on the road,” Smith said. “Weather’s not an excuse, field conditions aren’t an excuse, the crowd’s not an excuse. … Nothing changes in terms of, the bases still stay 90 feet, the rubber is still 60 feet, 6 inches, and that’s the mindset we have to have. We will control our environment.”

The low temperature in Eugene for the week is expected to be 40 degrees on Saturday, with highs in the 60s.

Rain is expected Saturday as well, but should end hours before game time.

For sophomore Seth Martinez, a Peoria native who pitched midweek games last year almost entirely in desert climates, the change will likely take some getting used to.

“It’s going to be different,” Martinez said. “It’s going to be a real test on our mental side, especially with the cold weather.”

Catcher Shaun Chase (.225, four home runs, 11 RBIs) who just graduated from Oregon on Tuesday, is a Desert Vista High School product like ASU sophomore shortstop Colby Woodmansee.

Freshman Jakob Goldfarb, who went to Desert Mountain High School and is a Scottsdale native, is hitting .286 with five RBIs and a .459 on base percentage in 14 games. He'll also face a former teammate in Desert Mountain alumnus and sophomore third baseman David Greer.

Freshman second baseman Andrew Snow, who got the start over junior Jordan Aboites on Sunday, is among an eager contingent of young players yearning for a change of scenery.

Playing together more than a month has generated chemistry among the newcomers and veterans, a key that can spark a rally in a tough spot on when down on the road to a ranked team.

“I’m excited, we haven’t been on the road yet,” Snow said. “I love their field, and we’ll see what we can do there. I like our chances, so we’ll see how it goes.”

 

Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or follow @StefanJModrich on Twitter.

Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepressport on Twitter.


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.