The ASU baseball team has two quality catchers this year, and it doesn't seem to bother either of them.
Sophomores Joel Bocchi and Tuffy Gosewisch have shared the duties behind the plate and both say they are comfortable letting the other share the spotlight.
"There's a whole bunch of advantages to it," said Bocchi, who is hitting at a .400 clip, good for fourth on the team. "You can always learn from someone else."
Each has been able to learn from the other, splitting time behind the plate almost down the middle. Each has played in 13-of-first 19 games, and although Bocchi has started more (12 times) than Gosewisch (7), he has just two more at-bats.
"I feel great so far this year," Gosewisch said about his plate appearances. "I haven't hit great, but I haven't hit bad either and it's going well lately. I feel good up there; I feel solid."
Gosewisch is batting .364 with a double and nine RBI. Both he and Bocchi have well exceeded their hitting outputs from a year ago. Bocchi batted .214 in 28 at-bats, while Gosewisch hit just .128 in 39 at-bats.
Hitting is not all these two are good at, though, as neither has committed an error in 136 combined chances and they've allowed just one passed ball apiece
"From a pitching-coach standpoint, I've been unbelievably pleased with these guys," ASU pitching coach Chris Sinacori said. "My pitching staff is unbelievably confident and I have confidence that they block any breaking ball in the dirt."
That kind of superb play behind the plate has helped the pair develop a great relationship with their pitching staff, allowing for on-field success apparent in the team's 18-1 start, and a team ERA of 3.47.
"Each guy is different, to handle a pitching staff you have to know their personality," Gosewisch said. "Some guys you tell jokes; others, you get in their face and tell them to focus."
Tonight the No. 4 Sun Devils face Dayton (0-0), before taking on No. 11 Notre Dame (0-0) in a short, two-game series over the weekend. Notre Dame defeated ASU 9-4 last year and the Irish went on to appear in the College World Series for the first time since 1957.
Bocchi and Gosewisch know they will have to be on the top of their respective games to help the pitching staff shut down Notre Dame. Sinacori explained that catchers have an important role in aiding the process of a pitch, something not seen from the stands.
"It's easy for me to call the pitch, and the pitcher has to execute it, but the catcher has to help it," Sinacori said. "The catcher knows how much the umpire is giving him on the corner and whether or not the pitcher is locating on the outside."
There has been no obvious favorite to hold down the everyday job, but eventually, only head coach Pat Murphy will decide what happens.
"We both bring different things to the table, and both of them are good," Bocchi said. "It's not about who's in there, it's about if the job gets done, that's all that's important."
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
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