The No. 5 ASU baseball team is a matter of inches away from looking down at the rest of the Pac-10, literally.
Unfortunately, in baseball inches can make all the difference and have done so a handful of times during ASU's conference schedule.
The Sun Devils (39-9, 7-5 Pac-10) could easily be 11-1 in conference play but have had the bounces go the wrong way in four one-run losses.
Against UCLA Thursday, a fluke double play prevented a possible win, and Friday, a diving catch turned what would have been a 12-inning win into a 13-inning loss. The other two one-run blunders came in 10 innings against Stanford after a frivolous ASU comeback and a two-out single from USC in the bottom of the ninth after a near double play almost ended the inning.
"To not pull those out is a little dejecting, but the sun rises the next day," said ASU junior right fielder Andre Ethier after the Sun Devils came back to take the series finale against UCLA 17-1 on Saturday. "We're never off track, we just get everyone to play as a team again."
ASU has outscored its opponents 99-56 in conference play, but finds itself just two games over .500.
The UCLA series was a classic example of how close the Sun Devils were from sweeping the Bruins. ASU head coach Pat Murphy used the word "snake bit" to describe ASU's misfortune over the weekend.
Still, the Sun Devils find themselves just two games behind first place Stanford. A big series against Washington State could put them right back in the thick of things.
"Our goal is to be the best, and if you're going to be the best it's going to be with team," Murphy said. "This is a team game and always will be."
University of Arizona
The Wildcats (28-14, 7-5) had a chance to move ahead of the Sun Devils and into sole possession of second place in the conference but were unable to finish off a sweep of Washington State, losing the final game 12-8. Friday, UA used a game-winning home run from junior Dallas Haught to capture a 6-4, 11-inning victory.
California
After scoring just four runs against the Sun Devils last week, things once again looked dismal for the Golden Bears (23-19, 8-7) after a 3-1 loss to USC on Thursday. However, California bounced back for 19 runs in the next two games to take the series. Junior third baseman Conor Jackson was named Pac-10 Player of the Week after going 10-for-15 with two home runs and four RBI in the series.
Oregon State
Despite losing another series, the Beavers (17-19, 4-8) snuck a road win away from Stanford 8-7 on Friday. A week after becoming the second Beaver to hit 30 home runs in his career, senior first baseman Andy Jarvis set Oregon State records in total bases (356) and at-bats (650) during the Friday win.
Stanford
Conference-leading Stanford (25-11, 9-3) gained a game on ASU over the weekend, taking two of three from Oregon State. Freshman left-hander Mark Romanczuk won his second Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors for his two victories and zero earned runs in 9.2 innings of work. He struck out 12 batters.
UCLA
The Bruins (19-24, 5-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak by winning the first two games against ASU last weekend. Junior second baseman Preston Griffin launched two home runs to give him the team lead with eight. He also tops the squad in RBI with 34.
USC
The Trojan bats never came to life last weekend in USC's series loss to California. The Trojans (20-19, 6-6) won their season-high fifth straight game on Thursday 3-1, then lost two straight - scoring just five runs in the final two games. Thursday's win was not aided by hitting either, as the Trojans managed a season-low four hits all game. Anthony Lunetta scored twice on wild pitches, proving the difference in the game.
Washington
Despite not participating in conference play over the weekend, Washington (25-12, 4-5) was still busy, winning three non-conference games. The Huskies took one from Kansas State last week and swept a double-header from Hawaii-Hilo at home Monday. Sophomore right fielder Taylor Johnson was 6-for-7 in the double dip including a grand slam and five RBI.
Washington State
The Cougars (12-26, 4-8) salvaged the final game of their series against UA with a 12-8 win Saturday. Washington State matched its season-high hit total with 18 in the game. Junior second baseman Jonathan Fender led the way, going a perfect 5-for-5.
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Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
