While his former team was playing for a trip to the NCAA College World Series, former ASU baseball player Dustin Pedroia was digging into the batter's box at Chase Field, set to face Randy Johnson.
But the 6-foot-10-inch fireball didn't scare Pedroia, who's the starting second baseman for the Boston Red Sox.
"I faced him last year, so whatever," Pedroia said. "We were trying to win the game."
In his first full season in the big leagues, (he hit .191 in 31 games last year as a late-season call-up) Pedroia is bringing the gritty intangibles that he learned from ASU baseball coach Pat Murphy to the American League.
"[Murphy] has helped me with everything on and off the field," Pedroia said after the Red Sox series finale against the Diamondbacks on June 10. "He's helped me a ton throughout my career - I thank him so much for it."
Although he was unable to follow the Sun Devils Super Regional games against Nebraska - they took place the same weekend of his trip to the Valley - Pedroia has kept an eye on his former team this season.
"I'll look online and try to follow those guys, I want them to do well," Pedroia said.
Returning the favor, Murphy is always checking what his "step-son" has done the night before.
"I get up every morning and look at the box score [and say] 'How did Pedro do?'" Murphy said.
For the first month of the season, Murphy might not have liked the results, as Pedroia struggled, hitting .182.
Pedroia said he never felt overmatched by major league pitching, but it took time to raise his batting average.
Despite his April struggles, Pedroia never lost his confidence.
"You're not going to struggle forever," Pedroia said.
Pedroia raised his batting average to .311, thanks to a blistering May, where his .415 average solidified his place as the every day second baseman and earned him AL Rookie of the Month honors.
"The Red Sox weren't crazy [for sticking with him], they knew what they were doing," Murphy said. "He's a winner."
Besides being a reliable contact hitter, Pedroia has been handy with the glove, committing just two errors in 50 games with the Red Sox.
Now as a pro, Pedroia's skills are starting to mimic his days as a Sun Devil.
In his three seasons playing at Packard Stadium, Pedroia was the 2003 National Defensive Player of the year, the 2003 Pac-10 co-Player of the Year and a 3-time First-Team All-Pac-10 selection.
Besides never missing a start in his 185-game Sun Devil career, Pedroia had a career batting average of .384 and a .972 fielding percentage.
Even with a collegiate career that could earn him a spot with Sun Devil-greats Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson and Paul Lo Duca in the ASU Baseball Ring of Honor at Packard Stadium, Pedroia never experienced what the current team is experiencing - a CWS appearance.
When the 2005 Sun Devils qualified for the CWS, a year after Pedroia was selected in the second round of the MLB draft, Murphy wrote "Pedoria" on his hat while many of his players wrote the initials "DP" on their hats as well.
"I did it because Pedro belonged in the College World Series," Murphy said. "We shouldn't have been sent to Fullerton every year like that and have to play the third ranked team in the country, but that's the way the seeding was."
Despite not being able to play in Omaha, Pedroia has a chance of playing in the MLB World Series, as his team is comfortably ahead in the American League East division.
With a World Series title the goal for the boys in Beantown, Pedroia looks to play a big part in Boston's October plans.
Although he has made a strong impression so far, Pedroia said he isn't satisfied.
"There's a lot of season left to be played," he said.
One of Pedroia's biggest obstacles has been learning to adjust to long road trips.
After a seven-day, seven-game road-trip that included a four-game series in Oakland against the Athletics and the three-game series in Arizona, Pedroia said he found himself exhausted.
Along with catching up with friends and family in Oakland, Pedroia had the opportunity to talk Sun Devil baseball with former ASU teammate and current Oakland A's right fielder Travis Buck.
"It's great seeing guys you played with doing so well," Pedroia said. "I'm happy for him and Andre [Ethier] in LA. I'm just rooting for those guys the whole way."
Though Pedroia said he did enjoy the road trip, but, "It's going to be good to get back to Boston."
In a game against the Texas Rangers on May 27, Pedroia's second home run of the season against Rangers reliever Eric Gagne took some extra work - 12 pitches to be exact.
"It was just one of those things," Pedroia said. "I fouled him off and got a good pitch to hit, and hit it."
Sounds easy, but Pedroia's refusal to quit on the at-bat sums up the way he plays the game.
"He was born to play," Murphy said.
Reach the reporter at: edward.price@asu.edu.
