Allowed to drift from program to program, several top college baseball players soon became sought-after free agents.
Some were simply stopgaps. Others became stars.
The ASU baseball program didn't mind filtering these experienced talents through the program if they aided a College World Series run.
Matt Spencer arrived in 2007 from North Carolina. Ryan Sontag did the same in 2006 after leaving Michigan State.
But among a litany of other changes, the NCAA now stipulates that players changing Division I schools must sit out one season. With penalty en tow, few will now consider a hasty switch.
In the last off-season before the rule change, ASU's baseball team took full advantage as the influx of Kentucky transfer Jason Kipnis and junior-college transfer Marcel Champagnie is already paying huge dividends.
ASU also signed junior pitcher Jason Franzblau (Winthrop), who is expected to be the team's fourth starter.
Known for constantly tinkering with his lineup, ASU coach Pat Murphy has started Kipnis and Champagnie all seven games thus far in 2008.
Count on them being in the lineup as the No. 1 Sun Devils (7-0) welcomes the Mountain West Conference's New Mexico (7-1) Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the midst of his freshman season at Kentucky, Kipnis was dismissed from the team for violating team rules.
But when Murphy saw Kipnis' release, which highlighted his .337 batting average, six home runs and 27 RBIs in 2007, the coach took notice.
Knowing Kipnis could not transfer to another SEC team, Murphy called his close friend, coach Tim Corbin of SEC competitor Vanderbilt.
"I said, 'Corbs, I'm going to mention one name and I want your first reaction: Kipnis'," he said. "Corbin said, 'take him.' The rest is history."
Kipnis, now a redshirt sophomore, instantly provided some pop with a home run in each of his first two games.
"I'm not surprised," Murphy said. "From day one he walked in here … he's pretty level-headed. I don't have any idea why he didn't stick at Kentucky. I didn't ask him. He's never said a negative word about them. All he's said is, 'Can I have an opportunity to play?'"
Kipnis has also played centerfield and left field and could move to the infield should the need for a second baseman persist.
"It was a great first weekend," Kipnis said. "I didn't really know what to expect."
His second weekend wasn't too shabby either.
Against No. 18 Michigan on Thursday, Kipnis racked up five more RBIs and two home runs, one of which didn't use the crosswalk to go over Rural Road.
"I guess I got in a little hot streak right there," he said. "You ask a bunch of hitters how they become comfortable. They're not trying to defend themselves at the plate. They're not trying to just hit the ball; they're trying to attack the ball. You just become more aggressive and full of confidence at the plate."
Champagnie, the second transfer ASU hit on, was the more dubious one.
Even with a .428 batting average over 95 games with Illinois' Kaskaskia Junior College, it wasn't predetermined the Canada native would get a chance in Tempe.
Murphy didn't name Champagnie his starting shortstop until a week before the season started.
"At the end of the fall, I didn't think he would ever play here," Murphy said. "I told him, 'Hey, you might look for another place to go to school. I'm not sure I'm going to get you the playing time you want.'"
Champagnie, a junior, came to ASU early on and worked out on his own, Murphy said.
"Apparently, [he] worked his butt off," he said. "[Infield coach Andy Stankiewicz] came to me and said, 'Murph, I think this is the guy we're going to have to play.'"
Champagnie hasn't moved from his shortstop position since and is leading the Sun Devils in hits, with 12 in 30 at-bats. He is also third on the team in RBIs with 10.
Reach the reporter at: apentis@asu.edu.
