The greatest factor in determining how far the No. 2 ASU baseball team (32-9, 15-3 Pac-10) goes in the postseason may be the production it gets outside of juniors Jason Kipnis and Carlos Ramirez.
If Wednesday’s 20-3 win over UA — played as a nonconference tilt — is any indication, the Sun Devils will be in good shape.
ASU got a grand slam from freshman first-baseman Riccio Torrez and a solo home run from freshman Johnny Ruettiger, as the Sun Devils scored seven of their runs in three consecutive innings — the fourth, fifth and sixth.
ASU unloaded for 13 more in ninth, coming up two runs short of the school record for runs scored in an inning.
Down 1-0 and getting only one hit through three innings, the Sun Devils got started in the fourth.
Kipnis and Ramirez began the frame with walks and were followed by sophomore Matt Newman’s single to left. Torrez followed with his slam that went out to left field — his fourth of the season.
In the fifth, freshman spark-plug Drew Maggi led off and got on by creating an error and advanced to second on a balk.
Ramirez scored Maggi with a double down the left-field line and was followed by an RBI single from Newman. Ruettiger’s shot came in the sixth and was hit to right field with one out.
ASU churned out eight hits and four walks in the ninth.
Junior Kole Calhoun had two hits, including a two-run home run to start the rally and a two-run double to end it.
In between, Newman, Kipnis and freshman Austin Barnes all had run-scoring hits.
Newman finished three-for-five with two runs batted in, while Calhoun and Ruettiger joined him with multihit games.
ASU added seven walks to its attack as well.
Newman made the start for ASU and worked four-and-two-third innings, allowing three runs and eight hits. Freshman Jordan Swagerty, hot after his start against Hawaii last week and late-inning shutdown of Cal to seal a series win for the Sun Devils on Sunday, pitched three-and-a-third inning without allowing a run and striking out two.
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu.
