OMAHA, Neb. — ASU coach Tim Esmay didn't waste much time putting his team's loss to Clemson in its opener of the College World Series into perspective.
“We just used our get out of jail free card,” he said at the postgame conference.
While there will be more at stake than a friendly game of Monopoly when ASU takes on South Carolina in an elimination contest on Tuesday, the Sun Devils' skipper is confident his team will not allow the pressure of potentially being sent home to become a factor.
“Our coaching staff really trusts these guys, and they know how to respond,” Esmay said. “They know how to play the game; they know [the Clemson] game is over and there's nothing to do about it — they can't get it back. We wake up in the morning and prepare to play a good South Carolina team.”
Perhaps ASU's most impressive feat this season, a campaign that saw the Sun Devils (52-9) capture a fourth consecutive Pac-10 title, is that it has never lost back-to-back games, a sign of a team that is able to quickly make adjustments and a coaching staff that can keep players on an even keel.
“We are going to come out [Tuesday] and play like we've been playing all year long,” said senior Raoul Torrez, who was one of few bright spots in ASU's loss on Monday. “There's a reason why we haven't lost consecutive games back-to-back and there's also a reason why we have the record we do, and it's because of the way we bounce back.”
If the Sun Devils are to keep the trend of avoiding consecutive defeats alive, thus becoming the Gamecocks' Omaha executioners, they will need a strong outing from junior starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (10-2, 3.57), who was effective in his last trip to the hill — a seven-hit, three-run effort in 6 1/3 innings against Arkansas in the Super Regionals.
Because of the weather that forced the postponement of ASU's first game, the Sun Devils will be playing back-to-back days while USC (48-16), which fell to Oklahoma 4-3 on Sunday, is benefitting from an extra day's rest.
The quick turnaround puts the availability of the three relievers used by ASU in Mondays game — freshman Brady Rodgers (27 pitches), junior Jimmy Patterson (17) and sophomore Mitchell Lambson — into question for Tuesday's game.
A long outing by Kelly could be instrumental in preserving a bullpen that will likely have to log plenty of innings if ASU is to fight through the loser's bracket and into the championship series.
Oregon State accomplished the feat in 2006, winning four straight after an opening loss to Miami to reach the championship series, where the Beavers took two of three from North Carolina to lift the national championship trophy.
Of course, the Sun Devils say they are certainly not looking that far ahead.
"Totally respect Oregon State and what they did, but the Sun Devils are looking at tomorrow's ball game," Esmay said.
"You're in the College World Series. Last I checked, we get to put the uniform on tomorrow. We still get an opportunity to play, and that's how we're going to approach this thing."
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu
