In December, the ASU baseball team was unsure if it could compete for a national championship in 2011.
The NCAA banned the program from the postseason for violations under former coach Pat Murphy. But the school decided to appeal the suspension and, under NCAA rules, punishments are stayed until the appeals process is complete.
So the No. 11 Sun Devils (39-16) went through the entire regular season without knowing its fate. They wrapped up their campaign over the weekend, losing two of three to UCLA and finishing one game back of first place in the Pac-10.
Although ASU’s streak of four consecutive on-field conference titles came to an end, the NCAA announced Packard Stadium was one of 16 regional sites for the first round of the postseason next weekend. That meant the Sun Devils were assured a spot in the tournament.
“We had been playing it by ear,” ASU senior outfielder Matt Newman said. “It’s something we’ve been waiting to hear for a long time though. It’s a good feeling and a huge relief. Now that we know we are in, it’s time to focus and get hot at the right time.”
When the NCAA does make a ruling on ASU’s appeal, the penalties will instead be enforced starting next year.
The team will host No. 19 Arkansas, Charlotte and New Mexico in regional action starting Friday.
“It’s nice to be at home and everybody gets pumped up for the postseason,” ASU sophomore pitcher Brady Rodgers said. “It’s a clean slate and we don’t have to worry about what we did in the regular season. The experience of last year helped a lot because some of the teams out there are pretty young.”
ASU, the No. 1 seed, will begin play against UNM, with the remaining two teams meeting in the other first round game. The regional is a double-elimination format.
The Sun Devils swept the Lobos (20-39), who earned an automatic bid by winning the Mountain West Conference tournament over No. 10 Texas Christian, earlier this season in Tempe.
That was the same series ASU freshman outfielder Cory Hahn was seriously injured in.
“They are starting to play good baseball now,” ASU junior third baseman Riccio Torrez said. “It’s nice to face someone you’re familiar with, but they are a totally different team now that it’s playoff season.”
If the Sun Devils win Friday, they will either face the Razorbacks (38-20) or the 49ers (42-14) Saturday.
ASU hosted Arkansas in last season’s heart-pounding super regional. The Sun Devils won both games in 12 innings to advance to the College World Series.
“This is going to be tough for everybody,” ASU coach Tim Esmay said. “All the teams coming here have had success.”
If the Sun Devils win the regional, the team will face the winner of the Austin Regional, hosted by No. 5 Texas.
Reach the reporter at tyler.emerick@asu.edu
