For as well as the No. 22 ASU baseball staff pitched Thursday and Friday nights against No. 10 UCLA, Saturday was a complete disappointment.
Sophomore starter Adam McCreery lasted only four batters before being pulled and the Sun Devils (15-8-1) were forced to use a total of eight pitchers.
Coach Tim Esmay said this week’s mid-week opponent, Wichita State, will be facing the same pitching difficulties.
“This time of year that’s kind of what happens when you play these mid-week games,” Esmay said.
The one pitching bright spot from Saturday’s game was junior Billy Young, who pitched three innings and gave up only one run, which was unearned, while striking out three.
Esmay was so impressed with Young (0-0, 0.00 ERA) he decided to send him out as the starter of the first of two mid-week games on the road against the Shockers (16-12).
The Sun Devils could use another stellar performance from Young, who is making his first mid-week start of the season.
The Shockers hit .286 overall as a team but feature a deep threat in sophomore first baseman Casey Gillaspie, who has already belted seven homeruns this season, the 20th-most in the nation.
Past Gillaspie, the Shockers have hit only five homeruns, with three of those coming from sophomore utilityman Tyler Baker.
Pitching wise, the Shockers only sport a team ERA of 3.97 in 247 innings pitched.
The Shocker bullpen has pitched well recently, racking up a 0.81 ERA and three wins in the past four contests.
The Shockers will send out junior Drew Palmer (0-0, 4.91 ERA) vs. Young and a Sun Devil lineup that put up 21 runs last week against the talented pitching staff of the Bruins.
Starters for Wednesday’s game have still yet to be announced, but Esmay said he was hoping to return freshman pitcher Brett Lilek, who has only pitched once since his start against Arkansas due to arm soreness.
The Sun Devils lead the all-time series 13-7. Both games will be played at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
