NCAA Regionals are here and so is ASU baseball.
After being unable to compete in postseason play last season due to NCAA sanctions, the Sun Devils (35-20-1) return on the road to Omaha for the 36th time in school history, with the first stop being in the Fullerton regional as the No. 2 seed.
The Sun Devils were once in line to host a regional, but they finished the regular season 6-8 and were placed in Fullerton, the only non-Pac-12 west coast regional site.
Along with the Titans and the Lobos, Ivy League champion Columbia will join the Sun Devils in Fullerton.
Here is a preview of all four teams:
No. 1 Cal State Fullerton (48-8)
The knock on Cal State Fullerton will be their weak conference, but the Titans finished 6-1 versus Pac- 12 teams this season, including a 4-1 record against fellow regional hosts UCLA and Oregon. The Titans finished the year very strong, losing only once in May en route to their fourth consecutive Big West title. Junior outfielder Michael Lorenzen (.335, 7 HR, 50 RBI) leads a powerful offensive attack that hit 34 home runs on the season. Lorenzen’s accolades don’t end there, as he is also the team’s primary closer and picked up 18 saves and three wins in his 21 pitching appearances this season.
Where Cal State Fullerton will beat teams is its trio of outstanding starting pitching, including freshman duo Thomas Eshelman and Justin Garza, who finished a combined 22-2 on the year. The Titans have only a 2.56 team ERA and knocking them off will be a tough task for any of the three teams.
No. 2 ASU (35-20-1)
The Sun Devils limp into postseason play losing eight of their final 14, including their final series at Washington. The Sun Devils are built for postseason play, though, and can look at their 12-5 record versus postseason teams for confidence. The one-two combination of starters junior Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.17 ERA) and freshman Ryan Kellogg (11-0, 3.26 ERA) is as dangerous as any in the country. Freshman Ryan Burr (2.18 ERA, 11 saves) is a rock in the back end of the bullpen. Junior Michael Benjamin (.349, 8 HR, 44 RBI) led the Sun Devil offense that ranked first in the Pac-12 in slugging percentage (.450), hits (581), RBI (335), doubles (115), home runs (46) and total bases (884). Sophomore designated hitter Nate Causey has been a spark in the lineup in the past ten games after dealing with injuries for most of the season.
The X-factor for the Sun Devils will be their ability to limit the “freebies” as ASU coach Tim Esmay likes to call them. The Sun Devils committed 83 errors and walked 216 batters in their 56 games this season.
No. 3 New Mexico (37-20)
Lobos coach Ray Birmingham believes his team is as good as first round opponent ASU, but New Mexico has to prove it.
The Lobos lost 4-3 to the Sun Devils earlier this season, albeit in extra innings, and have only a 29-120 career record against the Sun Devils. The Lobos can lean on their consistent play (didn’t lose any of their 10 Mountain West series) and potent offensive attack (.336 team BA, 52 HR’s). Junior infielder D.J. Peterson (.411, 18 HR, 70 RBI) leads the top-ranked offense, which boasts six starters that bat over .320.
The Lobo pitching staff has only a team ERA of 5.03 on the season, but if it can put together some top performances, look for the Lobos to seriously challenge Fullerton and ASU for a berth in the Super Regionals.
No. 4 Columbia (27-19)
The Lions have won seven in a row and 18 of their past 22 to win the Ivy League Championship and make their third postseason appearance in school history. Although their record and strength of schedule isn’t good, the Lions proved they could play with the big dogs, taking one of three from UA in Tucson, with the two losses by a combined three runs.
The Lions aren’t spectacular offensively (.268 team BA) and have only three starters batting over .300 and none higher than sophomore outfielder Joey Falcone at .333.
Pitching is the strength of the Lions, notably from their startes. Juniors David Speer (6-2, 2.17 ERA) and Tony Donino (6-0, 3.06 ERA) and senior Tim Giel (3-3, 2.73 ERA) combined for eight complete games and three complete game shutouts during the season.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Danny__Shapiro
