Senior Darin Gillies allows no hits in three innings pitched against Long Beach State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Sunday March 8, 2015. The Sun Devils defeated the Dirtbags 9-3. (Jacob Stanek/The State Press)No. 16 ASU baseball played a pair of two of the best teams in the Big 12 – and the country – to open its regular season. So it's fitting that the Sun Devils (10-5) open up conference play against defending Pac-12 Champion Oregon State at Phoenix Muni at 6:30 on Friday night.
Head coach Tracy Smith admitted after beating UNLV Wednesday night that he still has less experience in the Pac-12 than some of his more experienced players do.
So he's leaned on the veteran presence of guys like redshirt senior Trever Allen, and senior Darin Gillies to learn on the fly.
"It's fast-paced, guys are going to hit and bunt," Allen said. "The conference right now looks really good, and we're close to the top right now.The pitching is going to be really good. Games are going to be close, no matter who you play."
The Beavers (14-3) are red-hot, having won their last 10 games in a row, and boast a lineup of preseason All-American junior center fielder Jeff Hendrix, sophomore left fielder Kyle Nobach, and freshman catcher KJ Harrison, who is hitting .441 with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs.
After boasting the conference's best pitching staff in 2014 – the Beavers recorded a 2.29 team ERA – Oregon State lost two stud pitchers at the top of its rotation in Ben Weztler and Jace Fry to the draft.
Senior Trever Allen hits for a single against Long Beach State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Sunday March 8, 2015. The Sun Devils defeated the Dirtbags 9-3. (Jacob Stanek/The State Press)
But with returning junior Andrew Moore as the staff ace, Oregon State will possess a formidable rotation that ranks among the best in the Pac-12.
ASU beat Oregon State twice last year to take the season series after dropping the first game 4-0. The Sun Devils lead the all-time series 46-28 and hold a 26-10 advantage at home. So what, then, does that say about this team's ability to compete?
"It's hard when you have a new coach coming in with a new philosophy," Allen said. "But when we're playing our best ball, and playing confident and smart, there's no one that can beat us. It's just about doing that consistently, and even when we have weird lineups sometimes and guys are playing new positions, they're stepping up."
Smith said in his postgame press conference he wasn't satisfied with his team's effort and focus, especially after a pair of baserunning miscues that in a 5-4 win could have proved costly.
"It's a very good league," Smith said. "I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm comfortable with the way we've played. I've got to believe that if you make those kind of (baserunning) mistakes, you're going to get beat in this league."
A key for ASU moving forward into conference play is the emergence of Gillies in the bullpen as the new setup man leading up to All-American closer Ryan Burr.
"The biggest difference (as opposed to starting) is, you can go in an let it go," Gillies said. "You block out the mind a little bit, and you just know that it's go time. The role that I'm in right now is a key part to games, and there's no time to overthink anything."
With freshman Eli Lingos and sophomores Hever Bueno and Eder Erives making the majority of middle relief appearances, Gillies said that his move to the bullpen has been well-received by the young core of Sun Devil arms, which will serve to benefit them in the future as he leads by example.
"Experience speaks at this level," Gillies said. "The younger guys, they pick our brains. The pressure factor isn't there as much for me because I've been on the field and competed at this level for the past three years, the confidence is there. Seth (Martinez) has stepped up real big, and (Ryan) Hingst (Wednesday)."
There's a general consensus around the Muni clubhouse that ASU hasn't yet played to its potential. But there are signs of progress.
"I don't think we've completely honed in," Allen said. "We've had glimpses. I think we've been doing a great job to get better."
Pitching matchups:
Friday: Sophomore right-hander Seth Martinez (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. junior right-hander Andrew Moore (1-0, 1.76 ERA)
Saturday: Junior left-hander Ryan Kellogg (3-0, 3.90 ERA) vs. freshman right-hander Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 1.88 ERA)
Sunday: Junior left-hander Brett Lilek (1-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. junior right-hander Travis Eckert (2-0, 2.70 ERA)
Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or follow @StefanJModrich on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepressport on Twitter.
