Feb. 9, 1998
ASU -- Arizona State (8-2, 0-0 Pac-10 Southern Division and ranked No. 6 Baseball America and No. 11 Collegiate Baseball in the polls) tries to snap a two-game losing streak as it hosts the Washington State Cougars (2-1, 0-0 Pac-10 Northern Division) in a three-game non-conference series.
THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO -- KMVP 860 AM, home of Sun Devil baseball, will broadcast all three games this weekend with WSU. Tom Dillon and Bob Eger will provide the play-by-play and color commentary respectively. All three games will be broadcast live.
THIS WEEK ON T.V. -- COX Cable Sports will broadcast the Friday, February 13 game with WSU live at 7 p.m. George Allen and Doug Gerlach will handle the play-by-play and color commentary duties. Check with your local cable operator for the COX channel in you area. FOX Sports Arizona will broadcast the Sunday, February 15 game with the Cougars live at 1 p.m. Barry Buetel and Jim Lefebvre will handle the play-by-play and color commentary duties respectively.
ABOUT THE COUGARS -- WSU is 2-1 entering this week's games ... they are coached by Steve Farrington (Eastern Washington '74) ... the Cougars return seven of nine starters from last year's 13-42 team ... ASu holds a 11-2 advantage in the all-time series with WSU ... the Coug's are led by outfielder Casey Kelley who is batting at a .563 clip (nine-for-16) with three homeruns in as many games ... RHP Jamaal Gaines leads the starting pitchers with a 1.50 ERA and 1-0 record ... ASU lost the last meeting between the two schools, 6-7, in the Riverside Baseball Invitational in 1989 ... as a team, WSU is batting a phenomenal .390 through three games.
DID YOU KNOW? -- Before FSU, ASU had outscored its opponents 91-12, but managed only three runs vs. the Seminoles ... The ASU pitching staff has a phenomenal 1.47 ERA through 10 games ... the Devils have allowed only one stolen base (1-8) this season ... The Sun Devils team batting average dropped 32 points after the two-game series with the 'Noles (from .354 to .322) ... ASU has held its opponents scoreless in the first inning through 10 games this season ... Coach Pat Murphy is averaging 42.6 wins per season at the Div. 1 level (429 wins over 10 years).
THE LAST TIME -- Sophomore pitcher Jay Gehrke's two hitter (13-2 over Hawaii-Hilo) is ASU's first since 1995 when Billy Neal two-hit San Francisco (5-0) Feb. 17, 1995 (complete games only) ... the Sun Devils combined one hitter vs. Hawaii-Hilo (5-1, Jan. 31, 1998) is ASU's first since April 10, 1996 vs. Southern Utah (ASU won 10-1).
talk about tough -- Once again, Arizona State has arguably one of the toughest schedules in the nation this year. The Sun Devils will play 34 games versus Top 25 teams (preseason top 25 by Baseball America). Five Six-Pac teams were ranked in the preseason top 25.