Jan. 17, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Junior preseason All-American Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-5 and starting pitcher Brett Bordes registered four strikeouts in 3.1 innings to lead the current group of Sun Devils to a 9-1 victory over the Alumni. The game capped the annual alumni weekend that started Friday with a golf tournament at Karsten Golf Course.
The 2004 Sun Devils earned the victory over an alumni group that consisted mainly of minor league prospects and a couple major league players. Current New York Met center fielder Jeff Duncan started for the alumni squad, as well as top prospects Brooks Conrad (Houston Astros), Chris Duffy (Pittsburgh Pirates), Mike Collins (Los Angeles Dodgers), Andre Ethier (Oakland A's), Jeremy West (Boston Red Sox) and pitcher Beau Vaughan (Boston Red Sox).
Pedroia had three singles in the contest and also stole two bases from the leadoff spot in the order. Junior preseason All-American Jeff Larish started in left field and went 1-for-4 with a double. Catcher Tuffy Gosewisch was 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored and junior college transfer Josh Asanovich was 2-for-5 with an RBI while starting at second base. Junior outfielder Ryan McKenna also added a run-scoring double and redshirt freshman infielder Seth Dhaenens recorded a two-run single in his first plate appearance as a Sun Devil.
Bordes paced a steady ASU pitching attack with three solid innings of work to pick up the unofficial win. Hard-throwing freshman right-hander Pat Bresnehan recorded three strikeouts in an inning and two thirds. Senior transfer Jeff Mousser added two innings of one-hit ball and junior college transfer Jason Urquidez finished off the win with two strikeouts in the final two innings.
The recorded only six hits of the varsity team, with third baseman Dennis Wyrick (2000-03) driving home the only run of the game on a single in the top of the fifth inning. Greg Steen (1981-83), Richy Leon (1995-98), Bryce Kartler (2000-03), Conrad (1999-2001) and Duffy (2001) also recorded hits for the alumni squad.
A couple of family combinations helped make the 2004 edition of the alumni game pretty special, with Chip Gosewisch (1996-99) batting with his brother (Tuffy) catching behind the plate. Alumni Larry Cook (1979) returned to the mound and forced his son (Chris) to pop up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning.
The Sun Devils officially open the 2004 campaign in just under three weeks (Feb. 6-8) with a three-game series against perennial national power Florida State. Good tickets are still on sale through the ASU Ticket Office by calling (480) 965-2381.
Arizona State 9, Arizona State Alumni 1 (Jan 17, 2004 at Tempe, Ariz.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona State Alumni 000 010 000 - 1 6 3 Arizona State....... 001 212 30X - 9 13 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Arizona State Alumni - Vaughan; Verdugo(3); Cook(4); Weymouth(4); Cermak(5); Johnson(6); Minor(7); Brody(7); Vasquez(8). Arizona State - Bordes; Bresnehan(4); Mousser(6); Urquidez(8). Win-Bordes Loss-Verdugo T-3:00 A-1017 --Sun Devil Baseball--