ASU Baseball Preview: Sun Devils Set To Face Long Beach State

The ASU-LBSU series begins on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. MT start, with another game on Saturday before a finale on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. MT

ASU is the fourth ranked opponent Long Beach State has played this season. Previously, the Dirtbags faced No. 2 Vanderbilt on the opening weekend of the year, No. 10 Arizona in the home opener, and No. 7 UCLA in a 3-2 loss on Tuesday night.

LBSU hosted Seattle University for the first time in baseball last weekend, and lost two out of three to the Redhawks. LBSU dropped the series opener 5-4 on Friday, but notched a 4-3 win on Saturday. The Dirtbags then fell to the Redhawks 8-3 in the series finale.

Arizona State, meanwhile, has a 7-2-1 record on the year, earning series wins over Bethune-Cookman and Tennessee, before defeating Arkansas twice last weekend. Junior outfielder Kasey Coffman is the leading hitter among the Sun Devil regulars, starting every game and hitting .371 with two triples and a home run. On the mound, junior right-hander Trevor Williams has 21 strikeouts and three earned runs allowed in 21 innings pitched over three starts.

ASU leads LBSU 35-9 all time. Last season in Long Beach, the Dirtbags won the Saturday game but lost the series 2-1 at Blair Field.

Long Beach State baseball has one of the most unique—and recognizable—monikers in college baseball. The Dirtbags nickname refers to the team’s rough-and-tumble style of play and success against higher profile programs. The moniker was first coined in 1989, when LBSU’s squad was comprised of mostly new players and practiced at an all-dirt Pony Field.