ASU Baseball: Sun Devils gear up for weekday rivalry game against Arizona
By Alec Henden
After losing two of three against UNC Wilmington over the weekend, ASU baseball open conference play with a weekday matchup versus rival Arizona.
Consistency is one of the most underappreciated aspects of sports. Fans, coaches and players love knowing what to expect from teams on a nightly basis. At 8-8, ASU baseball has been extremely inconsistent and it has provided moments of adulation and frustration.
A weekday matchup with in-state rival Arizona can be either a major springboard to a success, or the pitfall that can lead to a difficult conference season.
Arizona heads to Tempe with a 9-6 record and is coming off of a home sweep of North Dakota State. The Sun Devils on the other hand enter the matchup after a disappointing home series loss to UNC Wilmington.
The bats went ice cold on Saturday and Sunday and the inconsistent pitching brought a frustrating ending and puts the Sun Devils back to .500 at 8-8.
The inconsistent play is not uncommon of a young team. In order to become a winning program you must go through the struggles and learn to win together. A win against your rival at home can be a big momentum booster for Arizona State.
The Wildcats enter the matchup seeking their first road win of the season. They’re undefeated at home but found struggles when they played Big Ten schools at a neutral site.
Jay Johnson’s had a lot of success in his short tenure in Tucson compiling an 87-45 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Arizona brings their strong offense into Tempe looking to best the Sun Devils in their only matchup at Phoenix Municipal.
The Wildcats leaders at the plate are junior outfielder Alfonso Rivas III and junior catcher Cesar Salazar.
The upperclassmen have been apart of Arizona’s success the last two seasons and have adopted leadership roles on the team in 2018. Both Rivas and Salazar are hitting above .330, while playing great defense.
Salazar has yet to commit an error behind the plate and has done a good job of leading UA’s pitching staff. Expect them to play a big role in Tuesday’s game.
Next: ASU Baseball: Bats fall silent as UNC Wilmington wins series
Arizona State are likely to pitch a bullpen game on Tuesday, trying to utilize multiple innings from two or three innings in hopes of getting the ball to Chaz Montoya with a lead in the ninth. Tonight’s game starts at 7 p.m. PT and can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona.