Fresh off of a 12-1 win in game one of the series against USC, Arizona State managed to put up an even more impressive performance at the plate on Saturday night, scoring a season-high run total in a 17-2 win over the Trojans.
The squad’s success started with the top two hitters in the lineup. Junior catcher Ryan Campos and sophomore left fielder Kien Vu combined to go 8-9 on the night.
Additionally, the two combined to manufacture nine RBIs and came across to score eight times in just six innings, as the pair were pulled from the game due to the game being out of reach.
Vu showcased his power by launching two home runs, both of which brought in Campos, to add to his total of six RBIs on the night. In the first inning, a two-run shot started the scoring and brought the energy for the Sun Devils out of the gate.
“[Campos] has been so great about just getting on and then all I gotta do is try to hit too,” Vu said. “That first inning we had two more homers after that so we all can do it and it’s fun to watch.”
The sophomore aimed to keep his approach simple and has found consistency at the plate in his recent hot streak.
“I’m just trying to get my timing early,” Vu said. “And then whatever he throws over the plate I’m just trying to hit as hard as I can.”
Vu indicated that he has worked on the mental aspect of his game by regularly visiting a sports psychologist at the school, which has helped him get in the right head space to be successful at the plate.
“If I can just find a consistent spot where my head is kind of at and what I’m thinking, it’ll show on the field,” Vu said.
Campos continued his hot streak at the dish this series. Through the first two games, he was 8-10 at the dish with five RBIs proving to be a dominant force in the leadoff spot.
After starting the season a bit slow, Campos has seemingly found his groove once again and is seeing the ball extremely well at the plate. He credits his hot streak to the team around him, which he explains has made his job easier.
“It’s easy to hit when you got guys like Vu behind you,” Campos said. “I think we all kind of expect that out of Vu, and I’m happy to see him have this success.”
Even though Campos didn’t take too much credit for his stellar performance, manager Willie Bloomquist dished high praise for the catcher.
“To see the results starting to pan out the way we all expect Ryan Campos results to be it’s not surprising,” Bloomquist said. “The kid is incredible. So I’m not surprised, but very happy for him.”
As the season winds down, many questions remain about Campos’ future and whether he’ll enter this upcoming MLB draft. His skipper believes that he is ready for the next step and prepared to make the jump to the big leagues.
“He’ll work his way to the big leagues somehow some way,” Bloomquist said. “There’s just those types of kids that you know and he’s one of them.”
The Sun Devils will need to rely on Campos and Vu down the stretch as they close out Pac-12 play and gear up for the Pac-12 tournament. Now sitting at 22-21, the maroon and gold are as hot as they’ve been all season, riding a five-game winning streak and looking for back-to-back sweeps with a win in the series finale against the Trojans.
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