A midweek matchup with one of the best mid-major programs in the country yielded a big win for Arizona State baseball. But it came with a mixture of concern and optimism for two aspects of the program often on opposite ends: the offense and the bullpen.
Arizona State (4-0) used a five-run rally in the fifth inning to lock down a come-from-behind 5-3 win over the Austin Peay Governors (1-3) on Monday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Junior center fielder Isaiah Jackson’s solo homer in the inning got the scoring started, while sophomore left fielder Brandon Compton gave ASU the lead for good with a two-run single later on. The bullpen was masterful, as three relievers combined to only allow two hits and no runs over 5.1 innings.
Sophomore righty Rohan Lettow earned his first start of his career after appearing just once a season ago. Lettow’s afternoon got off to a rough start. Governors senior left fielder Cameron Nickens cranked the fourth pitch of the game to right center and over the well to give Austin Peay a 1-0 lead.
Lettow didn’t surrender much hard contact, but his wildness put batters on base and kept them on the go. The sophomore finished his first start after just 3 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on five hits to go along with two walks and two punch-outs.
On the flip side, the Sun Devils’ offense stumbled for the first time this season. Governors’ sophomore starter Cody Airington allowed just one baserunner through four innings of play. The biggest reason was his dominance over the power in the middle of the lineup, striking out Compton, junior right fielder Kien Vu, and graduate student catcher Josiah Cromwick a combined five times.
“He wasn’t fooling us,” manager Willie Bloomquist claimed. “He was coming at us straight with heaters that had a little ride to it, and he was blowing by us. We’ve got to do a little better job making an adjustment … He was basically saying ‘Hit it if you can’ and we weren’t touching it.”
The Sun Devils broke through in the fifth thanks to Jackson’s first home run of the season. The reigning Pac-12 All-Defensive team member hit a solo shot off Airington the other way, putting ASU on the board with just its second hit of the day. The long ball meant Jackson’s hard work in the offseason revamping his swing with hitting coach Jason Ellison was finally paying off.
Oppo tacos are on the menu 🌮
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) February 17, 2025
IJax with his first of the year. Devils on the board.
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“It’s always a good feeling to see it go,” Jackson said. “I’ve been feeling a lot better in the box over the past couple of days, just trying to work out the kinks … [Ellison’s] been doing a lot of work with me and getting on the same page with it. He broke [my swing] down on his own. What he thinks was a good swing and all those changes. We’ve just been on the same page with everything.”
Airington’s day ended just one out into the fifth, but the Sun Devils’ offense once again fed off a teammate’s success. A pair of free passes with the bases loaded pushed two more runs across for ASU to tie the game. Compton stepped to the plate and delivered with a two-run single to center that bookended a five-run rally in the fifth inning.
B-Comp just continues to rake.
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) February 17, 2025
Add two more RBIs to the Opening Week tally.
Devils with with a five-spot and the lead!
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“That’s why he’s in our three-hole,” Bloomquist said with a smile. “Somebody’s got to come up with big hits, and right now he’s been doing it pretty much daily … We’re not quite firing on all cylinders yet. If you look at the numbers, they aren’t gaudy. We’re just coming up with big hits at the right time.”
Redshirt senior righty Jonah Giblin locked down the Austin Peay lineup for three innings in relief. He struck out four Governors and allowed no runs as the Sun Devils climbed back to take the lead. He received a standing ovation from the crowd as he departed the field in the seventh.
“Knowing I’ve just got to put it over the white part of the plate, that’s where my stuff works best,” Giblin said. “I was just trying to go after them today rather than previously it was kind of erratic; a little too amped up. So today was just calming down and trusting my stuff.”
The ASU bullpen became the strength for ASU in their fourth game in as many days. While the Governors’ bullpen let the Sun Devils pull ahead, the Sun Devils stranded seven Austin Peay baserunners on the day. Sophomore left-hander Cole Carlon and senior right-hander Will Koger finished the final few frames, with Koger picking up his second save of the season.
Outside of the fifth-inning scoring bunch, ASU only had one hit in the game. A stark departure from the hitting display in the weekend sweep of Ohio State. The Sun Devils will stay home for another weekend series to host the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. The first pitch of the series is on Friday at 6:30 PM Arizona Time.
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