May 27: Sun Devils rise, but Shocks still hot

ASU's Jeff Pentland

Wichita State continues to hold a comfortable six-game lead as the College Greats league hits late May.  Most of the action seems to be around 2nd place, with Arizona State joining Texas A&M and LSU in the struggle to determine a challenger for the Shockers.  The Sun Devils climbed into the hunt by winning an important series against the Aggies, capped by a 5-4 win.  The Sun Devils climbed to an early 4-0 in the 2nd when Aggie starter Randy Pryor walked three consecutive batters, and then dropped a soft grounder by ASU's Ron Davini to open the floodgates. However, the Aggies responded in the 4th with a 2-out grand slam by outfielder Jim Neumann (his 5th homer of the year) that knotted the score at 4.   However, aside from this rough patch in the 4th, ASU's Jeff Pentland (11-1, 1.93) had the Aggies' number, striking out 14.   And, in the bottom of the 6th, Pentland (future hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers) extended his heroics with a solo homer that put the Sun Devils ahead to stay.

The victory pulled ASU to within a game of A&M, but still seven games behind Wichita State.  Unless opposing pitchers can figure out some way to keep the Shockers off the basepaths, it might be a long season for the rest of the league.


College Greats League Standings

Year      Team                     W    L    PCT   GB   L10   
1982      Wichita State Shockers   38   15   .717  -    8-2   
1989      Texas A&M Aggies         32   21   .604  6.0  6-4   
1967      Arizona State Sun Devils 31   22   .585  7.0  7-3   
1997      LSU Tigers               30   23   .566  8.0  4-6   
1995      Cal State Fullerton      27   26   .509  11.0 7-3   
2001      Miami Hurricanes         25   28   .472  13.0 4-6   
1983      Texas Longhorns          23   30   .434  15.0 4-6   
1971      USC Trojans              21   32   .396  17.0 3-7   
1985      Miss State Bulldogs      20   33   .377  18.0 3-7   
1985      Oklahoma State Cowboys   18   35   .340  20.0 4-6   

5-27-2013 1989-Texas A&M Aggies vs. 1967-Arizona State Sun Devils

                      1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9   R  H  E
Texas A&M Aggies      0  0  0  4  0  0  0  0  0   4  7  1
Arizona State         0  4  0  0  0  1  0  0  x   5  5  1

1989-Texas A&M Aggies        AB   R   H RBI  BB  SO   AVE
K. Thompson (CF)              4   0   0   0   0   2  .311
T. Taylor (2B)                4   0   0   0   0   2  .258
C. Knoblauch (SS)             4   1   2   0   0   2  .289
J. Byington (3B)              4   0   0   0   0   4  .311
E. Albright (C)               4   1   3   0   0   0  .216
A. Duke (LF)                  3   1   0   0   1   1  .220
M. Easley (1B)                3   0   0   0   1   1  .228
J. Neumann (RF)               4   1   2   4   0   0  .223
T. Witte (DH)                 4   0   0   0   0   2  .248
                             34   4   7   4   2  14

HR: J. Neumann
SB: M. Easley
E:  R. Pryor
LOB: 5

1967-Arizona State Sun Devi  AB   R   H RBI  BB  SO   AVE
F. Nelson (2B)                5   0   0   0   0   1  .186
S. Reid (RF)                  4   0   1   2   1   3  .225
R. Carpenter (LF)             5   0   2   0   0   2  .192
J. Paulson (1B)               3   0   1   0   2   0  .237
D. Grangaard (3B)             3   1   0   0   2   3  .227
L. Linville (CF)              3   1   0   0   1   3  .213
J. Lind (SS)                  0   1   0   1   4   0  .240
R. Davini (C)                 3   0   0   0   1   1  .255
J. Pentland (DH)              3   2   1   2   1   0  .327
                             29   5   5   5  12  13

HR: J. Pentland
SB: R. Carpenter, J. Lind(3)
E:  R. Carpenter
LOB: 13

1989-Texas A&M Aggies         IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR   ERA
R. Pryor(L, 1-4)             7.0   4   5   3  11  12   1  9.39
A. DeLaCruz                  0.0   0   0   0   1   0   0  4.24
B. Gilbert                   0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0  1.48
S. Hughes                    0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0  1.71
                             8.0   5   5   3  12  13   1

1967-Arizona State Sun Devi   IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR   ERA
J. Pentland(W, 11-1)         9.0   7   4   4   2  14   1  1.93
                             9.0   7   4   4   2  14   1


Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, NE