ASU to open regional as draft looms
Juggling the focus required for the postseason and the emotions of the major league draft is common place for Arizona State baseball.
Except for the last two years when the Sun Devils failed to make the NCAA Tournament and has a record-low one player drafted in 2017. The draft production improved in 2018 with five selections and now the Sun Devils are back in the NCAA field for a regional starting Friday and projected to have a first-round draft pick Monday.
That combination hasn't occurred since 2010 when ASU was the No. 1 national postseason seed, advancing to the College World Series, and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year Seth Blair was a late first round draft pick.
Outfielder Hunter Bishop is in position to become ASU's first first-rounder since Deven Marrero in 2012 when the Sun Devils were ineligible for postseason. Pitcher Alec Marsh is projected for the third round and ASU could have up to nine current players drafted by Wednesday — not to mention drafted high school recruits.
Postseason trumps all
What could amount to a giant distraction is mitigated in ASU's case by being back in the postseason, a first for all of the Sun Devils other than Cole Austin, whose 2017 NCAA appearance was with West Virginia.
It's believable when ASU players say all that matters is their regional in Baton Rouge, La. because they've never been to one before and some will not get another chance to make the College World Series.
"The draft will take care of itself," Bishop said. "Obviously it's something to look forward to, but my first thing is just try to win game 1 then go from there."
ASU (37-17) plays Southern Mississippi (38-19) Friday, then potentially No. 13 national seed LSU (37-24) on Saturday. The winner of the four-team, doubleelimination regional, which could extend to Monday, advances to a super regional, June 7-10.
Tracy Smith, ASU's fifth-year coach, said he and his staff work all year with their upperclassmen on how to manage the draft and "sprinkle everyday interaction" with it.
"Part of our responsibility is moving these guys on to be future stars," Smith said. "We talk about these things a lot. I don't see it as draft day being an issue. It could go the other way too. Some of these guys are going to be taken high then it will be a collective sigh and they can just go play."
Bishop slugged 16 home runs through March but has just six since for 22, No. 6 nationally. That's 12 more homers than in his first two seasons combined with equally impressive gains in other offensive categories (.347 average, 61 RBI, .765 slugging, .473 on base).
Bishop makes 'quantum change'
It adds up to what ESPN's Keith Law describes as a "quantum change" in production. In his second mock draft, Law projects Bishop to be the 10th overall selection, down just one spot from the first mock despite the power dip in the last eight weeks.
"Drawing more walks, working the count more allowed him to get to the power," Law said. "That part is all connected, but this is a lot more than Hunter hit the weights a lot more this winter. This is a different human coming out this spring. He's really remade himself into a much better player."
Bishop's older brother Braden had a tougher time as a junior in 2015 at Washington, his average dropping to .295. Still he was a third-round draft pick by Seattle and played briefly with the Mariners this season before dropping back to the minors.
"He just told me not to be like him (as a junior)," Hunter said. "At first it was maybe a little intimidating because I'd never really had that scouting before. For me, it was trying to keep it one pitch at a time. That's really all I could do because everybody is human. Everybody thinks about the future. It's definitely been a challenge, but nothing too hard."
The draft build up peaked last week when former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter, now Miami Marlins CEO, showed up at Phoenix Muni for the ASUStanford series opener. He was there to scout not only Bishop and Marsh on the ASU side but also Spencer Torkelson, who will in Bishop's position as a high first-round pick next year.
Torkelson has 21 homers this season and 46 for his career, just 10 behind the school career record set by Bob Horner from 1976-78.
"I didn't even know he was here," Torkelson said. "Then I look up after batting practice and see some bald guy next to Jorge Posada. I'm like oh my god, that's Derek Jeter.
"If you talk to Bishop and Marsh, you wouldn't know they're going on the first day of the draft. They don't get sucked into the pressure of a radar gun being up there or a camera on you. My takeaways from them are flush it out. You're still playing baseball."
ASU hopes to still be playing beyond the draft although that will require winning close games that have gone the other way of late. The Sun Devils, who started 25-1, are 12-16 since April 1 with just one weekend series win.
"The draft is what it is," Smith said. "That's probably already set for most all of our guys. The thing you can never get back is this opportunity to play in the postseason with this particularly group of guys.
"Given everything we've gone through the last couple of years, I don't see us wasting that opportunity thinking about something else."
Baton Rouge regional
Where:
Rouge.
ASU radio: KDUS-AM (1060). Friday: ASU (37-17) vs. Southern Mississippi (38-19), 10 a.m. (ESPN3); LSU (37-24) vs. Stony Brook (31-21), 4 p.m. (ESPNU).
Saturday: Friday losers, 10 a.m.; Friday winners, 4 p.m.
Sunday: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, noon; Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Monday: Game 7 if necessary, 1 p.m. Notes: ASU's opening opponent Southern Mississippi is making its fourth straight NCAA appearance after winning the Conference USA tournament. The Golden Eagles are led by OF Matt Wallner with 21 home runs and a school record 56 in his career and P Walker Powell (6-2, 1.11 ERA, 71 strikeouts). ASU and Southern Miss are meeting for the first time. Alex Box Stadium, Baton