House of Sparky - All Posts

Saturday Football Fix: Territorial Cup Victory Formation

2013-05-18T16:00:05Z

Here's to a glorious sight that never gets old...The Victory Formation

Escobedo Throws No-Hitter in Tempe Regional Opener

2013-05-18T00:24:50Z

As one of just two collegiate pitchers with a National Championship to her name, Dallas Escobedo faced high expectations coming into this year's postseason.

On Friday afternoon, Escobedo performed above and beyond all expectations by tossing a no-hitter in the Sun Devil's 5-2 victory over San Jose State in the first game of the Tempe Regional.

Escobedo's no-hitter was the first no-hitter ever thrown by an Arizona State pitcher in the postseason.

Though the Sun Devils came in as heavy favorites against the Spartans, they needed the stellar complete game outing from Escobedo to earn the victory.

Despite not allowing a hit, the Glendale, Ariz. native did surrender two runs in the first inning on an error by left fielder Elizabeth Caporuscio.

Facing a two-run deficit, the Sun Devils were forced to play catch-up against WAC Pitcher of the Year Amanda Pridmore.

Amber Freeman got the Sun Devil offense in gear by launching a first inning home run. Arizona State would tie the game in the bottom of the second.

However, the Sun Devils did not break the tie until the bottom of the fifth inning when Cheyenne Coyle drove in Bailey Wigness on an infield single.

Dealing with the pressures of pitching in a close game, Escobedo maintained her poise by keeping the Spartan hitters off balance all afternoon.

Escobedo needed 110 pitches to notch five strikeouts and she mixed in her potent rise ball with a combination of great off-speed pitches.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Escobedo's performance is the fact that she did not appear to have great command of her pitches.

Escobedo walked three batters and also hit a batter en route to the win, but she did not allow her early struggles to impact her mindset.

On top of allowing two runs in the first inning, Escobedo was also called for an illegal pitch on the second pitch of the game and was forced to adjust her mechanics.

The 2011 WCWS co-Most Outstanding Player did that and more as her historic effort helped the Sun Devils into the winner's bracket.

Arizona State will take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday at 3 p.m. as the Sun Devils continue their quest for a second title in three seasons.

ASU vs. UofA Baseball Preview: Territorial Cup At Stake

2013-05-17T17:50:39Z

The 2012-13 Territorial Cup will be settled once and for all this weekend at Packard Stadium.

The Arizona Wildcats (29-20, 10-14) travel to Tempe to take on No. 13 Arizona State (33-15-1, 14-10). The team that wins two of three games will claim the highly coveted Territorial Cup for its university.

ASU also needs two wins to clinch a top-16 spot and become an NCAA regional host. Beating Texas Tech in comeback fashion was a must and the bullpen held strong during the 8-5 victory on Wednesday. It should be noted that right-handed reliever Ryan Burr tied the school's freshman single-season saves record with 11. He will have a chance to break the record this weekend against the Wildcats.

If the Sun Devils' last Pac-12 battle is any indication, this weekend could be one for the history books. ASU relied on the long ball and two-out hitting to steal the road trip from California.

James McDonald hit the game-winning solo home run in the ninth on Saturday night and designated hitter Nate Causey blasted a two-out grand slam in the ninth to break a 6-6 tie on Mother's Day, finishing the afternoon with a career-high six RBIs. He followed it up with a 3-for-4 outing and four RBI's against the Red Raiders.

Head football coach Todd Graham will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday and he will be available to sign autographs on the third base concourse 45 minutes before first pitch. On Sunday, Arizona State will honor its three seniors, Alex Blackford, Matt Dunbar and Max Rossiter for their contributions to the Sun Devil program.

Now, to the games themselves. Arizona and Arizona State each have some things to prove with the postseason on the horizon. Arizona has dropped six of its last seven Pac-12 games, not including a midweek nonconference game against the Sun Devils. The Wildcats should be well on their wait to making the tournament because they are in the top half of the Pac-12 standings, but they could be either a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the regional round.

Sure, there is no more Fab Five, but the Wildcats are still a competitive team and the Sun Devils learned their lesson when Arizona came back to win 10-9 in mid April. Arizona is just like Arizona State in the fact that they have five everyday starters with batting averages better than .310. Furthermore, there's no denying that center fielder Johnny Field and third baseman Brandon Dixon supply most of the offense.

The leadoff and best all-around hitters combine for 11 of the team's 13 home runs, 102 runs (32 percent), 81 RBI's (28 percent), and 44 stolen bases (48 percent) and are the top two on the team in batting average.

It will be a hard fought battle as always because of the heart and effort that is put forth in rivalry games. Kasey Coffman, Michael Benjamin, and James McDonald have been tearing it up at the top for the Sun Devils while Causey has been locking things down at the bottom of the order.

Like almost every series, this weekend will come down to pitching. Trevor Williams, Ryan Kellogg and Zak Miller will take the mound for ASU against Konner Wade, James Farris and Tyler Crawford. Wade and Williams are both having difficult seasons and are in need of a big win to give them some confidence as Pac-12 play winds down.

If this series comes down to the Sunday afternoon contest, it should be a high scoring game. If that's the case, the Sun Devils should have an edge and claim the 2012-13 Territorial Cup.

ASU Softball: Amber Freeman Tabbed As Pac-12 Player of the Year

2013-05-15T22:21:22Z

One day after Dallas Escobedo was honored as the USA Softball Player of the Week, battery mate Amber Freeman received an even more prestigious award.

On Wednesday, Freeman was named the Pac-12 Softball Player of the Year after a phenomenal sophomore season that included 16 home runs and 58 RBIs.

The sophomore standout started all 55 games for the Sun Devils and spent the majority of her time behind the plate. Along with impressive offensive numbers, Freeman helped guide the Arizona State pitching staff to a collective 2.19 ERA on the season.

After hitting .346 as a freshman last season, Freeman improved her average to a team-leading .385 this year. Coach Clint Myers has notably called her home runs the "byproduct of a good swing," and Freeman had plenty of solid hacks this year.

Despite playing only two seasons in Tempe, Freeman has made her mark as one of the premier hitters in the country and figures to give her team a major boost in the upcoming Women's College World Series.

Freeman will catch for Sun Devil ace Dallas Escobedo, a fellow First Team All-Conference selection, as the Sun Devils take on San Jose State this Friday at 3 p.m. at Farrington Stadium.

Joining Freeman and Escobedo with First Team All-Conference honors on Wednesday was shortstop Cheyenne Coyle (.364, 19 home runs, 60 RBIs).

Other Sun Devils to receive recognition include Second Team All-Conference pitcher Mackenzie Popescue and Honorable Mention selections Alix Johnson, Bethany Kemp, Sam Parlich, Haley Steele, and Bailey Wigness.

Former Arizona State QB Andrew Walter Running For Congress

2013-05-15T22:12:42Z

Former Sun Devil signal-caller Andrew Walter is looking to reign over Tempe once again in 2014 as he sets his sights on Arizona's District 9 seat in the U.S. Congress.

Walter, a Republican, would have to beat out the rest of the Republican field as well as incumbent Kyrsten Sinema to earn the honor. But the good news is that he could have a city of grateful football fans backing him up.

As this map shows, the 9th District is made up all of Tempe as well as parts of Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Paradise Valley and Phoenix. And although it's almost been 10 years since he last donned the maroon and gold, the ASU faithful likely have not forgotten his extensive accomplishments.

Walter finished his four-year playing career at Arizona State (2001-2004) with a 22-16 record, surpassing John Elway's long-held Pac-10 touchdown record with 85 scores through the air in the process. To this day, Walter still owns the university records for most touchdown passes, passing yards (10,617 yards) and pass attempts (1,416) in a career as well as the single game record for passing yards (536 yards vs. Oregon in 2002) and the single season record for touchdown passes (30 in 2004).

But since tossing around a pigskin at a highly efficient rate doesn't have much to do with politics, here's Walter's message on the front page of his campaign site:

"I've been to many different place over the year, but Arizona will always be my home. I want to take the hard work and dedication the Walter name is known for and make a difference in Washington."

Simply riveting.

As many of you are well aware, the Raiders also selected Walter with the 69th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. And after "choosing" to leave the NFL at age 27 following three seasons in Oakland and short stint in New England, Walter returned to Arizona State and earned a MBA from the WP Carey School of Business.

While we're skeptical of Walter's usage of the "choosing" due to his professional touchdown-to-interception ratio (3-to-16), his well-rounded, post-football resume speaks for itself (and can be found here).

And while we at House of Sparky aren't exactly in the political endorsement business, we figure if an adulterous cyborg from Austria once ran California, why can't one of the best quarterbacks in ASU history make some decisions for his former fans in Tempe?

ASU Football On the Move: The Case For Chase Field

2013-05-15T17:05:09Z

As if a new coach, new uniforms and a new Sparky aren't enough, the list goes on.

While certain cherished aspects of Sun Devil culture will forever stay the same, other age-old traditions wait in line for their facelift.

After the last-second heroics to save the near-debacle of the "New Sparky", the athletic department has its hands full again with its next task.

In 2015, the beloved Sun Devil Stadium is slated for renovations that will force the Arizona State football team to find a temporary home.

By that time, the concrete jungle along Veterans Way will have withstood 56 seasons of football. While the stadium likely won't be rebuilt from scratch, the upgrades and enhancements will take long enough to put the Sun Devils on the move.

At the present time, there appears to be only two viable options to host the six 2015 Arizona State home games: University of Phoenix Stadium and Chase Field.

On the surface, competing at the University of Phoenix Stadium seems to make quite a bit of sense.

The stadium is built for football, has the seating capacity to rival a packed house at Sun Devil Stadium, and has proven to be a great college football site by hosting Fiesta Bowl games.

In contrast, Chase Field is built for baseball, cannot accommodate 50,000 fans in a football setting, and could be hosting Major League Baseball playoff games during the Sun Devils' season.

So why would Arizona State even consider Chase Field? Here's the three best reasons:

1) The Connections

For starters, university president Michael Crow and Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton work well together.

When Crow helped develop the plans for the downtown campus, he envisioned a sector of the university that would thrive in a unique environment and could still access and contribute to the Tempe campus. Today, nearly 10,000 students call Arizona State's downtown Phoenix campus home.

Furthermore, downtown Phoenix is a budding metropolis and Chase Field rests in the heart of this up and coming area. The downtown campus is just a 10-minute walk from Chase Field, and having the football team play there would be a vote of confidence for downtown students.

Arizona State has expanded far beyond Tempe, and building connections with the Phoenix community should continue to be a successful venture.

2) The Students

It's a sad reality that the massive student body at Arizona State makes up just a small portion of the crowd at Sun Devil home games. Though moving to Phoenix will likely hurt student attendance, moving to Glendale could eliminate a student presence completely.

Chase Field is accessible by light rail, which thousands of Arizona State students use anyway. University of Phoenix Stadium is not a public transportation hub, and it's also a 30-minute drive from the Tempe campus without traffic.

For six games, the Sun Devils will see their student attendance take a hit. However, the smaller the dip, the more likely students are to embrace the refurbished Sun Devil stadium a year later.

3) The Novelty

It might sound crazy, but playing football in a baseball stadium actually works. Fans enjoy the thought of seeing sports in different settings. Plus, preparing Chase Field for a football frenzy could get interesting.

In 2011, the Cal Bears played their home games at AT&T Park. While the Sun Devils didn't make the trip up north then, they did defeat Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park last year.

By that count, the Sun Devils are 1-0 under Todd Graham in baseball stadiums, so why not test the waters a little more? Kidding aside, it's only six games, so why not take advantage of the novelty factor to boost fan attendance and see if Arizona State can cultivate a following in Phoenix.

Bonus: The Commitment

On April 23^rd, Arizona State announced a partnership with the City of Phoenix to relocate the Sun Devil baseball team to Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 2015. At the press conference, Michael Crow announced that the football team would also be moving to Phoenix and play at Chase Field.

However, the Diamondbacks brass rejected the notion that a deal had been negotiated between the university and the team.

So in the interest of saving another Sparky-like catastrophe, Arizona State should try to turn Crow's word into reality as soon as possible.

Poll

Where should ASU play its home games in 2015?

Speaking Victory: Spring Soundbites

2013-05-14T16:00:09Z

Since his hiring in December of 2011, Todd Graham has instilled a sense of belief in his players. Every player in the Arizona State program has high expectations for himself and the team and that much has been conveyed in their individual interviews.

The writers at House of Sparky had a chance to catch up with plenty of your favorite Sun Devils this spring and they can't wait for the start of fall camp. The Sun Devils expect to be in contention for a Rose Bowl berth and they appear to have the drive, determination, and confidence to get there.

We decided to pull together our Top 10 quotes of the spring from the Sun Devils to give the fans a sense of what to look forward to come football season.

Many of these quotes have appeared in player profiles and feature articles this spring, but we wanted to compile a comprehensive list of soundbites to give you a taste of what's in store this year.

So without further ado, here are your Top 10 quotes from 2013.

10. Todd Graham: On Speaking Victory- " We talk about our identity and we talk about PT 42. We talk about character, we talk about discipline, we talk about mental and physical toughness, and we talk about passion."

9. Grandville Taylor: On Todd Graham's Impact:- "Coach Graham gave me an opportunity that Coach Erickson didn't. Not to doubt [Erickson], but Coach Graham is a great guy and I'm just learning a lot from him and this whole coaching staff."

8. Alden Darby: On Practice- " It's 10 times faster, 10 times better. Guys know what to expect, guys believe a lot more. We believe in Coach Graham's vision and what it has in store for us."

7. Will Sutton: On Expectations- "They're (coaches) demanding a lot more. The standard, the bar is set a lot higher than it was last year. Not just for me but for everybody."

6. Bo Graham: On the Running Backs- " I think, potentially, we have the athletes, as long as we do our jobs as coaches putting them in positive situations, these guys have the potential to be the best in the country."

5. Steffon Martin: On the Defense- " Oh, it's fun. Big hits coming. Will Sutton makes sacks, Carl (Bradford) makes sacks, (Alden) Darby gets picks, Chris Young CY makes sacks. That's when it gets real fun."

4. Christian Westerman: On Hard Work- " The biggest slogan is just hard work, basically. Everyone is working hard. There is not one guy who's slacking. They don't allow that. When everyone is working hard, that's a championship team and that's what they have here".

3. Carl Bradford: On the Team Mentality- " We're hungrier this year and I can see it in every guy's eyes. We're ready to go out and finish number one in the Pac (12)."

2. D.J. Foster: On Potential- " We worked really hard this offseason. Just having a year under our belt and learning the system even more...the sky is the limit for us. As high as we want to go, we can do it."

1. Todd Graham: On the Ultimate Goal- " We talked about our one purpose that we have as a team and that's to be National Champions. That's in the classroom, on the field, off the field, everything we do."

The Week That Was in Sun Devil Country: May 5-12

2013-05-13T16:00:03Z

It was quite a week in Sun Devils country as the university donned a new face on Wednesday with unveiling of the new Sparky. Even though the old Sparky is near and dear to my heart, this new Sparky is beginning to grow on me.

While Sparky took most of the spotlight, there was other news worthy of headlines. The Sun Devils lost a valuable member of their backcourt and gained a high profile recruit for the class of 2014.

Six Stories to read from last week

Arizona State Unveils New Sparky: After weeks of deliberating and fan voting, ASU finally announced the new Sparky on Wednesday. The fan reception was mostly positive (we will get to that below), and lets just say this "new" new Sparky is easier on the eyes than the original "new" Sparky.

Fans React to the New Sparky: We set out a call to you fans on social media and you answered with your thoughts about the new Sparky. Overall the responses were positive from the fans as it seems like the ASU community approved of the changes to Sparky.

Evan Gordon Transferring: The Sun Devil shooting guard has decided to transfer back to Indiana to be closer to home. As a junior, Gordon averaged 10.1 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game. His departure leaves a hole in the starting lineup next to Jahii Carson.

Sun Devils Snag 2014 Point Guard Recruit: California point guard Tra Holder gave Herb Sendek a verbal commitment on Friday. Holder averaged 22.9 PPG as a junior and is rated as the 137th best player in the nation for the class of 2014 by Rivals.com

ASU Hockey Gets a Big Time Recruit: The Arizona State hockey team got an official commitment from forward Eric Rivard from Michigan. Rivard played last season in the North American Hockey League, scoring 24 goals for the Soo Eagles.

ASU Football Spring Surprises: Kerry Crowley gives his spring football surprises. Find out which players are primed for a breakout 2013.

News and Notes

The ASU softball team took two of three games from the Oregon Ducks last weekend. The Sun Devils finished the regular season at 45-10 and 16-8 in conference. ASU finished second in the Pac-12 and will host a regional this weekend at Farrington Stadium.
A big congratulations to ASU Track and Field athlete Nick Happe for being named the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Happe finished the year with a 4.08 GPA.
Death. Taxes. The ASU Women's Golf Team. The Lady Sun Devils advanced to their 22nd consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championships which take place May 21-24 in Athens, Georgia.

Tweets of the Week

The Tough Choices in life

Ricotta Pancakes or Breakfast Burrito?
— Peggy4ASU (@Peggy4ASU) May 10, 2013

It is actually really addicting

Im hooked on family feud on the ipad lol
— Outland Douglas (@Jamil_Lamarr) May 9, 2013

Todd Graham Tweet of the Week

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential - these are the keys that will unlock the door to excellence.
— Todd Graham(@CoachGrahamASU) May 9, 2013

Happens every time

You can be hard as you want but as soon as that R. Kelly come on in the club you gunna be singing like tweety bird lol
— Keelan Johnson (@K_Johnson10) May 11, 2013

Hopefully you can show them a College World Series ring too

I can't wait to show my kids my Vine videos
— Trevor Williams (@T_WilliamsASU43) May 9, 2013

Best of luck to Evan Gordon

Coach mentioned on fan forum tonight Evan Gordon wants to play closer to home in senior season and we wish him well.
— ASU Men's Basketball (@SunDevilHoops) May 9, 2013

Sounds about right

They just gon give everybody techs huh? #bulls
— Kyle Williams (@KyleWilliams_10) May 8, 2013

We hope all the Sun Devil mothers had a great Mother's Day

Through all the pain & the drama I could always depend on ma mama..
— Rashad Wadood (@Wadu4Thorpe) May 12, 2013

Videos of the Week

Tra Holder Highlights

For those of you that miss football season (A.K.A. all of us)

Some Will Sutton highlights for everyone