/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/888538/GYI0060926233.jpg)
This time of year, college baseball really picks up steam. ASU has already played four games this week, winning two of three from the hated Arizona Wildcats and winning the first game against the upstart Oregon Ducks.
During this, the first week of Pac-10 play, the Sun Devils look to assert their dominance over the conference. Yesterday, Brady Rodgers put together 7.2 innings of quality work, giving up only two runs to earn his fourth victory of the season.
Zach Wilson leads the team with 28 RBI on the season, while Johnny Ruettiger paces the Sun Devils with 35 hits.
This is a good ASU team. Sure, they're a bit inconsistent and some spotty pitching by starter Jake Barrett (2-2, 5.35 ERA) has left the team with a few losses. Don't get confused, though -- the ASU baseball team is still a top ten program nationally, currently ranked fifth overall.
At 18-5, the Sun Devils deserve all the support they can get. They are playing with the urgency of a team that knows it cannot go to the College World Series. This team is proving that a program can survive NCAA sanctions; in fact, they will continue to thrive. And that's the Sun Devil way.