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Murphy bemoans Sun Devil diamond rarity - ineligibility
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In a quarter-century as a college baseball coach, Pat Murphy had never had a player declared academically ineligible.
The Arizona State coach has three this season, and two - pitchers Jason Jarvis and Devin Fuller - are doozies. As a result, Murphy spent a portion of the team's media day on Tuesday lamenting the loss of a pair of live arms.
"Fuller and Jarvis being ineligible crushes us," Murphy said. "That's two of the best arms on the club, two guys who are potential high draft picks who can't play. They would be in the rotation or closing for us. It pains me a bunch."
Walk-on outfielder Hayden Moss is the third ineligible player for ASU, opening its season on Friday against Miami (Ohio) in the DeMarini Invitational at Packard Stadium. The Sun Devils, No.1 in the USA Today (coaches) rankings, face SEC power Vanderbilt Saturday and two-time defending national champion Oregon State Sunday.
Jarvis, who set an ASU freshman record with 11 saves in 2007, has a dispute over a fall-semester grade that's unresolved. Murphy said the right-hander is "ineligible until further notice, and it could be the full season."
Fuller, a highly-touted righty out of Gilbert High School, will be sidelined for the entire year. "He learned a freshman lesson," Murphy said.
With Jarvis out, the Sun Devils' late-inning pitching will be determined "inning by inning and batter by batter," Murphy said. Left-hander Ike Davis and righties Dustin Brader, Tommy Rafferty and Reyes Dorado are the first options.
Returnees Mike Leake and Josh Satow lead the rotation, with freshman Seth Blair and transfer Jason Franzblau following. Satow is the only left-hander in that group.
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