ASU outfielder Sontag living up to lofty expectations

In 2005, Ryan Sontag - fresh off earning honors as Big Ten freshman of the year at Michigan State - came to Arizona State expecting to use his speed and contact-hitting skills to be a top of the lineup threat.

The left fielder has achieved his objective, although he had not counted on 1 1/2 years of toiling as a bench player first. The delay in his reward made it no less satisfying for Sontag, whose recent hot hitting has raised his average to .379, third on the team.

"This is it. This is what I came here for," Sontag said. "I'm playing for a top-five team and am in the lineup every day at leadoff. It's awesome."

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Sontag became a regular at the start of April and has been at the top of the order for five of the Sun Devils' past six games. In the No.1 spot, he is 10-for-22 with four RBIs and three walks.

Since April1, Sontag is batting .382 (21-for-55) with 11 RBIs and a huge home run on getaway day at Washington State. His ninth-inning two-out, two-run homer tied the game at 13-13 - climaxing a five-run rally - and ASU won 16-13 in extra innings.

Most important, he has helped the Sun Devils win, as his ascension to the leadoff spot has coincided with a four-game winning streak that has helped the team recover from a lull of six losses in nine games between April5-22.

"Sontag has established himself in the last month," ASU coach Pat Murphy said. "He's an everyday guy now, and he's done an unbelievable job. It's really rare for him to have a bad at-bat."

Two years ago, Sontag played a lot, starting 37 of 47 games. But he batted .319, which is typically not high enough to stick in an ASU lineup loaded with big hitters. Matt Spencer transferred from North Carolina to play left field last season, relegating Sontag to the bench.

In 2007, Sontag played in 50 games but started just six, serving mostly as a pinch-hitter or runner or late-inning defensive replacement.

"It was frustrating to not take advantage of opportunities I had," Sontag said. "But I hung in there every day and knew that I wasn't going to start, but maybe I could still play a role. That's what kept me going."

His recognition as top Big Ten freshman suggests he left a good thing - from an individual standpoint, at least - at Michigan State. Still, he never regretted transferring while watching from ASU's dugout.

"I've had a lot of great experiences here," Sontag said. "I've been to Omaha (at the College World Series), and I never would have been able to do that at Michigan State. I've played for top-10 teams.

"I've learned things through my struggles here that I never would have learned at Michigan State. I had to learn to play through a lot of stuff."

Sontag is trying to apply the patience lessons he learned on the bench at the plate, where he is focusing on limiting strikeouts and making opposing pitchers work. He had made recent technique adjustments, moving closer to the plate and choking up on the bat more.

In three games against California last weekend, Sontag was 7-for-10.

"It's more satisfying that we're playing much better as a team," Sontag said. "It's exciting to get on base and score runs and help the team win."

His play over the last month has likely increased Sontag's profile among major-league scouts. He is eager to play professional baseball, but Sontag's more immediate dream involves the Pac-10 stretch run and NCAA tournament.

Last year, he was mostly a spectator during ASU's drive to Omaha. Now, he has an opportunity to play a big role in the Sun Devils' pursuit of a national championship, a fact that energizes him.

"Oh, no doubt," he said. "We have three Pac-10 series left, and every game matters. Our first goal is to win the Pac-10. This is the most exciting time of the year.

"All of the work that I and the team put in during the fall and winter and the nonconference schedule... it's all coming together now."

ASU at UCLA

When: 6 p.m. today, 4 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Jackie Robinson Stadium, Los Angeles

TV: FSN Arizona (Saturday only)

Radio: KDUS (1060 AM)

Records: ASU 35-7 overall, 10-5 Pac-10; UCLA 22-18, 6-6

Rankings: ASU No.4 USA Today/ESPN (coaches)/No.4 Baseball America/No.3 Collegiate Baseball/No.4 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association; UCLA unranked

Scouting the Bruins: First baseman Casey Haerther followed up a hot weekend at Washington - going 6-for-12 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs - by going a combined 0-for-8 in games against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount this week. He still is batting .327 and leads the team in homers (seven). Second baseman Alden Carrithers is the team's best hitter, with a .384 average, four homers and 36 RBIs. Tim Murphy (3-5, 3.49 ERA) and Gavin Brooks (5-2, 4.45 ERA) are the top pitchers.

Pac-10 standings

League Overall

Arizona State 10-5 35-7

Stanford 10-5 25-15-2

Oregon State 8-7 20-16

UCLA 6-6 22-18

Arizona 7-8 30-13

California 7-8 27-14-2

USC 7-8 21-22

Washington 5-7 25-16

Washington State 3-9 22-19