Devils must find new stars in 2009

With six regular position players, the No. 2 pitcher and a reliever who went 12-0 departing after this season, it was suggested that Arizona State’s best chance to win the College World Series was this season.

Fresno State ends ASU's baseball season

Bordow: No joke! Murphy’s reign may be over

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Was a sense of urgency a factor in the Sun Devils’ earlier-than-expected departure from the NCAA tournament? Coach Pat Murphy does not think so, but he believes that a super regional loss against Fresno State was the result of his team being under the pressure of lofty expectations.

“I felt it,” Murphy said. “They were really, really pressing, instead of just having fun and playing. I wish I could reverse that feeling where we’re playing not to lose, instead of playing to win.”

The tournament ouster was a disappointment for a Sun Devils team that was a preseason No. 1 selection and was expected to reach a third CWS in four seasons on the shoulders of three stars: third baseman Brett Wallace, first baseman Ike Davis and catcher Petey Paramore.

Wallace and Davis were taken in the first round of the major league draft last week, and Paramore was a third-round selection. Against Fresno State, they combined to go 11-for-39 with eight RBIs, and Wallace had a fielding error in each of the three games.

“When they struggle — and they were not on top of their game — it (affects us),” Murphy said. “Petey was hurt (with a strained quadriceps muscle). Ike and Wallace were drafted really high, and I hope that didn’t cause a distraction.

“But you can’t be upset. Those guys have done so much for our program.”

Starting pitcher Josh Satow, reliever Tommy Rafferty and outfielder Ryan Sontag are seniors. Outfielder Jason Kipnis and designated hitter Kiel Roling have eligibility left but were drafted and figure to sign. Shortstop Greg Bordes will likely sign a free-agent deal.

That leaves ace pitcher Mike Leake, second baseman Raoul Torrez and right fielder Matt Newman as the only returning regulars.

However, Davis is not worried about the team’s future.

“ASU will get good players, no matter what,” Davis said. “The program is a top program in the nation. They will have a good team next year, and guys will replace me, Wallace, Petey and Kiel. …

“They are going to get the new players who will take over our spots, just like we did for the players before us. There will be another Brett Wallace and Ike Davis here.”

Certainly, the 2009 Sun Devils will be Leake’s team. Soft-spoken in public, the sophomore worked on becoming a more vocal leader this season.

Leake is 24-5 in his career, has the ability to play any position on the field, can hit and has earned respect for a willingness to take the ball in any situation, so he could not lead by example any better.

“When you look at what he’s done here in two years, it’s special,” Murphy said. “There haven’t been many like him.”

Five ASU recruits were among the top 52 selections in the draft, but such key signees as infielder Jarek Cunningham, pitchers Alex Curry and Josh Spence, utility player Zack MacPhee and infielder Riccio Torrez (Raoul’s brother) are expected to enroll at ASU.

Basketball recruit Johnny Coy, a third baseman who was a seventh-round pick, will play two sports if he comes to ASU.

Wallace, who was drafted in the 42nd round out of high school, promised that some of the incoming players will develop into superstars, pointing to the fact that only two ASU players since Murphy’s arrival in 1995 have failed to improve on their previous draft status.

“It speaks volumes about the quality of our program,” Wallace said. “A lot of us came here after being drafted on the second day. To see how the program can contribute to your career if you work hard each day is a source of pride.”

Murphy, 49, has taken a beating from some fans since the super regional loss, but he has the security of three years left on a contract that, when approved by the Arizona Board of Regents in 2006, included an annual $272,474 salary.

Per a performance incentive clause, he received an 8 percent pay raise for ASU’s College World Series trip in ’07 and will earn a 6 percent bump for this year’s super-regional appearance. As a result, Murphy’s yearly salary will be about $311,800, starting on July 1.

If a coaching change is made, Murphy would be owed a buyout of more than $930,000 from an athletic department that recently cut three sports due to budget constraints (wrestling was reinstated after private donors pledged to meet the team’s annual expenses).

“I’m excited about next year’s team,” Murphy said. “We went to Omaha last year with one returning pitcher. Who is to say we can’t go back next year with one returning pitcher?

“You might see as many as seven freshmen in the lineup at times. But I am certainly not going to call it a rebuilding year.”