Freshman Leake to start College World Series opener

Senior Jason Urquidez took the mound the last time Arizona State advanced to the College World Series in 2005. When the Sun Devils open College World Series play at 11 a.m. Saturday in Omaha, Neb., they will have considerably less experience on the mound.

ASU coach Pat Murphy said Tuesday he plans to start freshman right-hander Mike Leake in Game 1 against Big West runner-up UC Irvine.

It’ll be just the 13th start and 24th appearance of Leake’s career.

No pressure though, kid.

“Our offense kind of helps out with the pressure,” left-hander Josh Satow said. “We’re averaging like 10 runs a game, so that helps.”

Leake limited UC Riverside to two runs on four hits in a 9-2 complete-game regional win two weeks ago. He yielded three runs on 13 hits in seven innings in a 4-3 super regional win over Mississippi.

Overall, he’s 13-1 with a 3.59 ERA. He’s struck out 90 and walked 27 in 117 2/3 innings.

The early announcement was a bit of a departure for Murphy, who typically keeps such decisions private until the last moment.

Satow said he was told he’d be making his first start of last season as he boarded the team bus to head to the stadium.

“It keeps you on your toes,” he said.

SLUMP BUSTER

First baseman Brett Wallace was the Pac-10 player of the year, but he didn’t play like it in the Sun Devils’ first four postseason games.

He had just five hits and two RBIs in 18 postseason at-bats before breaking out with four hits and three RBIs in ASU’s 7-1 clinching win over Mississippi. He ended the slump with a run-scoring double in the third and followed it with a two-run homer in the fourth that put ASU up 6-0.

“The rest of the team did a great job of getting everything going so I could sit back and try to be a part of it instead of trying to create everything myself,” Wallace said. “It was a great feeling to finally put something up on the board.”

PLAYOFF BEARDS

The Sun Devils were looking mighty scraggly Tuesday even for college kids on summer break.

Several members of the team are growing playoff beards, or at least attempting to.

“Anybody that can grow one I guess,” captain Rocky Laguna said. “You could say it’s like (a team decision), but there are a few guys that can’t grow that great of beards.”

Murphy was more critical.

“There’s a bunch of them that are pretty hideous in there,” he said.

C.J. STAYING IN

With three home runs and eight RBIs in nine at-bats this postseason, utility player C.J. Retherford is the Sun Devils’ hottest hitter.

So hot, in fact, that he has earned his way into the starting lineup after starting just five games in the regular season. Murphy said Retherford would start his third consecutive game at third base Saturday.

Matt Hall was the starter at third most of the season.

ASU vs. UC Irvine

What: College World Series

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, Neb.

TV: ESPN

Records: ASU 48-13, UC Irvine 45-15-1