FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State University baseball program will begin the final season at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark on Feb. 14 against Baylor. The 2014 schedule, announced by head coach Tim Esmay, features seven programs who made the postseason last year, including defending national champion UCLA, College World Series participant Oregon State and super regional team Oklahoma.
Along with the season-opening home series vs. Baylor Feb. 14-16, a three-game homestand against Tennessee March 7-9, a pair of midweek home games with Wichita State March 18-19 and a weekend trip to Stillwater, Okla., May 2-4 to face Oklahoma State highlights the non-conference slate.
The Sun Devils start Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game home series against Washington March 14-16, and also host USC, Cal, Oregon and Utah. There will once again be five Territorial Cup Rivalry games against Arizona, including two home non-conference contests March 26 and April 9, respectively, and a three-game road conference series April 25-27.
Packard Stadium, which opened in 1974, has played host to two national championship teams, 18 NCAA Regional tournaments and more than 1,100 Sun Devil victories. The entire 2014 season will be a celebration of this iconic ballpark as every era of Sun Devil baseball will be honored, long-time season ticket holders will be recognized, and former players and moments will be remembered.
An All-Packard Team, which will be voted on by fans, season ticket holders, media members and others, along with numerous other events and giveaways will be a part of the more than eight-month long recognition of the stadium.
The final game at Packard Stadium will take place on May 20 against Abilene Christian, and ASU travels to Pullman, Wash., to take on Washington State for the final regular-season series of 2014.
The Spring Training Classic in Surprise, Ariz., runs from Feb. 27-March 2 and features Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Gonzaga, Santa Clara and Manhattan, and the Sun Devils will also participate in a four-team tournament in Long Beach, Calif., Feb. 21-23 that includes Long Beach State, UC Irvine and Wright State.
The annual Halloween Scrimmage will be held on Oct. 30 at Packard Stadium. The team will hold a home run derby before scrimmaging in full costume and fans will then have the opportunity to join the team on the field afterward to take photos, get autographs and play catch with the student-athletes.
Alumni weekend runs from Feb. 7-8, and will once again include a golf tournament and the annual Alumni Game on Feb. 8.
The leader in West Coast attendance for the past nine seasons, ASU once again had the highest average national attendance among all Pac-12 schools as more than 78,000 fans came to Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark this past season.
Sun Devil baseball secured its 51st straight 30-win season in 2013, which is the longest current streak in Div. I baseball, and made the program’s 36th all-time NCAA postseason appearance.
The 2014 team returns five starters in the field, 10 pitchers that threw a combined 332 innings and a trio of All-Conference performers, including outfielder Trever Allen and pitchers Ryan Burr and Ryan Kellogg. Burr’s 12 saves set the freshman single-season record and Kellogg became the first freshman in school history to begin his career 11-0.
2014 Arizona State Baseball Schedule (PDF)
