(Phoenix, AZ) The Sun Devil Baseball team was highly represented in the 2023 MLB Draft with eight overall selections – the fourth-highest tally in the nation and the most for the program since 2015.
The eight selections brought ASU’s all-time MLB Draft picks to 473, including secondary phase and January drafts through history – the most of any college in the nation. Of ASU’s eight picks this year, six were pitchers – the highest tally for the program since 2010.
The eight picks all went in the MLB Draft’s most recent format of twenty rounds, after previous renditions typically included 40 or more rounds. ASU’s eight selections are tied for the fourth-most in the first twenty rounds of an MLB Draft in program history and the most since also having eight in the 2008 MLB Draft. Only LSU (13), Wake Forest (10) and Stanford (9) had more overall selections than the Sun Devils this season.
All-American second baseman Luke Keaschall highlighted this year’s draft with his second-round selection by the Minnesota Twins – 90th overall. It was the highest selection for a Sun Devil since Spencer Torkelson (1st overall) and Alika Williams (37th) in the 2020 Draft. He is ASU’s 27th player to go in the first three rounds since 2000.
With the selection, ASU has had at least one player go in the first five rounds in seven of the last eight drafts and in 19 of the last 21.
Left-handed pitcher Ross Dunn was also selected by the Twins in the 10th Round (297thoverall) to give head coach Willie Bloomquist four top-10 round selections in his first two seasons and 14 selections overall. The eight picks were the most since the team had nine in 2015.
ASU has had at least one Top-10 round pick in all but four drafts in history (2017, 2014, 2002, 1970).
Additional selections for the Sun Devils included RHP Khristian Curtis (Round 12, Pirates, 347th overall), LHP Timmy Manning (Round 12, Giants, 360th overall), RHP Josh Hansell(Round 16, Royals, 469th overall), RHP Blake Pivaroff (Round 19, Tigers, 560th overall), 2B Wyatt Crenshaw (Round 19, Diamondbacks, 565th overall) and RHP Owen Stevenson(Round 19, Rays, 573rd overall).
Additionally, three members of ASU’s 2023-24 signing class also heard their names called, included first-round selection Ralphy Velazquez who went 23rd overall to the Guardians and marks the second consecutive season head coach Willie Bloomquist has had a signee go in the first round. Matt Wilkinson (10th Round) and Justin Chambers (20thRound) were also selected.
2023 SUN DEVIL BASEBALL DRAFTEES
Luke Keaschall – Second Baseman
Twins – 2nd Round – 90th Overall
Finished the season with 18 homers and 22 doubles, becoming just the fourth Sun Devil in school history to have at least 18 homers and 20 doubles in a season (Bob Horner ’78, Chris Johnston ’81, Dan Rumsey ’88)
Became the 132nd All-American in program history, recognized by both Collegiate Baseball and Perfect game
His 25 doubles were the fourth-most in the nation during the regular season
His 44 extra-base hits were the most in the Pac-12 for the regular season
Keaschall was sixth in the Pac-12 with a .364 average during league play games and paced the Conference of Champions with 13 homers in such contests. His .822 slugging percentage in conference-only games is second in the league while his 34 Pac-12 RBIs are fourth in the conference
Along with being named the On Deck Circle MVP, was also the recipient of the Alvin Davis Leadership Award and the Outstanding Offensive Player Award at Sun Devil Baseball’s Awards Banquet
Ross Dunn – Left-Handed Pitcher
Twins – 10th Round – 297th Overall
Finished eighth in the Pac-12 with 84 strikeouts over 65.1 innings pitched
His 11.57 strikeouts per nine innings were third in the Pac-12 and within the Top-50 nationally
His five homers allowed all year with sixth-fewest in the Pac-12 and his 10 doubles were the third-lowest tally. His .362 slugging percentage against was tied for fourth-lowest in the Pac-12
His 31 earned runs allowed for the season were the fourth-lowest in the league
Earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention accolades
Khristian Curtis – Right-Handed Pitcher
Pirates – 12th Round – 347th Overall
Struck out 58 batters on the season and had several career highs on the year, including nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings and a career-best 7.0 innings pitched with no runs allowed against USC – both road contests
Recorded dive or more strikeouts seven times on the year
Curtis stranded 76.0 percent of his baserunners on the season, the sixth-best tally in the Pac-12
Timmy Manning – Left-Handed Pitcher
Giants – 12th Round – 360th Overall
Struck out 66 in 53.1 innings of work and recorded six strikeouts in each of his final four appearances of the season for 24 in just 17.2 innings
Went a career best 6.0 innings with six strikeouts in a win against UCLA and followed it up with a six strikeout 3.0 inning effort in the Pac-12 Tournament in a win against Oregon State
His 3.43 K:BB ratio was sixth in the Pac-12
Finished nine in the league in FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) with a 4.55 mark and seventh in the league with a 3.03 SIERA mark
Josh Hansell – Right-Handed Pitcher
Royals – 16th Round – 469th Overall
Started four games and struck out 30 in 31.1 innings of action
Became a staple out of the bullpen over the course of the season and appeared in 17 games
Had career highs of 3.0 innings pitched four strikeouts several times on the season, including a four strikeout, 3.0 innings scoreless effort against UCLA in the final regular season weekend
Blake Pivaroff – Right-Handed Pitcher
Tigers – 19th Round – 560th Overall
The converted infielder was ASU’s go-to setup guy for much of the season, earning three wins and have three saves to go with a 4.18 ERA on the year
Allowed just a paltry .210 average against on the season
Led the team with 27 appearances, 11th-most in the Pac-12 prior to the NCAA Tournament
Had a career-high 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in ASU’s Pac-12 Tournament win over Oregon State
Had saves against Top-25 Oregon and Oregon State and also in the series opener against Arizona
Wyatt Crenshaw – Second Baseman
Diamondbacks – 19th Round – 565th Overall
Selected by the hometown team after an impressive single season at ASU, selected as a second-basemen despite playing the season in the outfield
Recorded nine homers, 16 doubles and a triple for a .481 slugging percentage and finished with a .308 OBP on .264 hitting
Hit two homers out of the leadoff spot against Oregon on April 29 and recorded 32 RBIs on the year
Owen Stevenson – Right-Handed Pitcher
Rays – 19th Round – 573rd overall
Led the team with six victories on the year and also led the team with four saves, seeing time as both a starter and a closer as a display of his versatility
Struck out 52 in 50.2 innings of work
Had an incredibly impressive 15-appearance stretch in the middle of the season (3/15-4/30) where he allowed just five earned runs and had 12 scoreless appearances and brought his ERA from 11.08 to 4.85 in the process
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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