After dropping two heartbreakers on Friday (leading after 8 innings) and Saturday (leading after 7 innings), ASU (8-4) again saw Minnesota rally back to within a run in the ninth inning after the Sun Devils had taken an 8-2 lead through six innings.
But the combination of Josh Butler and Derek Schaefer shut down the final 2.2 innings after Minnesota homered four times in five at-bats in the seventh, holding the Gophers to just one run while striking out five between them.
Schaefer earned his first career save in the biggest moment of his career, coming in in the ninth inning with the tying and go-ahead runs both in scoring position in a one-run game and only one out. Schaefer, unfazed, calmly struck out the two batters he faced to earn his first career save.
Easton Barrett earned his first career win after being called into action ahead of schedule following Jaden Alba’s early exit with a minor leg injury. Barrett tossed 2.2 innings of one-run ball after Alba started the game with 3.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Beckett Zavorek scored or drove in four of ASU’s 8 runs – and the Sun Devils needed all four – as he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases. Josiah Cromwick homered for his team-leading fifth time this season as part of his two-hit day. Brandon Compton had two RBIs on two-hits and Kyle Walker had his first multi-hit game on the year.
TURNING POINT
The Sun Devils cashed in on a five spot in the sixth inning, marking the second time this season plating five runs in a frame. ASU was finally able to flip the script of the weekend and deliver with runners in scoring position. Kyle Walker, Beckett Zavorek and Brandon Compton combined to drive in the five runs, increasing the total to eight and give the team a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
BIG MOMENT
Josh Butler was called upon after the Sun Devil bullpen allowed four seventh inning home runs on just five batters to allow Minnesota back with 8-6 after ASU’s big sixth. The lanky right-hander pushed the right buttons and was able to get the Gophers to roll into a 3-5-3 double play to fan the flames and escape a tumultuous top half of the inning. He would go on to toss 2.0 innings with three strikeouts and no walks and just one run allowed as the Sun Devils were desperately looking to stop the bleeding.
FINAL STRAW
Pitcher Derek Schaefer stepped into arguably the biggest moment of the 2025 season to date. The transfer sophomore inherited the tying run on 3rd and the winning run on 2nd with just one out in the top of the ninth with the score standing at 8-7. Schaefer went into overdrive, delivering an adrenaline fueled pair of strikeouts to nail down a crucial win for his team.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Derek Schaefer came up as big as possible for the Sun Devils. The Arizona native recorded as big of a two outs you can imagine en route to securing his first career NCAA save. The effort came after he posted a 4.0 inning start at UCLA on Wednesday with five strikeouts and no runs allowed in ASU’s 2-0 victory. Schaefer has yet to allow a run this season and has posted 8 strikeouts to just one walk in 6.2 innings.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Jaden Alba worked a quick inning, retiring the side in eight pitches to get things started. It was the least amount of pitches thrown in a season by Alba and his second 1-2-3 inning he’s worked this season.
Matt King continued his red hot weekend, recording his sixth hit of the series on a missile to left field. King then made way to third after a well executed hit and run by Brandon Compton to put runners at the corners. King would make his way home after a sac fly off the bat of Jacob Tobias gave ASU the early 1-0 advantage. Josiah Cromwick added a double of his own, but the Devis couldn’t add on, leaving runners at 2nd and 3rd to end the inning.
Second Inning
Alba kicked off the top of the second inning with a strikeout but got caught with two Gophers occupied on first and second. The right-handed dealer remained poised and struck out the next two batters in order, racking up a total of three strikeouts thus far and passing on the torch to the offense with a 1-0 lead.
Kyle Walker singled through the left side for a base knock to lead things off. Jonathon Hernandez then rolled into a 6-4-3 double play. With two outs, Beckett Zavorek lined out to right field to end the inning.
Third Inning
Alba worked an up and down inning, getting a quick two outs before Minnesota picked up back-to-back singles. Alba did his thing and left those runners stranded, picking up his fifth strikeout and leaving a zero on the board.
The Sun Devils went down in order and the third inning concluded with them holding a 1-0 lead.
Fourth Inning
Left-handed pitcher Easton Barrett came in as Jaden Alba exited due to an undisclosed injury. Barrett got to work early on and racked up two quick outs. The Gophers soon got to Barrett and got on base with a walk and hit-by-pitch, followed by a single to center field that brought a runner home to tie things up. Barrett remained poised under pressure and was able to close the inning with a fly out.
Josiah Cromwick got things rolling for the Sun Devils as he hammered one out to left field for his fifth home run this year thus far, giving the Sun Devils a 2-1 lead. After Kyle Walker was hit-by-pitch and took second with a successful steal, ASU was not able to bring him home to end the inning.
Fifth Inning
Barrett returned to action and worked an efficient three up, three down inning to turn it back to the offense.
Beckett Zavorek played some small ball, laying down a perfect bunt for an infield single. He then tore up the base paths, recording a steal of second and motored all the way home on an errand pickoff attempt from the Gophers pitcher to make it 3-1 Devils.
Sixth Inning
Barrett got off to a nice start to kick off the sixth inning with a popout and groundout, but the Gophers found their footing and knocked one out of the park to bring it to 3-2 Devils. Barrett didn’t let that shake him, as he struck out the next batter to conclude the frame.
The offense got off to a quick start to start the bottom of the sixth. With Josiah Cromwick being hit-by-pitch, Isaiah Jackson then singled through the left side and advanced to second on the throw. Kyle Walkerdelivered an infield single, bringing in Cromwick to give the Sun Devils a 4-2 lead. It didn’t stop there for ASU, as Beckett Zavorek dumped one to center field to plate two more runs and increase the lead to 6-2. After Matt King was walked, Brandon Compton stepped up to the plate and smoked an opposite field double to bring in a pair of runs to increase the lead to six. The Sun Devils headed into the seventh inning with an 8-2 lead over the Gophers.
Seventh Inning
Rohan Lettow got roughed up to start the seventh, allowing two homers on five pitches as Minnesota began to creep back in it. That would mark the end of the line for the sophomore as Sean Fitzpatrick was called upon to toe the rubber. The Gophers connected on another home run, their third in a row to make it 8-5. After a warning track flyout, Minnesota got a hold of their fourth home run of the inning, pulling within two and ending Sean Fitzpatrick’s outing. Josh Butler was the third man out of the pen this inning alone and was able to draw a 3-5-3 double play to end a hellacious inning for ASU, leading 8-6.
Josiah Cromwick drew a leadoff walk, but was picked off at first base. The Sun Devils went down in order after that, ending the seventh.
Eighth Inning
Josh Butler had a terrific bounce back frame for the Sun Devils to kick off the eighth. The right-handed slinger racked up a pivotal three strikeouts while leaving a Gopher stranded on first to end the inning.
The Sun Devils were able to occupy first and second base but ultimately were not able to bring them home to create some distance heading into the ninth.
Ninth Inning
Butler returned with a chance to shut the door on the Gophers and ran into some trouble on the basepaths, allowing three hits and a Gopher run to make it 8-7. Butler would exit with Derek Schaefer coming in while inheriting runners on 2nd and 3rd. Schaefer had ice in his veins and rose to the occasion as he struck out the final two hitters and sealed the deal for the Sun Devils in an 8-7 win.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening statement
“Minnesota’s scrappy. I was talking to their coach afterwards. That’s a team that doesn’t give in and we had a chance to win all three of those games and they kept coming after us. They got the first two from us and almost got this one. The positive of our side is that we did drop the last two games that were tough – stung quite a bit, but we’re able to bounce back and hold on today. So that was the positive. But the overall take is we got a lot to work on.”
On Derek Schaefer and Josh Butler’s performances
“That’s why we brought him (Derek Schaefer) in right there. Josh (Butler) had been throwing the ball outstanding. We didn’t make a play there for him and it kind of put us in a bind. I would have stuck with Josh probably because he was throwing the ball great and getting ground balls. As you saw the previous couple of innings, anything in the air was going a long way, so we were trying to keep the ball on the ground once we had the tying run at 3rd and go ahead run at 2nd. We had to try to go for a strikeout versus contact. Josh is a great contact pitcher, but right there contact scores a run, so we’re like, ‘who’s our best punch-out guy right now? – Schaef.’ So we went and got him and he picked us up big time. That showed me a lot of something with him. He came in eager to get the ball and he threw with conviction. Did a great job.”
On Beckett Zavorek’s performance
“Kid’s a baseball player. We just talked about it as a team on having that baseball player instinct and being baseball players. The kid has it. The hard part is, as I mentioned a million times, we have some talented infielders that we’re trying to mix in there and get going. Trying to get him (Zavorek) as many bats as we can and mix them in and keep him sharp along with Kyle Walker, along with Jax Ryan, along with Matt King, keeping those guys in there, it can help us. And he had a great game at UCLA the other day too. Lays a bunt down, gets the rally started, and we’ve been screaming for someone to lay a bunt down for a couple of days here. It’s like if they’re gonna give it, you take it. I didn’t even give it to him. He just did it on his own, gets it down then steals a bag and it creates havoc. So that was an outstanding job by him today.”
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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