Kole Klecker tossed 7.0 scoreless innings, two-hitting his former team in 4-0 victory over #17 TCU
(Phoenix, AZ) In one of the most electric pitching outings in recent Sun Devil Baseball memory, Kole Klecker’s story came full circle as the hometown kid pitched 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball to take the series over 17th-ranked TCU with a 4-0 decision on Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Klecker allowed just two hits, striking out seven and walking three against his former school as the Sun Devils (14-5, 2-1 Big 12) shut out a ranked team for the first time since 2018.
Kole Klecker on pitching against his former team
The big number
0 – The Sun Devils picked up their first shutout of the season on Sunday. It was, however, the first time ASU shut out a Top-25 team since a 4-0 victory over No. 16 UCLA on March 25, 2018. It was the first time TCU had been shutout since a 4-0 loss to Oklahoma in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament. It was the first time being shutout in a regular season game since April 20, 2024 against Texas.
Inning by inning
First inning
Kole Klecker worked around a one-out walk for a scoreless first on the mound, picking up a strikeout.
Landon Hairston led off the game with a single to left center, and moved over to second on Garrett Michel’s two-out walk. Both were left stranded after Dominic Longo fouled out to end the inning.
Second inning
Kole Klecker notched his second straight scoreless inning while not allowing a single runner on base. He registered another strikeout in the process.
Dean Toigo and Dominic Smaldino started the inning with base hits to left center and right center, then Toigo scored off of Brody Briggs’ sac fly, giving the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead. Beckett Zavorek singled into right center to put runners at the corners, but a flyout from Hairston and a strikeout from Moutzouridis ended the inning.
Third inning
After getting a quick flyout, Klecker ran into some trouble, as a double and an error put runners at the corners for TCU. However, the Sun Devils were able to get out of the jam with a fielder’s choice out at home and a strikeout.
Austen Roellig got aboard with a single to center, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Toigo reached on a hit by pitch, and Smaldino singled to left to drive in Roellig, making it 2-0. Briggs then grounded out to first for the third out.
Fourth inning
Kole Klecker didn’t allow a single runner on base for the third time in four innings to maintain ASU’s 2-0 lead.
Landon Hairston added another run to the tally with a one-out home run to right center. However, that was the only action in the bottom of the fourth, as a pop out and a flyout followed.
Fifth inning
The Sun Devils registered their fifth consecutive inning without allowing a run while Kole Klecker struck out a batter for the third time in the game.
Arizona State failed to get on base but maintained a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth inning.
Sixth inning
Klecker worked around a one-out walk to put up another zero and keep the Sun Devils up three.
The Sun Devils couldn’t get anything going in the bottom of the sixth.
Seventh inning
Klecker notched two strikeouts to give the Sun Devils their seventh straight inning without allowing a run.
Arizona State was able to get two on base with a walk and an intentional walk, but wasn’t able to add to its 3-0 lead.
Eighth inning
Sean Fitzpatrick was the first man out of the bullpen for the Sun Devils, pitching a three-up, three-down inning with two strikeouts and a groundout.
Toigo led off the eighth with a home run to deep center field, making it 4-0, Sun Devils. The next three batters went down in order.
Ninth inning
Derek Schaefer came in to close for ASU and didn’t allow a single runner on base to secure a 4-0 Sun Devil victory. Schaefer notched a strikeout in the process.
Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“Every once in a while, baseball has that kind of poetry, I guess, that only baseball can give you. And this situation was pretty special for Kole (Klecker), for us as a team, and for me as a coach. It just came full circle, and he just did a tremendous job today. He was one of the first, if not the very first kid that I recruited and offered when I got this job. And obviously he made the decision he did, but then we got him here for his last year, and was able to come here and face his old team today and just really have a really a performance of a lifetime there. Seven shutout innings, two hits, kept TCU off balance all day, and just really special. What a great kid and a great story for today. That was outstanding. A lot of fun.”
On the pitching staff as a whole
“Bottom line, when you have a guy that is executing his pitches and locating the way that Kole was today, it makes it a lot easier on your bullpen. To get some length out of your starter is tremendous. We kind of went in today hoping he would give us five and then kind of piece it together from there. But him giving us seven made our job pretty easy. We got (Sean) Fitzpatrick and (Derek) Schaefer in there to finish it up. But it’s a tribute to a lot of things. Sam Peraza, what he’s done in the recruiting world, what Jeremy (Accardo) has done on the pitching front, just the staff in general, what they’ve done on continuing to develop guys, not only physically but mentally, and continuing to go after the right type of guys. We’re continuing to build in that right direction. Compared to when we first got here, it’s night and day, but we’re not a finished product. We got to keep going.”
On the home runs from Landon Hairston and Dean Toigo
“I’m more interested in just good, solid at bats. And the home runs come as a result of that. They’re doing a great job putting the ball in the seats. But they’re good hitters too. Dean’s had a heck of a series, and kind of came out of a little bit of a funk. I guess he was getting his home runs, but now he’s starting to mix his base hits in there too, along with it. And then we can get pretty dangerous with those two bats in the lineup and mixing in around them. And hopefully we get (Nu’u) Contrades healthy here pretty soon, and we get back to rolling the way we’re capable again, top to bottom, and Austin Roellig is starting to swing the bat great. It’s just kind of a full top to bottom offense here, and it’s been fun to watch.”
On Brody Briggs’ defensive play
“The way Briggs has played behind the plate these last two games has just been outstanding. That heads up play for him to come out of his crouch, retrieve a swinging bunt and go back and beat the runner coming down third to the plate and get a big out there. That was pretty early in the game. That was a big momentum shift early. He had a back pick, that he picked a guy off at first on a phenomenal, electrically quick back pick on him. His leadership and his energy behind the plate is just outstanding. And guys love throwing to him. He’s just done a great job back there, even on the days he’s not getting his hits, like today he didn’t have any hits, but he scraps. He battles at the plate, he competes every pitch, and then just again off defensively, what he does behind the plate is just on another level. So I’m happy for him.”
Up next
The Sun Devils will host GCU in a cross-town midweek matchup on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. AZT and the game will be streamed live via ESPN+ and also available over the local airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter on the call.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Brooklyn Cohen and Zach Nicolaides, Sun Devil Athletics media relations intern
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