Tempe: ASU Rolls, Stays in Winners' Bracket

By Jason Owens - June 03, 2007

After an opening game in which they were held in check with five runs, the vaunted ASU bats showed us what they're made of against Riverside tonight in a 9-2 shellacking. With the win, the Sun Devils get Sunday afternoon off while Riverside faces Nebraska for the right to play ASU again.

Riverside already smoked Nebraska 10-5 on Friday and I'd be surprised if Sunday's game turned out much different. But whoever survives to face the Sun Devils, one thing is clear; they'll be facing the class of this regional and one of the best teams in the country. The Sun Devils have made that clear this weekend, even if they did struggle to put away a scrappy Monmouth team.

The loser of Sunday's Nebraska-Riverside matchup, meanwhile, will head home. But it's going to be tough for anybody to get past the Sun Devils, who have yet to lose in the double-elimination format. I'd be shocked if Nebraska or Riverside manages consecutive wins against ASU.

As for me, I'm starting to get a handle on the weather and the schedule here, so I've saved up enough energy to have some fun tonight. I'll go see what downtown Tempe has to offer when school's not in session. Hopefully the home team's win tonight will liven things up around campus.

And as for my lemonade... it never game. I'm disappointed.