On Campus: Big Leaguers Not Big-Timing Programs

Tracy Smith is only in his second season as coach at Arizona State, but already he has developed an appreciation for the program’s history and penchant for producing big leaguers. From Reggie Jackson to Barry Bonds to Dustin Pedroia, Arizona State has served as training ground for future All-Stars for decades.

That tradition is continuing this year in the big leagues. When MLB celebrated Opening Day this week, there were nine former Arizona State players on active rosters, the most of any college.

Arizona State’s current big leaguers include established stars such as Pedroia, but also more recent Sun Devils. Rangers righthander Tony Barnette on Tuesday became the latest Arizona State product to debut in the big leagues. He was the 106th former player to reach the major leagues, and the second already this season, joining Diamondbacks righthander Jake Barrett.

Smith said the former Sun Devils remain strongly connected to the program.

“The history and tradition speaks for itself,” Smith said. “Good players roll through here. Guys take pride in that. The current players look up to that. The guys in big leagues are very tied in and look back to what we’re doing currently and take pride in that and recognize that ASU has been a big part of what they are.”

In all, 296 of the 750 players on Opening Day active rosters were products of Division I colleges. Those players came from 127 programs, from Akron (now defunct) to Youngstown State.

Long Beach State ranked second with eight big leaguers. North Carolina, Texas, Vanderbilt and Virginia tied for third with seven each, and Georgia Tech and Texas A&M both produced six.

Long Beach State coach Troy Buckley has been in the program since 2001, except for a two-year stint in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. His long career at the school means he coached all eight former Dirtbags now in the big leagues.

Over the years, Buckley said his relationship with those players has evolved from coach to friend.

“You knew them before they were stars, and they appreciate that,” he said. “They’re my friends now, not guys that I coached anymore. They’re so good to me, and they’re so good to the program, philanthropically, but also in so many ways that people don’t see.”

As Long Beach State works on renovations to Blair Field, it has received significant donations from Troy Tulowitzki and Jered Weaver, two of its most successful former players. Tulowitzki gave $1 million to the project, and a new hitting facility at the stadium will bear his name, and Weaver donated $500,000.

The presence of big leaguers around a program can also be a powerful recruiting pitch. Smith remembers having a conversation last year with closer Ryan Burr about why he chose Arizona State. Smith said Burr told him part of the reason was that he wanted the opportunity to be around the big league players that came back to visit and work out.

As a part of an effort to build the relationship the former Sun Devils players have with the program, Smith put together an alumni weekend in November. It included two golf outings, a tailgate before Arizona State’s football game against Arizona, a camp for disadvantaged youth and the team’s annual banquet.

“One thing I really want to do is make sure we’re connecting with our guys,” Smith said. “All the great eras of ASU baseball, I want to make sure we’re connecting and making a welcoming environment and allow them to experience everything that is ASU.”

For all college programs, the challenge is to produce the next set of players capable of reaching the big leagues.

Buckley said he is proud of the wide range of years represented by the current crop of Dirtbags in the big leagues.

“Its great notoriety, and it speaks to the fact that some are older and some are more recent,” Buckley said. “If you have both, you see good continuity of the stability of a program.”

News and Notes

Atlantic Coast Conference: Georgia Tech has struggled on the road in recent years, and heads to Pittsburgh this weekend with the chance to win back-to-back ACC road series for the first time since 2011. Georgia Tech won a series at North Carolina two weeks ago, before losing a series against Duke at home last weekend. The Yellow Jackets are 6-4 on the road this season, and are attempting to post a winning record on the road for the first time since 2011.

Big 12 Conference: Oklahoma righthander Alec Hansen, who was dropped from the rotation last weekend, made his first relief appearance of the season Tuesday against Dallas Baptist. Hansen, who entered the season as a candidate to be the top overall draft pick, struck out one batter and worked around a hit and a walk for a scoreless inning. He threw 24 pitches, 15 for strikes.

Big Ten Conference: Maryland shuffled its rotation for its series this week against Ohio State, moving righthander Mike Shawaryn, the program’s all-time wins leader, from Friday to Sunday. The junior was dominant last year, but has scuffled a bit this season. He is 2-3, 4.15 with 36 strikeouts and 15 walks in 39 innings this spring. Sophomore righthander Taylor Bloom takes Shawaryn’s place at the front of the Terrapins rotation. … Michigan and Michigan State announced this week they have added a nonconference game against each other Tuesday in East Lansing. Both teams lost two nonconference weekend games to bad weather this season—Michigan at UC Davis last month and Michigan State against Oregon last week. The Wolverines and Spartans will meet for a three-game series April 29-May 1, which will count toward the conference standings.

Pac-12 Conference: Arizona State shortstop Colby Woodmansee, a Preseason All-American, has taken a step forward offensively this year, coach Tracy Smith said. “He’s put us on his shoulders and carried us a few games,” Smith said. Woodmansee leads the Sun Devils in most offensive categories, and is hitting .370/.454/.570 with three home runs.

Southeastern Conference: After seeing the Arkansas starting pitching struggle through the first three weeks of SEC play (its starters combined to go 1-3, 7.29 in nine games), coach Dave Van Horn shook up the rotation going into this weekend’s series at Mississippi. Righthander James Teague will start Friday, and closer Zach Jackson, a Preseason All-American, will pitch Saturday. Sunday’s starter has not been announced. Jackson is likely to be the first Razorback drafted in June, and some teams would like to see how he handles starting. He has the stuff to start, but command has been an issue for him throughout his career. Jackson is 2-2, 3.68 with a 27-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 innings over 11 appearances this spring. … Mississippi State outfielder Jack Mangum has been locked in at the plate during the first three weekends of SEC play. The freshman has been the Bulldogs leading hitter in conference action, producing a .429/.467/.607 line in nine games (six starts). Coach John Cohen said Mangum has done a good job staying within himself during his hot streak. “Most freshmen pitchers try to throw too hard and most freshmen hitters try to swing too hard,” Cohen said. “He hasn’t fallen into that.” After starting just five times in Mississippi State’s first 24 games, he has forced his way into the lineup and has started the last five games.

Other conferences: Long Beach State started the season 16-7 and won its first six series. But since defeating Cal State Fullerton, 5-4, on March 26 to win a nonconference series against its rival, No. 20 Long Beach has lost four of its last five games. Coach Troy Buckley said the Dirtbags aren’t playing particularly well right now, and have struggled to find a rhythm. But he believes they will get back on track soon. “The mental toughness of the team will have to demonstrate itself,” he said. “I think the guys will steady the ship. I just want to keep getting better. In some areas we are, in some areas we’re not right now.” … Rice coach Wayne Graham celebrated his 80th birthday Wednesday, a day after his 25th-ranked Owls knocked off No. 3 Texas A&M, 4-3. In his 25th season at Rice, Graham is 1,094-452 and has won either a conference championship either in the regular season or the tournament for 20 straight years. … Dartmouth will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its baseball team Saturday during its doubleheader against Penn. Baseball was the first varsity sport at the school, and the Big Green went 2-1 in 1866. In the 150 years of the program, they are 1,889-1,862-24 and have made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2010. This season, Dartmouth is 6-16.