Ahead of Thursday’s media availability, questions regarding the health of the pitching staff loomed large. Unfortunately for ASU, the short answer to those questions spells trouble for a staff that has posted a 3.14 ERA through the season’s first seven games.
A Huge Loss to the Pitching Staff
Head coach Tracy Smith kicked off his media availability on a somber note, announcing that redshirt freshman Cooper Benson and redshirt junior Boyd Vander Kooi will be undergoing season ending Tommy John surgery. Both had been briefly shelved, with Benson exiting last Friday night’s game after just one inning.