Blogging with the Devils

Joey Parigi pitched at Texas in 2006.

Seven Arizona State baseball players faced with the prospect of very-limited playing time in 2008 are off the roster as they explore options elsewhere.

Coach Pat Murphy said that his program is helping facilitate moves (such as to a junior college) for the players, adding that some could eventually return to the Sun Devils.

The group includes two higher-profile pitching signees: Joey Parigi, a left-handed transfer from Texas who began the 2007 season as the Sun Devils’ No. 3 starter, and right-hander Joe Hatasaki, a national top-100 prospect out of high school.

Parigi, who had a 3-1 record, 6.57 ERA and two saves as a sophomore, struggled early, went to the bullpen and worked in less-meaningful situations as the year progressed. He made six combined appearances in April and May and did not pitch in any of ASU’s eight postseason contests.

Hatasaki, who underwent elbow ligament-replacement (Tommy John) surgery as a high-school junior, was limited to four appearances as a freshman in 2007, allowing 11 hits and seven runs in six innings.

Also in the group is Jeff Urlaub, a left-handed pitcher who was enjoying a solid true-freshman campaign in 2006 until struck with mononucleosis. He injured his elbow last year and was expected to miss this season after having Tommy John surgery in June.

The other players currently off the roster are pitchers Adam Bailey and Jason Mitchell, infielder Joe Van Meter and outfielder Mike Petello. Thirty-four players are listed on the Sun Devils’ updated roster, which can be found here.

The most recent federal graduation rate figures were released on Tuesday, and ASU’s rate for scholarship athletes that entered school in 2000 and graduated within six years is 44 percent, compared to 56 percent for all students.

Federal rates are more stringent than the NCAA Graduation Success Rate, which allows institutions to count athletes that transfer in and exclude those that leave school, as long as they were academically eligible had they stayed.

ASU’s overall GSR, also released on Tuesday, is 68 percent.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 at 7:42 am and is filed under Baseball, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.