Jarvis matter still unresolved
February 21st, 2008, 10:13 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
There was no resolution on Thursday to Jason Jarvis’ dispute of a fall-semester grade, so barring a last-minute decision, the Arizona State sophomore closer will be ineligible when the Sun Devils open the season against Miami (Ohio) on Friday night.
His absence is a “crushing blow to our team,” said coach Pat Murphy, who has indicated that Jarvis would be lost for the season if the matter is not resolved in his favor.
Last season, Jarvis was not cleared to play by the NCAA until the start of Pac-10 play in March, due to an issue concerning boarding-school credits he earned. After months of inactivity, he was a dual threat for ASU, setting a school freshman record with 11 saves and delivering clutch pinch hits in the postseason.
“He sat on his butt waiting because he couldn’t practice with us,” Murphy said. “Then, 11 saves and a couple of key hits later, he’s huge for us. Now, he’s ineligible. I’m really sensitive to that.”
Ike Davis is moving from right field to first base, but the junior said that the biggest change in his game will come in the batter’s box. Davis can swing pain-free, thanks to offseason wrist surgery.
Wearing a large black brace on the left wrist for a portion of last season, Davis batted .349 with eight home runs and 61 RBIs. With the injury to his pitching arm, Davis was limited to 6.2 innings in seven mound appearances.
“It feels a lot better than last year,” said Davis, who is a candidate to close with Jarvis sidelined. “It’s great to be able to go up there without any pain.”
Starting pitcher Josh Satow was a 28th-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners after a 2007 season in which he went 13-3 with a 2.76 ERA. The left-hander said that staying at ASU for a senior season was a quick, easy choice.
Satow can use the year to build endurance. He admitted to being fatigued at last year’s College World Series, which took speed off of his inside fastball, limiting the effectiveness of his primary pitch, the changeup. When the fastball is not working, hitters can wait for the soft stuff over the plate.
During the team’s media day on Tuesday, however, Satow said that gaining maturity has been the biggest benefit of returning to school.
“I came back to learn a little more about the mental side of the game,” Satow said. “I wanted to become a leader of the staff and help kids out the way the juniors and seniors did for me when I first got here. I wanted to get my degree, too. Since the fall, I’ve grown a lot more than I did last year at this time.”
Sitting nearby, Davis quipped, “Ah, we just gave him $15,000 to come back.”
Replied Murphy, “Yeah, that would be great for (the reporters) to print.” Third baseman Brett Wallace added, smiling, “Just let everyone know Ike said that.”
Ryan Torain
Former ASU running back Ryan Torain, who missed the second half of last season due to a foot injury, told the Kansas City Star that he figures to be limited at the NFL scouting combine that runs through Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Torain — who before his injury was rated as the No. 2 senior running back in the nation by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. — will likely limit himself to the bench press, vertical jump and interviews with NFL executives and scouts. He hopes to perform running and agility drills at ASU’s pro day next month.
Safety Josh Barrett, linebacker Robert James, center Mike Pollak and cornerback Justin Tryon are the other ASU players at the combine.
