Tag: Sun Devils

The ‘trip of a lifetime’ to China awaits Arizona State’s hockey program

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports-ASU Hockey China,670
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By Brady Vernon
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State’s hockey team is trading one wonder of the world this summer for another.

Before the Sun Devils begin their fourth NCAA Division I season, they’ll depart the Grand Canyon State on a journey that will take them to the very foot of the Great Wall of China.

Coach Greg Powers and the Sun Devils depart July 29 on the program’s first international trip. The Sun Devils are headed to Beijing, China where the team will take part in the Renaissance Cup, a five-team tournament that includes Beijing’s Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League and three teams from Russia’s Supreme Hockey League.

Continue reading “The ‘trip of a lifetime’ to China awaits Arizona State’s hockey program”

Former Arizona State coach, player reunited in White Sox organization

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports-Burr and Esmay reunited, 875 words
  • No photo available.

By ALEC HENDEN
Cronkite News

GLENDALE — Not long after Ryan Burr got the call, so did Tim Esmay.

Or at least Esmay got the text message.

When Burr, a right-handed relief pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization, was called up to the major league club last season, one of the first people he shared the news with was the man who recruited him to Arizona State and coached him for two seasons there.

It was Esmay, who now is manager of the White Sox Advanced Rookie affiliate in Great Falls, Montana.

“He texted me at 2:30 in the morning when he got called up, and I was on the road sitting in a hotel in Ogden, (Utah),” Esmay said. “It gave me chills.”

Continue reading “Former Arizona State coach, player reunited in White Sox organization”

ASU’s Romello White providing quiet leadership for coach Bobby Hurley

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports ASU Romello White. 643 words.

By ZACHARY PEKALE
Cronkite News

TEMPE — When the doors to the Weatherup Center open, media flood the Arizona State basketball practice court and more often than not bombard the duo of Remy Martin and Zylan Cheatham with interview requests.

Understandable, considering both are expected to be key contributors for the Sun Devils this season. A sophomore, Martin is an unquestioned leader while Cheatham, a redshirt senior, maintains a boisterous personality complemented by veteran expertise.

Off to the side, Romello White works on free-throw shooting, a category that saw him make just 55 percent of his shots in his first season of play. The redshirt sophomore bends his knees and squares his shoulders to the basket before converting one, then another, eventually getting into a rhythm. Continue reading “ASU’s Romello White providing quiet leadership for coach Bobby Hurley”

Early Pac-12 exit dampens ASU’s NCAA Tournament hopes

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ASU slipping, 500 words
  • Photo available

By MATTHEW TONIS
Cronkite News

LAS VEGAS — How did we get here?

At Christmas, the Arizona State Sun Devils were the toast of the college basketball world. The final unbeaten team in the nation, a win over the Arizona Wildcats on Dec. 30 likely would have propelled them to No. 1 in the country.

Since then, a dream season has turned into something of a nightmare.

After losing to Colorado 97-85 in the first round of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Wednesday, the Sun Devils must wait until Selection Sunday to see if they’ll be dancing or just watching from the side.

Continue reading “Early Pac-12 exit dampens ASU’s NCAA Tournament hopes”

Ballage sheds limelight on ASU offensive line

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-ASU-Ballage,650
  • Photo available (thumbnail, caption below)
  • Video coming to YouTube

By LINDSEY WISNIEWSKI
Cronkite News 

TEMPE – It was a few strokes shy of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday when Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage, fresh off an historic performance, ran to the sidelines to thank fellow Sun Devil and offensive lineman Stephon McCray.

Moments later, Ballage walked through the Tillman Tunnel into the locker room.

“He was like, ‘Hey y’all are all coming up to the press conference with me?’”said a surprised ASU offensive lineman Sam Jones. “And I was like, alright.”

Ballage lined up 10 chairs in a compact press conference space, blanketed in maroon and gold, and asked his offensive lineman to take a seat.

This was now their stage, too.

“There’s 10 other guys on the field besides me,” Ballage said after shattering the ASU single-game scoring record and tying the NCAA record with eight touchdowns on 15 touches in a 68-55 win over Texas Tech. “I just happened to have the ball in my hands but there’s 10 other guys that are working on it. I truly believe that we had eight touchdowns, not just necessarily me.” Continue reading “Ballage sheds limelight on ASU offensive line”