Even though the Arizona State baseball team will not be playing in the postseason for the first time in over a decade, the future looks bright for Tim Esmay and his squad. The Sun Devils have currently signed nine players in the ESPN top 100 high school baseball players for the class of 2012. Click the jump to find out more about the future Sun Devils.
ASU has always gotten top in-state talent and this year is no different. Mitch Nay (Chandler, AZ) is the top ranked player in ASU's class. Nay, a third baseman from Hamilton High School, is ranked as the ninth best player in the country by ESPN. Nay hit .301 this season with 11 home runs and 31 runs batted in. Nay was named the ESPN Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, as the state's top player both on and off the field. Nay holds a 4.30 weighted GPA and also serves a youth baseball instrutor.
Tony Blanford (Phoenix, AZ) is rated No. 63 in the country by ESPN. The right-handed pitcher from Boulder Creek High School boasts a low-90's fastball and has very good size (6'3) for a pitcher. ESPN ranks Blanford as the second best player in the state of Arizona, and the No. 21 pitcher in the country.
ASU had success all over the country as this year's class boasts players from Washington, Colorado, Illinois and even Hawaii.
Clint Coulter (Camas, WA) is ranked No. 16 in the ESPN 100, and the No. 2 catcher in the country. Coulter was named a 2nd Team All-American by Perfect Game and First-Team All-Region. Coulter was an outstanding wrestler in high school, boasting a record of 39-1 his sophomore year. Perfect Game compares Coulter to Mike Napoli.
Right-handed pitcher Kieren Lovegrove (Mission Viejo, CA), right-handed pitcher Ryan Burr (Highland Ranch, CO), left-handed pitcher Brett Lilek (South Holland, IL), right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn (Oakley, CA), right-handed pitcher Wayne Ethington (Mesa, AZ) and right-handed pitcher Trey Kamachi (Kapolei, HI) are the remaining players ranked in the ESPN 100 committed to ASU.
Just as a disclaimer, some if not most of these players will not make it to Tempe as most are considered to be high draft picks in next week's MLB Draft.