ASU baseball is trying to return to being the powerhouse that has won five National Championships in its history, and the Sun Devils just secured a transfer with that pedigree and experience.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On X (formerly Twitter), former Cactus Shadows High School pitcher and Cave Creek native Derek Schaefer announced that after being a national champion in his freshman year, he will be transferring from Tennessee to ASU and returning to the Valley.
“Fired up to be able to compete for a school near to my heart, and a coach that is a winner in Willie Bloomquist,” Schaefer said. “Back to the Valley. Let’s shock the world. All glory to God.”
Fired up to be able to compete for a school near to my heart, and a coach that is a winner in @williebloom
Back to the Valley
Let’s shock the world
All glory to God pic.twitter.com/dwxRQJQ4bA
— Derek Schaefer (@derekschaefer9) July 5, 2024
During his freshman year at Tennessee, he made 10 appearances and two starts for the Volunteers with a 9.35 ERA, 10 strikeouts, eight walks and the opposing team batted .294 against him in 8.2 innings. In the only game he pitched in the SEC, the 6-foot-2 right-hander gave up five runs in one inning against Georgia.
The Volunteers dominated last season as they went 60-13 in 2024 and posted a 22-8 record in the SEC. Tennessee won the 2024 College World Series 2-1 over Texas A&M in a three-game series.
Once Tennessee reached the ultimate pinnacle of college baseball, he decided to enter the transfer portal on Monday.
Now, Schaefer has pulled off a U-turn after originally being recruited by Arizona State in high school and will rep the maroon and gold back at home next year. According to Tennessee’s website, he originally committed to the Volunteers over ASU and Texas.
Bringing in his champion experience will be a major add for Arizona State who missed the NCAA Tournament last season after going 0-2 in the Pac-12 tournament and finishing 32-26 overall. The Sun Devils haven’t been in a College World Series since 2010.
Schaefer joins fellow pitchers Ryan Minckler (Niagara), Will Koger (Louisville) and Chance Daquila (Campbell) who have also transferred to ASU for the 2025 season. Former UTSA infielder Matt King and Rice catcher Manny Garza are also both committed to the Sun Devils program.
ASU baseball pitcher Thomas Burns entered transfer portal, commits to Texas
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
