Since the elephant is still in the Arizona State baseball room, let's address that first.

ASU coach Tracy Smith is returning for a sixth season in 2020.

ASU Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson confirmed that Tuesday after meeting with Smith to review a 38-19 season, up from 23-32 in 2017 and '18.

“I meet with Tracy Smith on a regular basis regarding the health and welfare of our Sun Devil baseball program," Anderson said. "We met again today upon his return from the NCAA regional.

"After a season-long, exhaustive evaluation of the entirety of the program I informed Tracy that he will remain as head coach under his current contract. We do expect continued improvement in all aspects of the program moving forward as we do in every sport.”

Smith's cumulative record is 155-129 since coming to ASU from Indiana, where he was national Coach of the Year in 2013. His first two and fifth teams made the NCAA Tournament but did not advance beyond a regional. The others missed out on the postseason in the first consecutive losing seasons in modern school history.

Anderson made it clear after last season that he expected improvement expected improvement, especially in pitching and defense, after 2018.

With a more seasoned team, the Sun Devils bolted to a 21-0 start -- tied for second best in school history -- and were 25-1 through March. They slipped to 13-18 against tougher competition over the final two months including a 1-2 showing at the Baton Rouge regional that ended with a thud in a 13-12 walk off loss (after a 10-2 lead).

"We were asked to show considerable improvement, and in my mind we've done that," Smith said. "It's almost a 30-game turnaround (from nine under .500 to 19 over). That's probably an indication we moved the needle a little bit."

Not enough, though, for Anderson to extend Smith's contract beyond the two years he has remaining through the 2021 season. That keeps the elephant around and raises the stakes for 2020 when either an extension or a coaching change almost has to prevail for recruiting sake alone.

ASU returns at least six starting positions players including its entire infield. First baseman Spencer Torkelson needs nine home runs as a junior to pass Bob Horner as the school career record holder, eminently do-able since he averaged 24 in his first two seasons. Torkelson will contend to be the No. 1 overall major league draft pick like Horner was in 1978.

But current first-round draft pick Hunter Bishop and second-rounder Alec Marsh must be replaced (presuming both sign), leaving a hole in center field and in the starting pitching rotation.

If ASU is to make another step forward next season -- perhaps to host a regional for the first time since moving to Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 2015 -- the pitching staff has to become deeper and more reliable.

"Clearly that's what we need to get right," Smith said of pitching. "We need some more experience, guys that have been through the battles and know what it looks like but also have the stuff to back it up. We went pitching heavy this signing class, and we expect those to be quality and character guys you need to keep building."

Justin Fall, Cooper Benson, Seth Tomczak, Nick Wallerstedt, Graham Osman and Bryce Barnett are among the pitching signees that ASU is counting on to bolster a staff whose notable returners include Boyd Vander Kooi, RJ Dabovich, Blake Burzell, Brady Corrigan and Erik Tolman.

Vander Kooi could step up to be the No. 1 starter, replacing Marsh, with Dabovich also in the weekend starting rotation. After that, roles are up for grabs, particularly at the back end where no one had more than three saves.

Through the second day of the draft (10 rounds), only one ASU signee was selected, shortstop Glenallen Hill Jr. That bodes well for keeping most of the 16-player recruiting class although those selected in rounds 11-15 or so also are signing risks.

Smith believes ASU will be "more athletic all the way around" in 2020 with additions such as Seth Nager, recent commitment Zach Huffins, Alex Helmin and Wallerstedt, a two-way player who father Brett is among the ASU football career tackle leaders.

Catcher Michael Carpentier is another important incoming addition since ASU is likely to lose junior Lyle Lin through the draft while returning starter Sam Ferri.

Torkelson is playing again this summer for the USA Baseball collegiate national team and shortstop Alika Williams might get that opportunity too. Others will be playing in Cape Cod or other summer leagues hoping for the kind of performance jump that Bishop and Marsh made this season. Third baseman Gage Workman in particular seems poised for a big junior year and outfielder Trevor Hauver will build on a 13-home season.

"I like the progress we made," Smith said. "There's certainly a lot of room for growth. We want to keep notching it up every year. We fully expected to win our regional. That's one more experience they can draw from to say we've been through this. The next step comes with consistency on the mound."

ASU team statistics

2018 (23-32)

Batting average: .290 (No. 34)

ERA: 4.70 (No. 141)

Fielding percentage: .963 (No. 230)

Slugging percentage: .446 (No. 35)

On base percentage: .366 (No. 117)

2019 (39-18)

Batting average: .310 (No. 10)

ERA: 4.93 (No. 144)

Fielding percentage: .976 (No. 50)

Slugging percentage: .519 (No. 4)

On base percentage: .398 (No. 19)

More:ASU outfielder Hunter Bishop goes 10th overall in MLB draft, Alec Marsh taken in second round

More:ASU baseball signee Glenallen Hill Jr. drafted in fourth round by Arizona Diamondbacks

Reach the reporter at jeff.metcalfe@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8053. Follow him on Twitter @jeffmetcalfe.

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