ASU Baseball Completes Opening Series Sweep With Late Heroics

The Sun Devils have officially started off the 2026 season with a 3-0 record.

ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist talks with the umpires prior to a game against Oregon State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on April 21, 2023. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0) have officially started year five of the Willie Bloomquist era on a high note, as the team completed a three-game sweep of the Omaha Mavericks (0-3) on Sunday afternoon.

The Sun Devils won the first two games of the series in convincing fashion, but found themselves down 4-0 at one point in the game and were forced to rally to secure the win.

Follow key points of the game, which players stood out for the Sun Devils, and more below with Arizona State on SI.

Scoring Plays

Third Inning: Brody Briggs hit a two-run home run to right field, which scored Austen Roellig, who was on first base.

Sixth Inning: Dean Toigo hits solo home run to right field. This served as the second consecutive outing that the UNLV transfer has hit a home run in.

Sixth Inning: Roellig ties the game at 4 after hitting into a fielder's choice. Dominic Smaldino scored for the Sun Devils.

Eighth Inning: Beckett Zavorek hit a single with two outs that scored Brody Briggs and Sam Myers. Landon Hairston advanced to second base, although nothing else came to fruition. Arizona State went into the ninth inning with a 6-4 lead.

Key Performers

Beckett Zavorek: The sophomore proved to be the difference in this game by hitting a go-ahead single with the bases loaded to pick up the most hard-fought win of the series.

Dean Toigo: The power hitter continued to live up to the billing he received when transferring to Arizona State after last season. Toigo hit a solo home run for the second consecutive game after securing his first hit of the season on Saturday.

Derek Schaefer & Sean Fitzpatrick: The duo of relievers played an instrumental role in preserving the game for the Sun Devils. Fitzpatrick earned the win after striking out three batters in the eighth inning and keeping the game tied at four. Schaefer earned the save after retiring all three batters that were faced.

Nuu Contrades: The second baseman continues an incredibly strong start to the season. Contrades now has a three-game hit streak, while also drawing a walk and being an incredibly productive fielder, earning a pair of putouts.

Kien Vu (11) of the Arizona State Sun Devils slides into third during ASU’s home opener against Ohio State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium Feb. 14, 2025, in Phoenix, Ariz. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What's Next

Arizona State returns to action for a single-game set against UConn at home on Tuesday before playing a three-game series against St. John's this coming weekend.

Kyle Walker (7) of the Arizona State Sun Devils celebrates as he reaches second base during ASU’s home opener against Ohio State on Feb. 14, 2025, in Phoenix, Ariz. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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