ASU Baseball in Curious Position Following Friday Loss

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (23-9, 7-5 Big 12) rebounded from a rough 7-4 loss to the struggling Arizona Wildcats on Friday night with a series-clinching win on Saturday night.

The No. 25 Sun Devils will likely fall out of the Top 25 rankings this week and now face a curious path forward in the race to reach the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since the 2010 season.

efefwe — Arizona State manager Willie Bloomquist calls for a replay against Ohio State during the first inning at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Feb. 16, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Follow key developments that have come about over the last week from within the baseball program below with ASU on SI.

ASU Sun Devil head caoch Willie Bloomquist stands in the dugout during their game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on March 25, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State's Tournament Positioning Weakens

The Sun Devils dropped from the No. 17 national seed to 23rd by Baseball America as of April 1. The drop may not seem significant at the surface, but now the team is in serious danger of falling to a three-line in a prospective bracket - and have gone from being on the doorstep of hosting a regional to having to travel to Auburn, Alabama.

There has to be urgency in the air for Willie Bloomquist and the Sun Devils - especially after dropping even a singular game to an Arizona team that entered the series with less than 10 victories.

evefwf — Corona del Sol High School's Cole Carlon (14) pitches the ball during the first inning of a baseball game against Desert Vista High School at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe on April 18, 2023. High School Baseball Corona Del Sol Baseball Desert Vista At Corona Del Sol 70093509007 | Joel Angel Juarez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Part of the concern once again lies in the pitching rotation, as arms such as Alex Overbay have struggled mightily after quality starts to the season. Bloomquist is continuing to tweak the starting rotation in an effort to best position his team moving forward, but games such as Friday point to a bullpen that has a fair amount of ground to gain as well - as the relievers essentially threw away a gem start from ace Cole Carlon.

Arizona State Sun Devils outfielder Dean Toigo (55) slides to thrid base as Oklahoma Sooners infielder Camden Johnson (9) reaches for the ball in the first inning of a college baseball game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bright Spots Remain for Arizona State

Much akin to the 2025 season, the Sun Devils are driven by an elite offense in the 2026 campaign. Landon Hairston has made a jump from quality lineup addition as a freshman in 2025 into one of the very best players in all of college baseball this year.

Hairston isn't where it ends - UNLV transfer Dean Toigo, Nuu Contrades, and Garrett Michel are just a few of the complimentary bats that provide a number of positives to the lineup. Toigo's bat is powerful, while Contrades is a well-rounded hitter, while Michel has hit 11 doubles and has walked almost as often as he has struck out. Slight inconsistencies from the season shouldn't take eyes away from the ultimate prize of making it back to Omaha.

lm;ml — ASU Sun Devil Landon Hairston (3) takes the field during their game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on March 25, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images