Willie Bloomquist Shares ASU Baseball Updates Ahead of Season Opener
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TEMPE -- The opening of the much-anticipated 2026 Arizona State baseball season is nearly here.
The Sun Devils - who were picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 in recent weeks - are set to usher in the regular season at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Friday night against Omaha in what will be year five of the Willie Bloomquist era.
Bloomquist is heading into year five of leading the program, and is poised to have what might be his most complete squad yet, just one year removed from a 36-24 campaign. The head coach spoke with media on Tuesday afternoon in anticipation for the opener, discussing a wide range of topics in the process.
Bloomquist Believes in Pitching Staff
The inconsistent nature of the Arizona State pitching staff served as a major undoing last season, as the 5.38 ERA from the group largely negated the league-best offensive output.
Bloomquist stressed the importance of restocking the pitching room during the offseason, and now the program seems to be much more confident about the outlook heading into the new campaign.
“It’s been a long road to get the quality of arms we feel like we have. We’ll see when the lights come on how they respond, but on paper it looks pretty good.”
Former reliever Cole Carlon, who served as one of the most effective bullpen pitchers in the sport last season, is set to be the opening day starter, while there are several other viable options that will receive opportunities outside of Carlon. UNLV transfer Alex Overbay (son of Bloomquist's former teammate in Lyle Overbay) is expected to receive reps once Carlon is taken out of Friday's game.
Bloomquist Discusses Retaining In-state Talent
One of the biggest points of emphasis amongst all Arizona State coaches in recent years has been to retain in-state talent - Bloomquist's pitch is simple.
"The grass isn't greener. When you leave out of Arizona, this is a pretty special place to play. A lot of times we get complacent because it's in our backyard. But when you look at all of Arizona State, what it has to offer, academically, athletically, socially, it's it's a pretty dang special place. So the local kids are starting to hopefully start to realize that and see the trajectory of the program that's going the right direction."
This is a similar approach to what football coach Kenny Dillingham has taken in his effort to keep elite Arizona talent in Tempe for their careers. The pitch of athletic excellence, the history behind ASU baseball, the academic opportunities, location, and so much more has the ability to positively impact the exploits of Bloomquist moving into the future.
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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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.