Even after missing all of 2021 and suffering through a tumultuous rehab process and 2022 season, Boyd Vander Kooi is still finding ways to help his team win. It’s been far from easy this season for the senior right-hander. He hasn’t pitched more than three innings at a time and has had to be shelved a few times this season with minor setbacks following his February 2021 Tommy John surgery. He was able to put that all behind him in two stellar innings to start Sunday’s game, setting the tone for a 13-6 series sweeping win for Arizona State over Utah.

“Boyd is such a competitor, and he wants to do well for himself and for the team so badly,” Willie Bloomquist said. “He got us off to a good start to put up two zeroes. We wanted to give him a positive outing, and he did that.”

On Friday night, it was the Nate Baez show. On Sunday afternoon, freshman Jacob Tobias flexed his muscles with two bombs. One was a typical “Toby tank,” a towering drive to right center that easily cleared the national championship banners beyond the wall. The other was much more impressive. Until the fourth inning of today’s game, each of Tobias’s six collegiate homers had been pulled at least somewhat. His second blast of the day was belted to left center, a sign that not only is his power prolific, it’s maturing.

“We’ve had them on the ropes all weekend, but we knew they were gonna come out strong,” Tobias said. “I’m always ready. Even if I’m having a good weekend or good month, it’s about continuing to work and putting in that grind every day.”

Tobias, who was interrupted during his postgame press conference by pitching coach Sam Peraza’s young son requesting an autograph, has seen his popularity and poise rise considerably this season. His sixth and seventh home runs of the year are just a product of his mental makeup and work ethic.

“He just keeps focusing, and he’s really maturing as a hitter,” Bloomquist said. “Early in the season, he struggled a little bit with left-handed pitching, and now he’s really coming into his own there. He continues to work hard, and we’re gonna need that.”

It’s typically very hard to win the third game after winning the first two in the Pac-12. It was easy for Arizona State on Sunday afternoon. Utah laid down from the jump, allowing the Sun Devils to put up six first-inning runs to ensure a low stress dominant win to cap off a dominant weekend for one of the most bipolar teams in college baseball. ASU cruised to the tune of 13 runs on 19 hits. The weekend totals are even gaudier, with 38 runs on 50 hits.

“Getting off to a nice start is great, and I was impressed with how even though we were comfortable, they continued to add on throughout the game,” Bloomquist said. “The things that sting teams are just the good at-bats and keeping the line moving. For our guys to put together good at-bat after good at-bat, especially with two outs, it makes it a fun offense.”

After the first inning six-spot, the Sun Devils scored two in the third on Tobias’s first homer. They added two more when Baez left the yard for the third time of the series in the fifth. The hits and runs kept coming for ASU, and for an offense that has proven to be one of the streakiest in the country, there’s no better time to get red hot.

“I’m not trying to do anything more than what I’ve done all year,” Baez said. “I knew I got mine right away. In these conditions, the wind is blowing out, and it’s hot. It’s fun hitting here.”

With three on the weekend, Baez currently sits at nine on the season. Joe Lampe holds the team lead with 10. The race for a PAC-12 tournament berth isn’t the only race going on late this spring.

“(Joe) mentioned something about it earlier, I think, but I don’t really care,” Baez said. “As long as he’s hitting good and we’re hitting good, that’s all that matters.”

It’s clear at this point that ASU is a different team from week to week. They’re certainly better than the Pac-12’s worst but certainly worse than the conference’s best. Mediocrity is not the goal, of course, but it will punch a ticket to Scottsdale for the Pac-12 tournament in three weeks.

“One day at a time. 1-0 each day,” Bloomquist said. “The most important thing is we won today, and that’s all we could control.”