TITLE: ASU evens series with dominant 13-3 win over Houston

Senior Night is meant to be a celebration—a heartfelt tribute to the players who’ve given everything to the program and helped shape its identity. For a moment, the atmosphere matched the occasion. Then came the heartbreak. Houston shattered the mood with a five-run fifth inning and slammed the door with a lights-out four-out save from elite left-hander Antoine Jean, handing ASU a series-opening loss.

On a night when conference rivals like West Virginia and Arizona took losses—giving ASU a real chance to gain ground and maintain their second-place ranking—the Sun Devils let the opportunity slip. The series-opening loss knocks them down a spot in the standings and adds pressure heading into the weekend.

Head coach Willie Bloomquist emphasized yesterday that no team in the Big 12 should be underestimated, pointing to the losses by West Virginia and Arizona as evidence. He noted that on any given day, any team can win in such a competitive conference, and Houston proved that point yesterday.

ASU found themselves in a familiar position: having dropped the first game, they needed to win the next two to secure the series. This had already played out in several Big 12 series this season, including last weekend against Baylor. Saturday followed a similar path, with ASU bouncing back in a game that would typically be a mercy rule, if not for Big 12 Saturday rules. Senior right-hander Jack Martinez earned his fifth straight win, and the offense erupted for 13 runs in a dominant 13-3 victory over Houston (28-21, 11-14 Big 12). With momentum on their side, ASU (33-18, 17-9 Big 12) heads into Sunday with a chance to close out the series and strengthen their position heading into the final week of the season.

All season long, ASU has demonstrated a remarkable ability to bounce back after tough losses. Whether it was their 26-9 victory over TCU following a one-run loss back in mid-March or a 12-5 win over Oral Roberts after a close defeat in the second week of the season, the Sun Devils have shown resilience time and again.

“This team's resilient. They’ll bounce back from adversity, which is a great trait to have," said Bloomquist. "Obviously, you’d like to limit the amount of adversity you have throughout the year, but these guys find a way to bounce back and counterpunch as well as any team I’ve been around in a long time.”

With their 33rd win, ASU now holds the most regular season victories under head coach Willie Bloomquist. Their ability to handle challenges—whether it's bouncing back from losses or staying composed in tight moments—has been a major reason they’ve emerged as one of the top teams in the Big 12 this season.

According to junior infielder Kyle Walker, “everything clicked on all cylinders” today—and when that happens, ASU becomes a tough team to beat. The Sun Devils have consistently fielded one of the country’s most dangerous offenses in recent years, and the emergence of standout arms like senior right-hander Jack Martinez and sophomore left-hander Cole Carlon has given them the balance to not just score big, but shut teams down. That combination has made blowout wins like today’s possible.

Bloomquist pointed to that very improvement as a key difference between this year’s team and those of the past, noting that having “more arms” and greater pitching depth has made a major impact—and it’s reflected in the win column.

One of those new arms is Martinez. Despite being a first-year Sun Devil, the power pitcher was honored on Senior Night and has quickly become a key part of ASU’s dominant one-two punch in the rotation. Paired with junior left-hander Ben Jacobs, Martinez has helped turn Saturdays into prime bounce-back opportunities—just like this one—following tough losses in series openers.

“He’s that steady force you know is going to keep you in a game and give you a chance to win,” said Bloomquist. “He’s a senior, he knows what he’s doing out there, stays under control, doesn’t get rattled, and has done a good job righting the ship when we’ve needed it. After tough losses on Friday, he comes back and keeps us in it Saturday, giving us a chance to win.”

ASU is 10-3 in games started by Martinez, including five straight wins in his starts. With 100 strikeouts, second in the conference, he provides a steady presence on the mound, giving the team confidence that they know exactly what to expect from him each week.

Though he wasn’t at his best tonight, going four innings with two earned runs and four strikeouts, Martinez did enough to keep ASU in control, leaving with a four-run lead. Houston was held scoreless the rest of the way, thanks in part to sophomore relief pitcher Jaden Alba. For the second consecutive week, Alba stepped in after a Martinez start, delivering three shutout innings to keep the Cougars at bay.

The overarching reason for today’s win was the offense, which came out strong and made it clear early on they wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of yesterday’s loss. Leading the charge was Walker, who had come close to turning the game around on Friday with two balls hit to the warning track—each falling just short of what could’ve given ASU the lead. Today, however, a bat flip and three extra-base hits made it clear: Walker had done his push-ups last night, ensuring those near-misses didn’t happen again.

When asked if homering today felt good after his close calls yesterday, Walker responded, “It definitely did. I just missed them, but I tried to stay with the same approach, and it worked out better today. I got a couple of RBIs, and we got the win, so it was awesome.”

When Bloomquist said yesterday, “I’d bet my money they’ll bounce back and be good tomorrow,” he wasn’t taking much of a gamble. And with good reason. Walker responded with three hits, and the top of the order—Walker, freshman outfielder Landon Hairston, and senior infielder Matt King—combined for six hits, six RBIs, and four extra-base hits. Together, they reminded everyone that these three have been the driving force behind this offense all season.

The outfield got in on the offensive surge as well, with junior Isaiah Jackson launching his 12th home run of the season. It marked his sixth homer in the last eight games, continuing what's been a breakout year at the plate. That stretch alone would have put him just two home runs shy of matching his career total of eight home runs entering the season, which came over 53 games.

Sophomore outfielder Brandon Compton finally broke through in Saturday’s offensive outburst, launching his first home run since April 1. It’s been a tough stretch for last year’s breakout youngster, with head coach Willie Bloomquist attributing some of his recent struggles to timing issues at the plate. Compton has seen more time as the designated hitter lately—where Bloomquist noted he had the most success in 2024—and he’s quietly put together a five-game hitting streak, collecting seven hits in the stretch.

ASU now turns its attention to Sunday, where a win will decide the series and set the tone for next weekend’s pivotal matchup with Oklahoma State. With the top four teams in the Big 12 all winning today, tomorrow’s outcome could shift ASU back into second place or leave them with ground to make up. With so much on the line, Bloomquist knows the importance of keeping the focus on the present moment.

“Just continued to play baseball, right? Be ready to play, be ready to go tomorrow,” Bloomquist said. “We've got to try to win the series tomorrow, and that's really the only message: be ready to go tomorrow,"

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