Arizona State stepped on the field on Sunday looking to start the season with three straight wins after beating Ohio State in the opening two games. With home run hitting responsible for a majority of the runs in the first two games, head coach Willie Bloomquist voiced that he wanted to focus on hitting balls lower to the ground.
The Sun Devils (3-0) completed the sweep, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal, if you will, for a 17-10 victory over Ohio State (0-3). ASU’s baserunning, combined with six Buckeye errors, helped the Sun Devils score in all but two innings, all with just two home runs hit throughout the game.
The first error came when junior outfielder Kien Vu stole third. The catcher misfired the ball into the outfield, and Vu trotted over home plate. The Sun Devils stole 10 bases today, coming out with speed and precision on the base path. Overall, the Buckeyes played a clean game until the seventh inning, when three errors turned into three runs to push the score to 13-7.
Ohio State scored in the first inning in every game, but the Sun Devils answered the call every time. After taking a 3-2 lead at the end of the first, ASU never looked back and led from then on. At one point, the game was 10-2 when Ohio State strung together a couple of runs to come within three, but seven combined runs in the final two innings helped the Sun Devils pull away for the sweep.
Redshirt sophomore left fielder Brandon Compton knocked in another three runs off two hits, one of which was a 405-foot blast over the jumbotron in right-center field. After his second homer of the season, Ohio State pitchers were scared to throw right at him as he drew three walks throughout the game.
Redshirt senior catcher Josiah Cromwick started his second game behind the dish and drove in three runs of his own, as he and Compton have become a scary sight for opposing pitchers in the heart of the lineup.
After throwing 10 pitchers out of the bullpen in the first two games, Bloomquist stuck with the same plan, sending out five more arms from the pen, three of whom made their season debut. Sophomore lefty Jaden Alba received the start on the mound, pouring in four innings of work and allowing two earned runs on five hits.
ASU’s first weekend displayed resilience and the ability to put up runs in a hurry, but the pitching staff is once again the wild card of the team. Saturday’s six runs were the least given up throughout the series, but it’s only three games in. Players are still knocking off the fall ball rust and getting jitters out of their bodies, and the pitchers may take a few starts to find their groove.
The Sun Devils have had a somewhat odd start to the season. They play four games in four days, starting tomorrow afternoon with a quick Monday game against Austin Peay. A 4-0 start would be monumental for ASU, as the nonconference schedule is not one to take lightly. Players and coaches made it clear that the 2025 season is Omaha or bust, as Bloomquist is looking to make his first NCAA tournament appearance as a manager.
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