The Sun Devil baseball team has the No. 18 ranked class of recruits for 2025 as head coach Willie Bloomquist looks to continue the “MLBU” reputation for the foreseeable future. ASU is right in the middle of fall ball, now 15 games through before they start their Maroon vs. Gold series of scrimmages for the next two weeks.

“We’re happy with where we’re at,” Bloomquist stated. “We were able to pile up a couple of arms late, and that was before the rankings came out. So there’s a nice mix, a lot of arms we continue to build with, and then a couple of decent position players that we mixed in there as well.”

One of the games the Sun Devils played during fall ball was against USA Baseball. They held a 3-1 lead heading into the eighth but eventually fell 4-3. As a collective staff, the pitcher struck out some of the top minor league players in the country 15 times, led by junior ace Ben Jacobs. For Bloomquist, it was a barometer to see how his team would hold up against elite competition with another few months to prepare for the regular season.

“That was a good experience for our guys,” Bloomquist added. “They’ve done it in the past before, and I thought it lined up perfectly when our fall was going on. We should have beaten them, but we did pretty well against them. Playing against arguably the best minor league guys out there, we got a chance to face some really good arms, so that was cool for our guys and let us know we got a chance to play with anybody.”

Jacobs earned Pac-12 honorable mentions honors in 2024, finishing with a 4.75 ERA and a team-high seven wins. He became the 43rd Sun Devil all-time to be named to the U.S. Collegiate National Team over the summer and is a top-five pitching prospect for the upcoming MLB draft. He will be the guy going forward for Bloomquist’s pitching staff, but the second-weekend spot behind him is still up for grabs between several pitchers.

“Ben’s done everything he needs to do for the fall, so we’re shutting him down for the remainder of fall,” Bloomquist mentioned. “Jack has done a nice job, he just needs to clean a few things up. For the first time in my four years here, we have good problems on the mound, so there’ll be a dog fight for those weekend spots, and it’s been a competitive fall.”

ASU’s nonconference schedule is no easy feat, and it is exactly how Bloomquist wants it. It’s a combination of NCAA tournament-hopeful teams along with old rivalries such as USC and UCLA. The old Pac-12 foes will look to continue playing home and home series into the foreseeable future, and the rest of the nonconference games will help prepare ASU for a Big 12 conference that is up for grabs with the departure of powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma.

“You’re hoping to play against good, solid teams,” Bloomquist commented. “We’ve done everything we can to make sure we’re playing a good nonconference schedule as well. I also think it’s very important to keep the rivalry going with the Southern California school, so we’re gonna try to keep that. The schedule isn’t going to be easy, though, but I don’t want it to be.”

The Sun Devils lost notable position players to the MLB draft, such as catcher Ryan Campos and outfielder Nick McClain, among others. To fill the gaps left behind, the team brought in a healthy number of transfers along with new freshmen. With fall ball all but wrapped up, the new players have had the chance to build their on-field chemistry with returners and have until February to strengthen their bond outside of the diamond.

“We have some good personalities and older guys that have come in,” Bloomquist noted. “The new guys we brought are target kids that we certainly think the talent is nice, but it’s also the type of kid that’s going to fit in with our culture and what we’re trying to do. So we got some tough kids that love to play baseball, and those are the type of guys I like.”

With the departure of Campos, there are three main candidates that Bloomquist looks to fill the void left behind by the captain. Graduate Josiah Cromwick has been the most impressive during fall ball on the offensive side, as he brings a powerful bat to the lineup after redshirting last year.

Sophomore Brody Briggs comes in with the most potential, as he still has at least another two years of eligibility. He went up to the Alaskan Baseball League over the summer, posting a .259 batting average and .370 on-base percentage.

The newest member of the trio is senior Manny Garza, who transferred from Rice. He was on the Buster Posey Watch List in 2024 and recorded nine homers and 61 RBIs in his three years with the Owls.

“It’s another position where we have good problems,” Bloomquist voiced. “Josiah hit his 10th homer of the fall through 15 games, and he’s been on an absolute tear. He’s done an outstanding job offensively and defensively, and he continues to progress. Brody Briggs has done a great job behind the plate, and Manny Garza is a clubhouse favorite. That’s a real dog fight behind the dish on who’s going to the nod on opening day, but nothing has been determined yet.”

Athletic director Graham Rossini was introduced into his position just six months ago and has already made tremendous strides. For baseball, ASU is currently installing new lights, one of the many renovations that need to be made at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in the near future. Bloomquist spoke on Rossini’s job so far, as the two go back to when the pair were Sun Devils in the 1990s.

“The proof is in the pudding,” Bloomquist remarked. “Graham is a smart individual, and I think he knew the job he was about to embark on; that was not going to be easy. It's a challenging environment for not only him but for all the coaches. I’ve known him for a long time, and he just kind of puts one good decision and piles them on one another. What he’s done in a short amount of time has been phenomenal, but the work isn’t done.”

This weekend is a huge opportunity for recruiting, as the football team has a chance to go undefeated for the first time at home since 2004 in a flashy fashion. A top-25 matchup on Saturday is a prime chance for Bloomquist to expand his future recruiting classes, as high school athletes seeing such a big win on their visit would certainly aid the case for becoming a Sun Devil and experiencing this atmosphere regularly.

“The college experience is huge in recruiting,” Bloomquist said. “This place is pretty cool, it’s a fun place to go to school, and I can attest to it because I went here. The academic side has really done a 180 since I was here, so for people who want a great education along with the atmosphere, there’s no better place to go. Momentum is great right now, and it’s a great time to be a Sun Devil.”

Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!