Coming off a rejuvenating win over UC Irvine to open their NCAA Tournament run—a much-needed jolt of confidence after a brutal end to the regular season—ASU had hopes of riding that momentum. But a winner’s bracket matchup with host UCLA slammed the brakes, a jarring step backward in what had felt like a forward surge.

Friday night’s win marked ASU’s first regional appearance and victory since 2021, and it played out just the way they would’ve hoped. In a tense pitchers’ duel, junior left-hander Ben Jacobs set the tone on the mound, while veteran bats like junior outfielder Isaiah Jackson and senior infielder Jacob Tobias carried the offensive load. It was the kind of performance that felt like a perfect launching point for a potential tournament run.

Each win in a regional means a tougher challenge next, and for ASU, that meant going from No. 23 UC Irvine to No. 13 UCLA on back-to-back days. The Sun Devils had to quickly turn the page from Friday’s win—but by the second inning Saturday, it was clear they weren’t ready for what the Bruins brought. A grand slam by senior infielder Roman Martin capped off a seven-run inning that buried ASU early. UCLA never looked back, cruising to a 11–5 win and punching their ticket to the regional final.

Most of this game felt like a formality, especially for ASU, who had to wave the white flag by the fourth inning. The Bruins’ explosive offense, now with 30 runs in their first two regional games, made sure of that.

Senior right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez got the start for ASU, a dependable presence who had arguably matched — or even outperformed — ace Ben Jacobs at times. Entering the night with a 4.76 ERA and 108 strikeouts, and with ASU having won five of his last six starts, he seemed like the ideal option to counter UCLA’s explosive offense.

It became clear early on, though, that this wasn’t Martinez’s night to do so.

After a clean first inning, things unraveled quickly for Martinez in the second. Following a leadoff single, sophomore Payton Brennan ripped a ball down the right field line that rolled into the corner—an easy RBI triple—until junior infielder Kyle Walker airmailed the throw to third, allowing Brennan to score as well. What should’ve been a one-run play turned into a deflating inside-the-park, little-league home run. It was an embarrassing sequence for ASU, effectively gift-wrapping runs for UCLA and setting the tone for what was to come.

Brennan’s mad dash around the bases quickly became a footnote in a disastrous inning for ASU. After the inside-the-park home run, Martinez lost all command. He got a flyout, then allowed a single and hit back-to-back batters to load the bases. From there, control completely escaped him—wild pitches and missed locations set the tone, and just like that, Martinez was in survival mode, trying to limit the damage before things got completely out of hand.

His effort to limit the damage got off to a rough start—after a fielder’s choice, a bases-loaded walk brought home UCLA’s third run, setting the stage for sophomore infielder Roman Martin with two outs. This was a pivotal moment for Martinez to keep ASU afloat or risk the game unraveling completely.

Martin made that moment count. On the very first pitch—a middle-middle fastball—he launched a grand slam into right field, instantly turning the inning into a nightmare and giving UCLA a commanding seven-run lead before ASU’s cleanup hitter even stepped up to the plate.

In tournament play like these regionals, where two losses mean elimination, falling behind 7-0 in the second inning of a non-elimination game raises tough questions. Do you let Martinez try to eat innings? Save him for a later game? Wave the white flag? Which arms come in next?

With ASU’s offense ice-cold ever since the season finale against Oklahoma State, optimism for ASU to play catch-up was limited. After a few more innings, it became clear head coach Willie Bloomquist decided to focus on saving arms rather than pushing to win this game. Freshman left-hander Max Arlich handled the bulk of the remaining innings, with a few other depth bullpen arms chipping in to help eat up the rest.

On offense, ASU struggled to capitalize, going 3-for-14 with runners on base, 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and just 1-for-5 with runners on third and fewer than two outs.

Every time the ASU offense showed signs of life, it was short-lived. In the second inning, they loaded the bases with no outs but scored just one run. In the fourth, with runners on third and first and no outs, they again managed only one run. From the second through the fourth inning, ASU hit into a double play in each frame.

ASU’s top of the order—Walker, freshman outfielder Landon Hairston, and senior infielder Matt King—has gone ice cold in regional play. The trio, which anchored one of the nation’s most productive offenses all season and ranks among the top four in batting average on the roster, has combined to go just 2-for-26 over the first two games.

That lack of production has extended beyond the top three. Sophomore outfielder Brandon Compton is also 0-for-5 in the regional, as the Sun Devils simply haven’t gotten enough help across the lineup to compete with red hot teams like UCLA. Four runs were enough to get past UC Irvine on Friday, but that won’t likely be the case on Sunday—especially without Jacobs on the mound and the Anteaters looking for payback.

While preserving bullpen arms was a small silver lining for ASU, it was equally true for UCLA. The Bruins used just three pitchers—none of their top-tier arms. In a bullpen with four pitchers boasting ERAs under 3.00, they relied on depth options with ERAs in the high fours and fives. If a rematch comes in the regional final, UCLA will be fully rested and even more dangerous.

Any thoughts of a potential regional final rematch will have to wait, as ASU is right back to square one. It faces UC Irvine again tomorrow, this time with elimination on the line.

Looking ahead to UC Irvine, the Anteaters’ recent struggles have had a familiar rhythm—back-to-back losses to Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, and UC San Diego. The pair of defeats to Cal Poly even cost them a shot at their conference tournament. If history repeats itself, a second straight loss to ASU wouldn’t be all that shocking.

As for who takes the mound for ASU tomorrow? Likely… everyone. Bloomquist noted postgame that even Martinez could be available if needed. With Cole Carlon having thrown just an inning on Friday and dependable right-handers Lucas Kelly and Derek Schaefer still fresh, expect ASU to throw everything they have.

They’ll need to. The Sun Devils can’t afford to bring a shred of the flat, lifeless energy they showed Saturday. If there’s any hope of earning a rematch with UCLA, they’ll have to rediscover the urgency and edge that carried them past UC Irvine the first time. Because come Sunday, everything is on the line.

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