Following back-to-back Big 12 series losses in mid-April, Arizona State returned home for a much-needed stretch—eight of their next nine games in Tempe. It proved to be exactly what they needed. The Sun Devils went 7-2 over that span, riding a five-game win streak into the weekend and breaking three school records along the way. A streaky season found some stability, and ASU now heads back on the road with momentum.
That stretch not only helped lift ASU back up the conference standings but also gave the team a renewed sense of confidence — a reminder that they can compete with the top teams in the Big 12. Heading into the weekend series against Baylor, they even had a shot at climbing into second place, depending on how other matchups played out.
Baylor has put together a solid overall season, entering the weekend at 28-16 — just two wins behind ASU. However, their struggles in Big 12 play have held them back. A 9-12 conference record places them below teams like Texas Tech despite the Red Raiders having far fewer total wins on the year.
Baylor’s place in the standings may have played a role in ASU’s slow start to the weekend, which opened with a rough loss marked by four errors and little offensive production outside of one inning. Head coach Willie Bloomquist has consistently emphasized staying focused on one game at a time — a mindset that proved crucial as ASU (32-17, 16-8 Big 12) bounced back to take the series. Behind a dominant Saturday performance from senior right-hander Jack Martinez and sophomore Jaden Alba, the Sun Devils evened things up. Then, on Sunday, a five-run seventh inning broke the game open and sealed the series win over the Bears (29-18, 10-14 Big 12).
Riding high after a strong homestand, Friday’s loss felt like a gut punch, given how the game unfolded. The first five innings were a mixed bag. Junior left-hander Ben Jacobs continued his dominant stretch on the mound, striking out 10 over five innings — his third consecutive start with double-digit strikeouts. He gave ASU a strong chance to take control, but the offense couldn’t back him up, going hitless through the first four innings and remaining scoreless through five.
The game swung dramatically in the sixth and seventh innings — a stretch that saw all four of ASU’s runs and six of Baylor’s seven. In the sixth, the Sun Devils finally broke through when junior outfielder Isaiah Jackson crushed his fifth home run in the last four games, a two-run shot that gave ASU the lead. Just two batters later, junior infielder Kyle Walker followed suit with a two-run homer of his own, capping a four-run inning that seemed to have sparked the offense.
ASU’s downfall came in a brutal seventh inning, where defensive mistakes erased their hard-earned lead. Although Baylor scored seven runs in the frame, only one was earned. The rest came as the result of a complete defensive collapse. After back-to-back singles, junior Nu’u Contrades made the first of three errors in the inning, overthrowing first base. A game-tying double followed, then a passed ball and two more errors by Contrades — both on fielding attempts — helped Baylor pile on six unearned runs. What had been a competitive game quickly slipped out of ASU’s hand.
It was a bizarre sequence. Rarely do you see a team like ASU commit three errors in a single inning, and even more unusual, all three came from the same player on consecutive plays.
After going hitless over the final two innings, ASU dropped the opener to Baylor, but Saturday’s matchup brought a reliable reset. Senior right-hander Jack Martinez, who has quietly matched the performance of ace Ben Jacobs, took the mound with ASU holding a 9-3 record in his starts. With four straight wins in games he’s started, Martinez once again gave the Sun Devils a strong chance to bounce back.
Saturday played out like a manager’s dream for ASU, as they only needed two pitchers to get through the game. After Martinez set the tone, Alba took over in relief and was lights out, throwing the final four innings while allowing just one hit and no runs. The effort not only secured the win but also preserved the bullpen heading into Sunday. By the end of the day, Baylor had managed just two earned runs in the series to that point.
Last Sunday featured a shake-up in ASU’s usual rotation, as freshman left-hander Easton Barrett got the start in place of Alba — today marking his second consecutive Sunday nod and continued trust as the only freshman to log significant innings this season. Barrett opened what became a bullpen day for ASU, and like the rest of the staff throughout the weekend, Barrett helped keep Baylor’s offense in check — setting the stage for the Sun Devil offense to take over.
In recent weeks, ASU’s offense has made a habit of breaking games open with one explosive inning. Players have credited this to feeding off each other's energy at the plate, and Sunday was no exception. A string of timely hits, highlighted by senior catcher Josiah Cromwick’s RBI double—his sixth RBI in just two days—powered a five-run fifth inning.
It wasn’t the flashiest offensive weekend. In fact, it tied for ASU’s lowest-scoring series of the season. Still, this team has shown it knows how to win in different ways. Some days, it’s the offense; other days, it’s the arms, and when both click, ASU looks tough to beat. Once again, the starting pitching provided the foundation, with steady bats like Kyle Walker and freshman outfielder Landon Hairston contributing to the top of the lineup. Both finished the weekend with four hits.
Two wins were all ASU needed to climb into second place in the Big 12 standings heading into their final two conference series. With matchups looming against two sub-.500 conference opponents, the Sun Devils have a clear opportunity to lock in that position — or potentially climb even higher — as they head toward the postseason.
ASU continues to hit its stride at just the right time. The season has had its share of ups and downs, but this current high has revealed a team that looks increasingly dangerous. Nearly every bat in the lineup is finding a rhythm, and the pitching staff appears to have settled comfortably into defined roles. With two series left and momentum on their side, the Sun Devils are in position to make a serious push — one that could result in the program’s best run and overall record yet under head coach Willie Bloomquist.
