ASU Baseball Surges Into Pac-12 Spotlight: Sun Devils’ Latest Win Ignites College World Series Buzz

The Arizona State Sun Devils are surging at exactly the right time. After an inconsistent first half, Willie Bloomquist’s club has reeled off a 7-3 stretch that has vaulted ASU into a tie for second in the Big 12 standings heading into the penultimate weekend of the 2026 regular season. ASU’s renaissance has been powered by an offense that finally matches its preseason hype. Sophomore slugger Nu’u Contrades has driven in 14 runs over the last two series, while freshman leadoff man Dean Toigo is reaching base at a .452 clip during the streak. The lineup’s balance showed in last Saturday’s rubber-match win at West Virginia, when seven different Sun Devils recorded an RBI. On the mound, ace right-hander Beckett Zavorek (7-2, 2.89 ERA) has embraced the Friday-night spotlight, racking up 18 strikeouts with just two walks in his past two starts. Fellow starter Landon Hairston and closer Matt Polk have combined to hold opponents scoreless over their last 11 innings, giving Bloomquist the late-game stability that eluded ASU in March. Those performances have translated into the numbers the selection committee loves: a 37-18 overall mark and a 19-11 conference record, both top-25 nationally according to the program’s official ledger. Win another Big 12 series this weekend against Oklahoma State and the Sun Devils would clinch a first-round bye in the conference tournament and solidify hosting rights for an NCAA regional at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Key series to watch • May 23-25 vs. Oklahoma State – Cowboys trail ASU by one game; Friday matchup pits Zavorek against OSU southpaw Tyler Quinn. • May 28 at Grand Canyon – Non-league RPI booster; Lopes own four top-50 wins. • May 30-Jun 1 at Houston – Regular-season finale; Cougars trying to play spoiler. What’s at stake Arizona State hasn’t hosted a regional since 2023, but the committee’s emphasis on closing-stretch momentum makes a top-16 seed realistic if Bloomquist’s squad wins at least four of its final six. A series sweep this weekend could even push ASU into the national-seed conversation, guaranteeing home-field advantage through Super Regionals. Bottom line From mid-season question mark to legitimate College World Series contender, ASU baseball has flipped the script behind timely hitting, reliable starting pitching and airtight defense. With the Big 12 race tightening and Selection Monday looming, every pitch now carries postseason implications—exactly the pressure these Sun Devils insist they’re built to handle.