Even before the clock struck Noon on Thursday, it was an eventful day for Arizona State athletics.
Shortly after Graham Rossini was announced as ASU’s new athletic director, baseball took on No. 6 Oregon State, hoping to keep its season alive in the Pac-12 tournament.
With the entire football team, Rossini, and thousands of fans for both sides in attendance, it was an electric morning at Scottsdale Stadium.
While the Valley was activated, the Sun Devils’ bats were stifled. The Maroon and Gold (32-26, 17-15 Pac-12) lost 3-2 to the Beavers (42-14, 20-10 Pac-12). For the first time since the early 1960s, ASU will miss the NCAA tournament for three consecutive years.
“It’s never easy when a season comes to an end,” ASU head coach Bloomquist said. “These guys put in a lot of effort into this season, been phenomenal teammates to each other and care about each other. Seeing it come to an end is never easy.”
Despite the loss, the Sun Devils played a solid game from the mound. Bloomquist’s pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts, only allowing nine Oregon State hits. The starter, sophomore lefty Ben Jacobs, led the way allowing seven hits and three runs in 5.2 innings pitched.
But the Beavers’ defense outplayed its competition. Their starter, junior righty Aiden May, and sophomore lefty Nelson Keljo pitched four innings each. May allowed four hits and two runs while Keljo allowed zero during his stint.
“It’s tough,” said junior catcher Ryan Campos, who was in tears postgame. “I grew up being a Devils fan…These were the best years of my life.”
Thursday’s loss wraps up the Sun Devils’ final year in the Pac-12. A dismal one for the athletic department. Football had its second consecutive 3-9 season, both basketball teams were bounced in the first round of the conference tournament, and baseball will miss the NCAA tournament for the third straight season.
It will be an uphill climb for Bloomquist’s side, along with Rossini and the athletic department as a whole. But there is a sign of growth for ASU.
“I couldn’t be happier for him,” said Bloomquist, who played with Rossini in the late 1990s. “There’s not anyone that cares about ASU sports as much as he does, who’s plugged into the Valley the way he is, and has the intelligence to handle that job.
Obviously, I’m not to where I envisioned us to be,” Bloomquist adds about his own tenure. “We want to be continuing to play this time of year. I’ll self-reflect on this position moving forward, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Before the offensive sputtered in Scottsdale, the Sun Devils showed growth towards the end of the season, winning 15 of their past 18 before the final conference tournament after a 17-21 start to the season.
Additionally, ASU took the Pac-12’s last four Player of the Week accolades. Campos and junior infielder Jacob Tobias took the award once, while redshirt sophomore outfielder Nick McLain won it in back-to-back weeks.
The Maroon and Gold also had the most All-Pac-12 position players, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in pitcher turned designated hitter Brandon Compton and one of the best team batting averages in the nation.
Despite the high-powered offense and strong end of the regular season, the Sun Devils found themselves in the fifth seed. It was the same position as last year, where they were the first team out of the NCAA tournament bracket after a pool play exit.
After one-run losses to eighth-seed Stanford and second-seeded Oregon State, ASU leaves the Conference of Champions before the semifinals once more.
Effectively eliminated from the 2024 NCAA Tournament, all eyes turn to 2025, the team’s first in the Big 12.
“I like the direction we’re going, we’re just not quite there fast enough,” Bloomquist said. “Got a couple of tough injuries this year. Ultimately, I believe we’re a regional team. A big part of me thinks we’re a regional team. Whether or not we get in, we’ll see. But I think we are one of the best 64 teams in the country.”
A case of too little too late for Bloomquist’s side.
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