PHOENIX – In the midst of one of the best seasons by a Sun Devil hitter and a 15-game hitting streak, Tuesday didn’t start so well for sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston.
He was 0-for-4 to begin the night with a strikeout, a lineout with the bases loaded, a flyout to deep right and an inning-ending double play.
Hairston came back to the batter’s box in the seventh inning, shortly after ASU tied it up with a grand slam.
Facing a full count with a runner on first, Hairston got a fastball down the heart of the plate. He took a swing, and once you heard the metal clank of the bat make contact, there was no doubt about it.
Hey, 19!
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 8, 2026
No way you thought he'd go 0-for-5 right?
Two-run shot for Lando. 19th of the year. Devils on top.
📺@azfamily or MW Network pic.twitter.com/4cBpHaUD8P
The ball cleared the right-center field wall at Brazell Field, prompting Hairston to give flex and scream and scream in celebration toward his dugout after giving his team the lead.
“I think every time he comes up, regardless of what his stat line is, he’s a threat to do something special,” ASU coach Willie Bloomquist said. “And he did (it) tonight, again.”
The two-run shot by the Queen Creek product proved to be the difference in No. 20 Arizona State (24-9, 7-5 Big 12) comeback bid, as the Sun Devils erased 7-0 deficit to defeat Grand Canyon (11-22, 3-6 MWC) 12-8 on Tuesday. ASU trailed 8-4 in the seventh inning but used a six-run inning to jump out in front and never looked back.
Throughout 2026, the Sun Devils have proven that they can win in a multitude of ways.
In Tuesday’s win, the solution was the long ball, living and dying by it. Six ASU players homered, accounting for all 12 runs batted in.
“Sometimes you kill them with 1,000 cuts, and other times you hit them with a sledgehammer with home runs,” Bloomquist said. “And I guess the good thing is we’re capable of doing both. And our guys squared up some balls tonight that went a long way.”
Although Hairston hit the eventual game-winning homer, the star of the game was Arizona State sophomore catcher Coen Niclai.
Three weeks ago, Niclai hit his second home run of the season when playing GCU at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, as ASU wound up winning 4-3.
In round two against the Lopes, Niclai not only continued the production but he became the main offensive force, sending two baseballs over the wall, including the game-tying grand slam in the top of the seventh, turning an 8-4 GCU lead into an even game.
“We’ve talked about it all season with our hitters and staff. Just need to know what we got to do,” Niclai said. “And with (the) bases loaded, just don’t do too much. Get the ball in the outfield at the (very) least, and just keep the line moving.”
“Coen’s done a great job splitting time there with (Brody) Briggs and waiting (for) his opportunities,” Bloomquist said. “Being a phenomenal teammate and supportive of Briggsy when he’s out there, and waiting his turn, and when he gets in there, he’s putting together great at-bats.”
Although the finish for the Sun Devils was spectacular on their end, the beginning was something they had to throw in the rearview mirror quickly.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Easton Barrett started on the mound in an outing that turned sour in a hurry. Barrett lasted 1 ⅓ innings, allowing six earned runs and walking three.
He also threw three wild pitches, all coming in the second inning. Things quickly spiraled out of control, and he was pulled in the midst of a 2-0 count for junior right-handed pitcher Jaden Alba.
Barrett’s start was reminiscent of his first three of the season, where he struggled with command and was demoted from the Sunday starter to midweek action. But things have slowly started to get better, slowly improving over his last three starts before Tuesday.
“Just the energy, body language, all those things, throwing the ball not up to capability is one thing, but obviously the mound presence has got to be better in my opinion, and we’ll address that tomorrow,” Bloomquist said about Barrett. “Celebrate the win tonight and move, but Easton is going to be a big, big key to our success moving forward.”
ASU’s bullpen has had its ups and downs in 2026, with its performance against the Lopes mirroring this trend.
Alba came in for Barrett in the second inning, and the first pitch he threw turned into a three-run homer to extend the GCU lead to seven. However, Alba settled in afterward, going 3 ⅔ innings, giving Bloomquist length out of the bullpen.
He was relieved in the sixth inning by graduate right-handed pitcher Colby Guy, who went 1 ⅓ innings before being pulled in the seventh, allowing a home run in the process.
“Just did a much better job of attacking the zone to give up the one long ball there, but settled in and threw it pretty well,” Bloomquist said. “Just attacked the zone with conviction. And he’s got a real nice live, quick arm, and when he’s throwing strikes, he’s tough to hit.”
Midweek games, especially against an in-state rival, can be testy for a ranked team like ASU. In fact, on Tuesday, a total of seven ranked teams throughout the country lost their midweek matches.
The Maroon and Gold seemed like they were heading down a similar path, but the offense showed its resiliency and battled their way back to a win, and continued their winning ways in midweek action – something Sparky has struggled with over the past few seasons.
“I am proud of the way our guys continue to battle and not panic,” Bloomquist said. “I might have panicked a little bit there after the second inning, but our guys didn’t, which was great. And they kept battling and stayed focused and locked in, and just kept putting together good, solid at-bats.”
The Sun Devils go back at it on Wednesday, returning to their home stadium at Phoenix Muni to host the UNLV Rebels, a team they defeated 12-11 a few weeks back, nearly blowing a huge lead in the process.
With conference play resuming against Utah on Friday and their final match with Arizona on Monday, ASU will need to continue its momentum and not overlook any of its weaker competition.
“We got a lot of games in a short amount of time, so just making sure we keep the energy up and stay mentally focused,” Niclai said.
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