Midwest roadtrip awaits Baseball in Ohio, Indiana

FULL ASU GAME NOTES, STATS, SUPERLATIVES

CINCINNATI -- Sun Devil Baseball returns on the road this weekend for a four-game stretch in the Midwest, starting with a three-game Big 12 series at Cincinnati on Friday before heading one state over to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on Purdue on Monday in a non-conference midweek. Friday's series will get underway at 3 p.m. AZT (6 p.m. locally). Saturday's tilt will get started at 12 p.m. AZT/3 p.m. local and things will conclude Sunday at 10 a.m. AZT/1 p.m. local. Monday's contest against Purdue is also scheduled for 10 a.m. AZT/1 p.m. local.

FOLLOW THE ACTION

• All contests against Cincinnati will be streamed live via ESPN+. Fans can check with their local cable or internet providers to see if they are on an ESPN+ plan or visit https://plus.espn.com/to sign up.
• Monday's game will be available via steaming on Big+, the Big Ten's live-stream and television service. Fans can subscribe at https://www.bigtenplus.com/en-int/page/home
• All contests will be available over the local airwaves with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter providing the highlights throughout the weekend.. Friday and Monday will be available on KAZG 1440 AM and Saturday and Sunday will be on KDUS 1060 AM. All the radio calls from games can also be streamed online at: kdus1060.com/sundevils
• With precipitation scheduled for the midwest through the weekend, fans are encouraged to follow the Sun Devil Baseball team on social media  for any program or schedule updates throughout the week on the Sun Devil Baseball Twitter account: @ASU_Baseball

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. ASU has outscored teams 486-300 over its last 49 regular season games dating back to last season, posting a 36-14 record in the process.

2. Nu'u Contrades has reached base safely in all 33 games this season and has reached in 41 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season.

3. Matt King has an active 10-game hitting streak to lead the Sun Devils, with multiple hits in seven of those to now lead the team with his .393 average.

4. Jacob Tobias has recorded an 58 RBIs in his last 39 games dating back to last season. He leads the team with 36 this year.

5. The Sun Devils are 13-0 in day games this season and have not lost a Sunday contest to this point in the year.

6. Cole Carlon has retired the last 26 batters he has faced over a four-game stretch in order, striking out 15 of those in the process.

7. The Sun Devils have outscored opponents 36-9 over the last 28 first innings. ASU is 16-3 when it scores in the first frame of the game.

8. Arizona State pitchers have accumulated 55 strikeouts in the teams last four games alone and lead the Big 12 with 355 (next closest has 311).

9. Kyle Walker has recorded a hit to start the game in eight of the last 15 games since becoming the leadoff batter, and a hit on the FIRST PITCH four times.

10. ASU's has now scored in 117 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 78 of those. 

BY THE NUMBERS
87 - The Sun Devils enter the week ranking fourth in the nation in doubles with 87 this season. The team is on an unreal tear at the moment in the category, having posted multiple doubles in each of its last eight games and 32 total in that stretch. The total is 11 more than any other team in the Big 12 and 14 off Georgia Tech's nation leading total of 101. Jacob Tobias ranks 10th in the nation and first in the Big 12 with 15 doubles - which has already surpassed his previous single season high of 14 set a year ago. The veteran has a double in five of his last six games and and now has 48 for his career - which is the eighth most for a Sun Devil since the 1998 season and 15th among active D1 players.. Brandon Compton and Nu'u Contrades rank fourth in the league in 79th nationally with 11 doubles this year. 

65 - The Sun Devils have added a welcomed improvement in two areas this season, seeing notable gains on the basepath and playing in the field. ASU's 65 stolen bases this season are good for 48th  in the nation and notable as ASU has not ranked in the Top-120 in the category nationally since 2011 (18th, 99). The 62 stolen bases have already surpassed the team's total for the SEASON a year ago (53). The Sun Devils have also quietly put up 19 games this season with no errors - notable as the team had just 21 such games total a year ago -  and a .983 fielding percentage that is currently good for first in the Big 12 and 8th in the country. This tally is also notable as ASU has not ranked in the Top-100 in the category in each of the last three seasons. 

26 - Cole Carlon has now retired 26 consecutive batters dating back to the March 25th contest against UNLV. Carlon recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work in Sunday's victory over Arizona. At one point, Carlon retired seven straight batters on strikeouts, which is tied for the fourth-most consecutive strikeouts by a Sun Devil in program history. Carlon is 2-0 for the year with a 2.12 ERA while striking out an incredible 48 batters in just 29.2 innings of work and holding opponents to a team-low .112 average against.  The 48 strikeouts are eighth-most in the Big 12 overall and the most for a non-starter. In fact, his 48 strikeouts are the most for any player in the country with under 30 innings pitched and of the 161 players in the country with 44+ strikeouts, he is the only one with less than 30 innings to his credit. 

5 - The Sun Devils already have seven games this season in which the team has struck out fewer than five times - notable as that already surpasses the team's total of four for the ENTIRE SEASON a year ago.  The team has shaved its strikeouts per game to 6.5 this season compared to a 7.4 mark a year ago. Kyle Walker (1 per 14.1) and Matt King (1 per 11.3) rank as the 1st and 4th toughest to strike out players in the Big 12 - with Walker being 25th in the country as well. Nu'u Contrades has 24 walks to 18 strikeouts in 124 at-bats after posting 51 strikeouts  and just nine walks during his freshman season on 217 ABs. Punishing first pitch strikes has been pivotal for ASU in avoiding falling behind in counts, batting 65-for-173 (.375) on first pitch balls put into play.

LAST TIME OUT: ARIZONA/CSUN

• After a midweek run-rule win against Cal State Fullerton, ASU went 1-2 against rival Arizona. The Sun Devils picked up an absolute must win game by downing the Wildcats, 8-4 on Sunday night to salvage the series on national linear television on ESPN2. The two losses came down to a game of inches, with a two-out walk and HBP in the fifth inning on Friday spiraling into a four-run frame after leading 4-1 in the 8-5 loss. ASU had the winning run at the plate on Saturday but couldn't get the big knock in the 5-3 decision.
• Sun Devil pitchers recorded 45 strikeouts over the weekend (15.0/game), the most in a weekend series since 2001, where ASU recorded 46 across the first three-games against Southern Utah. It hasn't happened against a power five conference since at least 1998.
• Of those 45 strikeouts, starting pitchers, Ben Jacobs, Jack Martinez and Jaden Alba teamed up for 27 of them, compared to 11 strikeouts by the Wildcat starting pitchers.
• The Sun Devils currently stand at 8-4 in the Big 12 and in a massive tie for third in the conference standings, just one game back from first place 9-3 Kansas.
• Pitcher Cole Carlon headlined Sunday's win, going 4.1 innings out of the bullpen and striking out 10 of his 13 batters faced. At one point, Carlon retired seven straight batters on strikeouts, which is tied for the fourth-most consecutive strikeouts by a Sun Devil in program history.
• ASU responded with a resounding 20-11 win on Tuesday against CSUN in a non-conference midweek.
• The Sun Devils scored 20 runs for the fifth time in 3+ seasons under head coach Willie Bloomquist. That total is notable as the team had just five such games TOTAL from 2009-2021.
  
  ON DECK: CINCINNATI/PURDUE
• The Sun Devils will take on the Bearcats for the first time in program history and the Boilermakers for just the second time in history - after a 15-5 win at Muni in 2015. Cincinnati is 19-13 overall on the season and 6-6 in the Big 12 while Purdue is 20-12 and 3-9 in the Big Ten.
• The Midwest road trip will pit tthree of the nation's top base-stealing teams against each other. Cincinnati is 70-for-79 on stolen base attempts
• this season, and ranks second in the Big 12 and tied for sixth among Power Four programs. Individually, Landyn Vidourek's 20 stolen bases are tied for 24th nationally and tied for fourth among Power Four players.
• Purdue ranks seven among Power Four programs with 68 stolen bases while the Sun Devils are ninth in the Power Four with 65 stolen bases (fourth in the Big 12).
• UC's Kerrington Cross leads UC and ranks among the Big 12 leaders in batting average (.429, 1st), on-base percentage (.564, 1st), OPS (1.269, 2nd), runs scored (35, T-5th), and hits (45, T-6th). Among national leaders Cross ranks fourth in onbase percentage and 16th in batting average.  His ability to get on base has proven to be an  asset, as his 35 runs scored lead the team. Cross  ranks third among active Division I players in career  runs scored.
• One of the top pitchers in the Big 12 so far this season is Cincinnati sophomore Nathan Taylor. The big right-hander is sporting a 2.70 ERA and has 45 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. He ranks among the Big 12 leaders in ERA (3.02, 3rd), strikeouts (47, 9th), and innings pitched (41.2, T-8th). Taylor has thrown at least six innings in five of his seven starts this season and has at least seven strikeouts in four starts
  
  JACOB'S LADDER
• Jacob Tobias was named an NCBWA Preseason All-American (2nd Team First Baseman) and D1Baseball's #6 First Baseman in the country.
• Tobias recorded his 39th career homer against Minnesota, moving him into sole possession of 10th place all-time in Sun Devil history. He ranks tied for 33rd among active D1 players who have played their whole career at the the D1 level.
• Among active career D1 players, Tobias is 17th in games played (198), 22nd in ABs (732), 14th in hits (228), 13th in total bases (406) and 6th in RBIs (182)
• He leads the team with 36 RBIs this season - 8th in the Big 12 - and is reaching base at a .395 clip with a .331 average. He has recorded 58 RBIs in his last 39 games dating back to last season and has at least one RBI in 26 of those games.
• He has a team-best 21 hits with runners in scoring position this season - four more than any other player. Nine times this season, Tobias has been responsible for the first RBI of the game. Seven times this seasonm he has recorded the game-winning RBI. The next closest Sun Devil has three game-winning RBIs TOTAL.
• His 15 doubles are first in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation and already surpasses his previous season best of 14 from a year ago. His 48 career doubles rank 15th among active D1 players.
• He has been among ASU's best hitters with two outs, posting a .340 average on 17-of-50 hitting and his 15 two-out RBI lead the team. He has also been ASU's most productive out, advancing runners with an out 20 times - six more than any other Sun Devil.
• Tobias ranks 352nd among all D1 players in offensive runs above replacement this season at 20.68.
• Tobias bat .322 with a team-leading 58 RBIs last year, with 14 doubles and a team-leading 18 homers, the latter of which was good for second in the Pac-12 during the regular season. His .635 slugging percentage was sixth in the league in the regular season.
• He slugged .626 in Pac-12 games, the ninth-best tally in the conference and earned Pac-12 First Team All-Conference recognition at first base
• His 14 doubles gave him 33 for his ASU career while the 18 homers bumped his career tally to 35. The 35 homers are the seventh-most for a player in the career at ASU since the 1998 season
• Tobias needs three homers to move into ASU's top-10 in homers all-time and 22 home runs would set the ASU school record
• Tobias' 146 career RBIs are the 10th-most for an ASU player since the 1998 season and he needs 54 RBIs to reach 200 for his career and enter the Top-8 in ASU history and the first since Ike Davis (2006-08) to do so. His .553 career slugging percentage is also 19th at ASU in that time since 1998
• The junior posted his first career five-hit game in the finale against Arizona and added a four-hit game against Utah. He added another five-hit game in just seven innings against Texas Tech
• Tobias recorded 22 RBIs in his final six games of the season last year (six, eight, four, one, two, one).
• He joined Spencer Torkelson as the only other Sun Devil in the last decade to record over 50 RBIs and over 10 homers in back-to-back seasons. His 58 RBIs last season were sixth in the Pac-12.
  
  ENJOYING THE VU
• Kien Vu had  his best week of the season against UNLV and Gonzaga, where he posted a .500 average  (7-of-14) with four home runs, three doubles, four walks and nine RBIs all in the leadoff spot for the Sun Devils.
• Though he missed the majority of the last March with an ankle injury, Vu  maintains a .321 average on the season with six homers and six doubles and a .617 slugging percentage.
• He has also done a ton of damage on the basepaths, where he has 10 stolen bases (on 13 attempts). He stole three in ASU's Friday game against Oral Roberts, one off the ASU single game school record.
• Vu is reaching base at a a .429 clip on the year and he leads the team in advancing runners at a .649 clip (24-of-37).
• Vu became the 133rd All-American in Sun Devil Baseball history after posting a .413 average over 47 games and 35 starts – the highest average in the Pac-12 and sixth in the country. He was second in the country in batting average on balls in play at .511
• Vu was selected as a NCBWA Preseason All-American (2nd Team Outfielder), D1Baseball's #14 Outfielder, D1Baseball's #21 Big 12 2025 MLB Draft Prospect and an All-Big 12 Preseason Team (Outfielder).
• In the month of Apri last yearl, Vu posted a .439 average to lead the Sun Devils, boasting a gaudy .848 slugging percentage that was 100 points higher than any of his teammates. He had seven homers, four doubles and a triple while driving in 26 runs - 12 more than any other Sun Devil for the month. His efforts garnered him finalist consideration for the NCBWA Hitter of the Month
• His .793 slugging percentage (14 homers, 11 doubles, two triples) was easily tops on the team while he also led the squad with 12 stolen bases on 13 chances. He reached base at a .497 clip on the year
• The .793 slugging percentage was 18th nationally and second in the Pac-12 and his .497 OBP was second in the league and 29th in the country... The .793 slugging percentage was the highest at ASU since the 1998 season
• His 56 RBIs were second on the squad and eighth in the Pac-12 despite having over 20 fewer at-bats than the team's eight AB leaders and nearly 64 fewer AB's than the next closest player in front of him in the conference
• He led the Pac-12 in league-only games with a .418 average and .916 slugging percentage and his 31 RBIs in Pac-12 games were fifth in the league.
  
  STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
• Brandon Compton ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 27 walks this season, good for 94th nationally. That has contributed to his .422 OBP over his .309 average.
• Compton has 12 doubles this season, a total good for third in the Big 12 and in the 57th nationally, while also adding six homers. His 35 RBIs this season are 11th in the Big 12.
• Compton ranks within the Top-250 among all Division I baseball players (~12,000) with a Offensive Runs Above Replacement Value of 22.48.
• Compton was named the Big 12 Player of the Week after an opening weekend in which he bat .461 on 6-of-13 hitting with nine RBIs (second in the league) and eight runs scored (first). He drew five walks while striking out just twice and had the go-ahead walk-off two-RBI double in ASU's Saturday win over Ohio State and the two-RBI go-ahead single in the fifth inning against Austin Peay.
• Compton became the 37th Freshman All-American in program history after becoming the fourth Sun Devil to be named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year last year.
• He went on to be named an All-Star in the Cape Cod League for Cotuit, where he bat .331 with six homers and 30 RBIs.
• Compton was n amed an NCBWA Preseason All-American (1st Team Designated Hitter), 2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member, D1Baseball's #13 Outfielder and D1Baseball #29 2025 MLB Draft Prospect/#5 Big 12 entering the year.
• He was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after he led Pac-12 freshmen in homers (14), doubles (16), average (.354), slugging (.661), OBP (.427) and RBIs (51). He was 11th overall in doubles, 10th in homers, seventh in average, fifth in slugging, 11th in OBP and 14th in RBI.
• He was 35th among all players nationally in batting average on balls in play (.438)
• His .354 batting average was 10th among all D1 freshmen and third among Power Five Freshmen and his 14 homers were eighth among all freshmen nationally
• The youngster was third on the team with his .354 average last season. His .375 mark (24-of-64) with runners in scoring position was second on the team.
• 27 of his 51 RBIs came with two outs, leading the team in the category and having five more than any other player.
• Compton recorded three grand slams on the season, tied for the second most in program history and just one shy of the ASU single season record.
• His 1.089 OPS was third on the squad and fourth in the Pac-12 while his .307 ISO Slugging (Slugging Minus Average) was fifth the Pac-12.
• Compton was easily ASU's best hitter with two outs this season, recording a .438 average on 28-of-64 chances, leading the team in average and hits in the scenario.
• He was responsible for the go-ahead grand slam in the series finale against Ohio State that proved to be the difference in the 10-8 ballgame. He also had a huge game-tying RBI single in the eighth inning of ASU's eventual walk-off win over Oregon. He had the go-ahead two-run homer against Utah Valley as well.
  
  ACTION JACKSON
• Isaiah Jackson has steadily put up hits in all but eight of Arizona State's games this season and is riding a six-game hitting streak.
• He has a .291 average with 17 extra-base hits (10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers) - tied for second on the team.
• Jackson has been among ASU's best hitters with a runner in scoring position, posting a 16-for-39 (.410) mark in the category.
• He his 31 overall RBIs this season, already tying his previous career high
• Jackson has reached on 14 of his 30 leadoff opportunities (.467) on the season, good for third on the team.
• Jackson's defensive prowess remains untouched, as he ranks 38th nationally in defensive runs saved on fly balls this season at 4.62.
• Jackson  continued showing exceptional defensive skills a year ago, being named the the Pac-12 All-Defensive team for the second straight year while adding a career best 31 RBIs and eight homers.  Jackson bat .263 on the year but reached base at a .345 clip thanks to 18 walks and five HBPs.
• A year ago, Jackson was exceptional in the last 13 games of the regular season, batting .375 on 15-of-40 hitting.
• Jackson was third on the team in productive outs, advancing runners with an out 17 times.
• The sophomore recorded SportsCenter's No. 1 play against UCLA with his incredible leaping grab over the wall in right center field to rob a three-run homer from the Bruins, becoming a viral sensation overnight with several million views of the catch over multiple platforms.
• Jackson's eight putouts in center field in the USC finale were tied with Hunter Bishop (2019) for the second-most for an ASU outfielder since 1998 behind Joe Lampe's nine in 2021. Coincidentally, all three of those games have taken place against USC.
• Jackson homered in the first two games of the season, as did teammate Jacob Tobias, joining a small list of Sun Devils to do so since 1998, including Spencer Torkelson (2020), Riccio Torrez (2011) and Jason Kipnis (2008).
  
  ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS
• Ben Jacobs sits 3rd in the Big 12 with his 11.66 K/9 percentage while his 54 total strikeouts are 4th in the league and 54th in the country. His career 12.90 K/9 is 9th among active D1 pitchers.
• Jacobs has a 4.97 ERA overall but his 2.97 SIERA - which takes into consideration factors outside the pitcher's control - is 5th-best in the Big 12.
• Jacobs won Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after he threw a perfect game thorugh 17 batters in his Friday nightsvictory against Gonzaga, striking out six with no walks and just one hit allowed in his 6.0 innings - ASU's first quality start of the year
• Jacobs matched his career high with 11 strikeouts against Oral Roberts this season - doing so in just 5.0 innings of work.
• He cleaned up on the Preseason honors as he was named a  D1Baseball Preseason All-American (3rd Team Starting Pitcher), Perfect Game Preseason All-American (2nd Team Starting Pitcher), NCBWA Preseason All-American (2nd Team Starting Pitcher), 2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member,  D1Baseball's #13 Starting Pitcher, D1Baseball's #28 2025 MLB Draft Prospect/#4 Big 12, All-Big 12 Preseason Team (Starting Pitcher) and Prospects Live No. 2 left-handed pitching prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft.
• He was named the the U.S. Collegiate National Team in the summer, becoming the 43rd Sun Devil to accomplish the feat. He Recorded action on the mound in the International Friendship Series…Completed the series with a 2.08 ERA and seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work … Finished with a 1-0 overall record…Yielded just two hits in a weather-shortened 3-2 win over Chinese Taipei in Cary, N.C., on June 30.
• Jacobs evolved into ASU's ace as last season progressed, earning Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors.
• He also tossed 5.0 scoreless innings for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League with eight strikeouts over 5.0 innings
• Jacobs finished his debut seasson with the Devils with a 4.75 ERA and a team-best seven wins on the season, striking out 102 over 66.1 innings with a sub-.250 average against.
• The 102 strikeouts were 43rd nationally overall and 33rd following the end of the conference tournament season
• His 13.84 K/9 was 11th nationally and tops in the Pac-12 and his seven wins were third in the league
• Jacobs struck out a career-best 11 hitters in his Friday night win over USC, earning a quality start with a career-best 6.1 innings of work while allowing just a single run. He added a second quality start in 6.0 scoreless innings against Stanford with nine strikeouts.
  
  WHO'S THE NU'U GUY
• Nu'u Contrades made his long awaited return to the hot corner this season after missing the majority of last year with a back injury. He entered the season on D1Baseball's sixth-ranked third baseman in the country and the No. 22 MLB Draft prospect in the Big 12.
• Contrades is reaching base at a .445 clip this season over his .315 average while posting 12 doubles, a triple and four homers. His 12 doubles are third in the Big 12 and 57th nationally
• His 26 walks this season are 7th in the Big 12. He has notably struck out just 18 times on 124 ABs year (14.5 percent) after striking out 51 times with just 9 walks his freshman season on 217 ABs (23.5 percent).
• He ranks 157th among all Division I players in Offensive Runs Above Replacement at 25.16
• Contrades has played exceptionally well at the hot corner, second on the team in defensive assists with 59 - the most among Big 12 third baseman. He is tied for 52nd in the country overall and 14th among third basemen with a defensive WAR of 0.51 and 26th in the country over on defensive runs saved on ground balls at 6.06.
• Among 12,000+ D1Baseball players, Contrades ranks 81st in the country with an overall WAR of 2.39.
• Contrades has reached base safely in all 33 games this season and has reached in 41 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season after reaching in all five games in his injury shortened sophomore campaign and the last three of 2023.
• Contrades is 10-for-11 on stolen bases this year, bringing his career tally to 19-of-22.
• Contrades has bat out of the leadoff position often this year and reached on 17-of-39 (.436) leadoff opportunities.
• Contrades was named the Big 12 Co-Player of the Week for his efforts against Oral Roberts, where he homered three times and bat at a .385 average with five RBIs and six runs scored.
• In limited action last year, Contrades reaching base at a .346 clip - striking out just twice in his first 21 ABs appearances, an area he struggled in as a freshman.
• The ASU third baseman bat .309 with 20 extra base hits (eight homers, two triples, 10 doubles) and recording 40 RBIs as a freshman in 2023.
• The .309 average was in the Top-5 for freshmen in the Pac-12 that year and Top-50 among all freshmen in the country...The rally at the dish came despite the youngster still sitting below the Mendoza line as of March 7
• He obliterated the University of Arizona in the three-game series in Tempe, where he was 7-14 (.500) with eight RBI, three runs scored. He plated the winning run in Saturday's series-securing victory and scored it in the series finale Sunday and was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week in the process. He led the team with 10 RBIs (of 31 total for the week for ASU) with a .947 slugging percentage while batting .474 on 9-of-19 hitting in four total games that week
• Honored as the team's Bobby Winkles Award winner as a true freshman, Nu'u Contrades found himself at home in the valley as he earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors as an infielder.
• Had a productive Summer Ball campaign in the Northwoods League for the Duluth Huskies following his freshman season, making the league All-Star game and was the league leader in RBIs with 71 while slashing .320/.423/.563, recording 17 doubles and 13 homers across 60 games and 231 ABs.
  
  WALK THIS WAY
• Kyle Walker has assumed duties at second base this season after a very productive undergraduate campaign at Grambling.
• Walker had his team-best 19-game hitting streak snapped in the finale against Arizona.. He had multiples hits in 11 games during that streak.
• Walker remains second on the team in average at .353 - a notable achievement as he was batting .083 on Feb. 28 and still below the Mendoza line as of March 7.
• Since moving into the leadoff spot in the second game against TCU (where he has played every game since), Walker is batting .419 on 26-of-62 hitting with a .522 OBP and team-leading 19 runs scored.
• Since moving to the leadoff spot on March 15th against TCU, Kyle Walker has recorded a hit to start the game in eight of 15 games in that role. The single extended his on-base streak to 21 games.
• To take that a step further, the have been four times he has recorded a hit on the very first pitch of the game.
• Walker's .492 career OBP is fourth among active D1 players that have played their whole careers at the D1 level and his .373 career average is 811h among those active players.  He also ranks 34th among active D1 players in runs scored (155).
• Walker has struck out just once ever 14.6 at-bats this season, marking him the toughest player in the Big 12 to strike out and 23rd toughest in the country.
• Walker leads the team with 65 defensive assists this year while fielding a solid .976. The 65 assists are good for 13th in the Big 12 despite not starting five games for ASU this year.
• Walker's 5.19 defensive runs saved this season rank 186 among all D1 players.
• Walker is tied for first in the Big 12 and 17th in the country with five sac flies this year. He has successfully advanced runners at a .579 clip (33-of-57) good for second on the team.
• Walker participated in the 2024 MLB Draft Combine and represented the U.S. Collegiate National Team during the summer, competing in the International Friendship Series against Chinese Taipei in Cary, N.C.
• As a redshirt sophomore in 2024, led Grambling State with a career-best .381 batting average, 11 home runs, 77 hits, and 71 runs scored.He recorded 114 defensive assists and turned 26 double plays in 2024
• Walker concluded his two-year career at Grambling State with a .376 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, 135 hits, 70 RBIs, and 121 runs scored
• Walker began his Grambling State career in 2023 after redshirting his freshman year at Louisiana Tech, starting at second base and batted .372 with 2 home runs, 58 hits, and 50 runs scored in his debut season at Grambling.
  
  YOU DON'T KNOW JACK
• Senior Jack Martinez has giving ASU much-needed longevity in his three starts this season, tossing a team-best 45.1 innings.  
• While Martinez has a 4.76 ERA, his 2.12 SIERA - which accounts for runs not in the pithcer's control -  is second in the Big 12.
• He is second in the Big 12 with 65 strikeouts - good for 25th in the nation - and his 12.90 K/9 is second in the league and 21st in the country.
• His 4.33 strikeout to walk ratio is third in the Big 12 and 80th nationally and his 1.15 WHIP is fifth in the Big 12.
• He was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after the Gonzaga series where he posted a no-hitter through 6.2 innings en route to a 10 strikeout, two walk, one hit performance with no runs allowed.
• Among D1 pitchers with 500+ pitches this season, his 34.2 whiff percentage is 25th in the nation. His 45.8 whiff percentage on his changeup in 10th in the country and his 69.8 strike percentage on the pitch is ninth.
• Martinez posted a 4.40 ERA for Louisiana in 2024 as helped the Ragin' Cajuns to the Sun Belt Conference regular season title and a spot in the NCAA Baseball Tournament where it advanced to the Regional Final against eventual College World Series runner-up Texas A&M
• He went a combined 10-1 on the mound in 38 career appearances at Division III Trinity University (Texas) and was named first-team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, first-team D3baseball.com All-Region and second-team ABCA Second Team All-Region
• He led a stellar pitching staff with a 2.12 earned run average in 2023, finishing the year with a 6-0 record and six saves as he recorded a team-best 81 strikeouts in 51.0 innings of work, holding opponents to a .163 batting average. He finished third among DIII players in strikeouts per nine innings (14.29).
  
  SHORT KING
• Matt King might be a new face to Sun Devil fans but he entered the season as one of the most veteran shortstops in the country.  
• No player has swung a hotter bat in the last couple weeks than King, who now leads the team with a .393 on the year, good for fifth in the Big 12 and 80th in the country - an average that has risen from .286 in the last two-plus weeks, alone.
• The surge has elevated King to 200th in the country among all D1 players in offensive runs above replacement at 24.16.
• King has now recorded a career high ten-game hitting streak among 192 games between ASU and UTSA. In that ten-game hitting streak, King has recorded multiple hits in seven such games. It is the longest active streak for a Sun Devil entering the weekend.
• King has recorded back-to-back games with a home run for the first time in his career and he is coming off the first multi-homer game of the year against CSUN on Tuesday.
• King had a hit in eight-straight at-bats over three games ended with a suspect called strike three in the ninth inning on Tuesday against CSUN. The eight-straight hits were tied for the third-most in school history and just one off the school record of 9, which hadn't been reached since 1982.
• King is also a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen bases this year
• He was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week following the UNLV/Utah week.
• King has struck out once ever 10.7 at-bats this season, the fourth-best tally in the Big 12 and Top-75 in the country.
• King's 192 career games are 30th among active D1 players that have played their entire careers at the D1 level and his 156 total runs scored are 29th. His 222 hits are 23rd, his 47 doubles are 22nd, his 147 RBIs are 44th, 43 HBPs are 24th and 16 sac flies are third.
• King, a transfer from UTSA, was a three-year starter at short for the Roadrunners.
• He posted a career-best .336 average at UTSA as a junior in 2024 with 41 RBIs to finish his Roadrunner career with a .304 average with a .449 OBP and 127 RBIs over 163 games played
• King recorded 94 defensive assists as a junior and turned 15 double plays and finished the season with a 20+ game reached base streak en route to All-AAC First Team honors
• He played in all 57 games in 2023, earning a start in 56 of them – all at shortstop… held a .318 batting average with 69 hits, 45 runs and 58 RBI… recorded 23 extra-base hits, including 11 doubles, six triples and six home runs… picked 22 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games
• King won the starting shortstop battle early in the year as a true freshman in 2022 and held it down for UTSA, starting 41 games at short and a game apiece at second and first … hit .237 with a .348 OBP … recorded 31 hits in 156 at-bats with 12 doubles, a triple and a home run to earn 28 RBI.
• King entered the season with 163 games played in his career.
  
  GRABBING THE BULL-PEN BY THE HORNS
• The Sun Devil bullpen has made a habit of escaping jams under Willie Bloomquist, stranding 1,654 baserunners over 203 games, an average of 8.1 stranded opponent runners per game. ASU stranded 453 in 55 games last season and 240 in 33 games this season.
• This season is the first time ASU has posted two midweek shutouts since 2012, when the team beat Utah Valley (9-0) and Cal State Fullerton (1-0) on March 13 and March 27. It is the first time the team had back-to-back midweek shutouts since March 26-27, 1996 vs. Portland State (10-0, 12-0). It is the first time a team has back-to-back midweek shutouts over two separate teams since Feb. 5 and Feb. 20, 1990 vs. Chapman and Lubbock Christian (4-0, 4-0). These totals are all notable as ASU used five pitchers in each of those victories (2-0 at UCLA, 7-0 vs. UNLV).
• Last season, ASU relief pitchers inherited 154 baserunners, of which only 57 scored (37.1 percent).  That number sits at 28 of 58 this year (48.3).
• Sean Fitzpatrick was among the best in show in the category, stranding 19 of his 22 inherited runners on the year. He also leads the way in stranding 8 of 13 this year.
• Cole Carlon recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work in Sunday's victory over Arizona. That number marks the second most for a Sun Devil reliever since 2021 (Tie: Tyler Thornton- 11 vs. Rhode Island 4/30/21; Hunter Omlid- 11 vs. Utah Valley 3/19/24)
• At one point, Carlon retired seven straight batters on strikeouts, which is tied for the fourth-most consecutive strikeouts by a Sun Devil in program history.
• With his effort, Carlon improved to 2-0 for the year with a 2.12 ERA while striking out an incredible 48 batters in just 29.2 innings of work and holding opponents to a team-low .112 average against.
• The 48 strikeouts are eighth-most in the Big 12 overall and the most for a non-starter. In fact, his 48 strikeouts are the most for any player in the country with under 30 innings pitched and of the 161 players in the country with 44+ strikeouts, he is the only one with less than 30 innings to his credit.
• Carlon has now retired 26 consecutive batters dating back to the March 25th contest against UNLV.
• Jonah Giblin has been exceptional in long relief for the Sun Devils this season, currently fourth on the team with 27.1 innings pitched and posting a 2.96 ERA with a 5-1 record and 30 strikeouts to eight walks while opponents are hitting just .208 off of him. The five victories are fourth in the Big 12 and 28th nationally this season.
• Lucas Kelly has allowed just two runs in 13.0 innings over 12 appearances with 15 strikeouts and just a .224 average against to go with his 1.38 ERA
• Derek Schaefer has a 3.31 ERA on the season with two saves and 18 strikeouts over 16.1 innings with just a .222 average against.
  
  PITCH AND CATCH
• While there is still a ton of season ahead, early returns on new Sun Devil pitching coach Jeremy Accardo have paid immediate dividends while the defenders behind him have done their part to reward the staff for throwing strikes and taking care of balls in play.
• ASU has six pitchers with 10.0+ innings pitched and a sub-4.50 ERA. Last year at this time, the team had three.
• ASU's overall team WHIP sits 65th nationally at 1.43. While not eye popping, It is notable as the team has not finished in the Top-100 in the category since 2012 (6th, 1.17). In fact, ASU has been outside the Top-200 five different times since then and outside the Top-150 eight times.
• The team's strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.54 ranks 34th in the nation as well. The Sun Devils have not ranked in the Top-100 in that category in a non-COVID season since the 2015 campaign where ASU checked in at 79th in the nation with a ratio of 2.20.
• ASU is first in the Big 12 with a 10.9 K/9 average this season, good for 9th nationally. The Sun Devils have struck out double digit batters in 21 of 33 games on the season and have struck out. ASU has struck out 55 batters in its last four games alone
• The Sun Devils have posted 19 games this season without an error and have quietly put up a .983 fielding percentage on the year - good for first in the Big 12 and eighth in the country. ASU ranked outside the Top-100 in each of the last three seasons in the category.
• ASU is the highest ranked team in the country that plays on a a totally natural field (dirt and grass, including foul territory) and on of just four teams in the Top-25 to lay such a claim.
• ASU had a seven-game streak without an error at one point this year - which was  its longest since a nine-game stretch in the 2015 season.
• The Sun Devil pitchers have been amonst the most improved in the area, with just three errors credited against them this season - notable as ASU pitchers were responsible for 12 of ASU's 60 errors last season (20.0 percent).
  
  WHAT'S THE CATCH?
• The Sun Devils looked hard-pressed to replace one of the program's most prolific offensive players in history as All-American catcher Ryan Campos is now departed as an early round draft pick to the Cardinals organization, leaving a gap at the catcher position that was manned by the .369 career hitter the last three seasons but Josiah Cromwick and Brody Briggs have answered  the call.
• After a prolific offensive Fall and early Spring in team scrimmages, Josiah Cromwick has shown he can do it with the lights on as well, leading the Sun Devils with nine home runs this season, good for sixth in the Big 12 despite not seeing every day action in the lineup.
• Cromwick has 19 total hits on the season and 14 of those have gone for extra bases, recording nine homers and five doubles.
• ASU went with Cromwick as the backstop to get the opening night start. Granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, Cromwick was arguable t he team's best play erthrough Fall and Preseason camp this year, recording 20 home runs in live AB scrimmages. Cromwick was a Top-25 catcher in the nation out of high school and started 67 games for the Oregon Ducks prior to transferring to ASU last year.
• Brody Briggs has posted a .310 average on the year. His seven RBIs on the first two home runs of his career in the rubber match victory over TCU are the most for a Sun Devil this season.
• Briggs has shown defensively as well, with 18 defensive assists on the year and leading the team in throwing out six batters this season - tied for fourth in the Big 12 despite seeingle significantly fewer chances than the players ahead of him.
  
  THINGS ARE GETTING A BIT HAIR-Y
• Freshman Landon Hairston has shown a mature approach at the plate despite the freshman tag and has quickly become a staple in the Sun Devil lineup.
• Hairston has been on a tear over the last 21 games. He is hitting .382 (26-68) with 11 RBIs and 10 multi-hit efforts to boast a .506 OBP. His season average has risen from .222 to .349 during that span. Hairston is batting 12-for-30 (.400) in innings 7-9 this season.
• Hairston is batting 12-for-30 (.400) in innings 7-9 this season.
• Hairston has spent much of his time in the last month in right field in place of the injured Kien Vu, and he has been a perfect 33-for-33 on defensive chances with no errors.
  
  HEADED TO THE GAP
• ASU has recorded 87 doubles this year and multiple doubles in 24 games, ranking 4th in the country (and 6th at 2.64 per game) and first in the Big 12. ASU has racked up 32 doubles in its last eight games, alone.
• Twelve players have recorded a double this season and 11 have multiples. Jacob Tobias ranks 10th in the country withg his 15 doubles and tops in the Big 12. Brandon Compton and Nu'u Contrades rank third in the league and 57th nationally with 12.  
• The Sun Devils were tops in the Pac-12 and sixth in the country with 143 doubles last year in 58 games and the 2.47 doubles per game were fourth in the nation. The total was 15 more than any other team in the Pac-12 even without making the postseason.
• 15 different Sun Devils had multiple doubles last season - the most of any school in the Pac-12.
• Ryan Campos was the Pac-12 leader with 25 doubles this year - a tally good for 7th nationally. Nick McLain was sixth with 18, Brandon Compton was 12th with 16.  Jacob Tobias had 14, Harris Williams had 13 and Ethan Mendoza and Kien Vu had 11, giving ASU a Pac-12 leading seven players that have reached double digits in the category.
• ASU had multiple doubles in 39 games last season and at least one double in 51 of 63 games. The team's 143 double were fifth out of all ASU team's since 1998 in the category.
• ASU got a slow start in the doubles category in 2023 but came alive in the second half of the year. After having just 13 in the first 11 of the season, ASU finished with 108 to find itself in the Top-100 prior to the NCAA Tourney after being ranked as low as 232 through the first month of the season.
• The team recorded a double in 45 of 55 games overall that year with multiple doubles in 26 of those. Luke Keaschall finished seventh second in the entire country with 25 doubles .
• The Sun Devils recorded 134 doubles in 2022, good for 19th in the nation and third in the Pac-12. The 127 doubles during the regular season were the most for a Sun Devil team in the REGULAR SEASON in the BBCOR era (since 2011) and tied for the fifth-most in a regular season since 1998.
• ASU had at least one double in all but six games in 2022 and multiple doubles in 36 of 58 games.
  
  CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL
• Arizona State has 41 home runs this season, a total that is fifth in the Big 12 and 66th nationally. Nine players have homered and eight have multiple homers. Josiah Cromwick leads the way with nine, good for sixth in the Big 12
• ASU only had runners on base on 9 of its first 23 homers of the season but has had runners on 15 of its last 18 homers with the only three exceptions being leadoff home runs.
• Notable though, ASU swept the road series against Utah WITHOUT hitting a home run - the first time the team had accomplished that feat in a road series sweep since the start of the 1999 season (3-0 at Hawai'i, 4-0 at Hawai'i-Hilo) and the first time overall in a series sweep since 2017 against Northwestern in Week One.
• The Sun Devils had 102 homers last year, good for 30th nationally and surpassing the program's BBCOR record of 94 from the 2019 season. ASU became just the eighth Sun Devil team in the program's illustrious history to reach 100 home runs and the first to do it since having 101 in 1990. The 2024 Sun Devils were the fastest to reach triple digits in the category in program history, doing so in 56 games.
• ASU had five Sun Devils reach doublle digit homers (Ryan Campos, Kien Vu, Brandon Compton, Jacob Tobias and Nick McLain), marking the first time at ASU since 1993 that five players accomplished the feat (Todd Cady, Doug Newstrom, Antone Williamson, Paul Lo Duca, Jacob Cruz). It was the first season that even four had reached the tally since 1994.
• 11 different Sun Devils had multiple homers - second-best in the Pac-12 - and 13 homered overall, which was also the second-most in the league.
• The 2024 Sun Devils were the first ASU team to have 13 players homer since the 2008 squad also had 13.
• ASU homered once in each of the three games against Oregon State, notable as the Beavers had allowed just 10 homers all season entering the weekend and just five total at Goss Stadium.
• ASU had six homers in its road series against UCLA, the most allowed by UCLA in a three-game series this year. ASU had four in each of its first two games against USC, the most the Trojans had allowed in a game all year. ASU had five in a game against UC San Diego, the most it had allowed and had four in two of its games against UW, also the most the Huskies had allowed. With the team's five-homer game against Stanford  - the most the Cardinal had allowed at the Sunken Diamond since 2000 - ASU had five-straight series in which it has recorded at least one game with the most home runs allowed by that opponent last season.
• The Sun Devils had eight homers in the Oregon series. Unfortunately, all came of the solo variety.
• The Sun Devils continued looking for the big hit with runners on base as ASU had 49 solo homers on its 102 last season. Of the team's 49 solo homers, however, 23 were of the leadoff variety and didn't give anyone a chance to be on base while five others came as part of back-to-back homers and thus, the same principle.
• The big homers with men on base, however, increased in the last month. Five of ASU's six homers against UCLA were two-run shots and 5 of 10 against USC were multi-run bombs, as were five of its seven against UC San Diego. Seven of the ten homers against Washington were multi-run shots. Four of the 11 homers against Stanford were three-run bombs while another was a two-run shot.
• The Sun Devils hit 19 more homers during the 2023 season (83) than it did the prior year. 12 different players logged a home run last season for ASU and 10 had multiple home runs. In 2023, ASU had eight different players with at least six homers - more than any other team in the Pac-12.
• The Sun Devils had seven players with at least seven homers that year - at the time two more than any other team at ASU had had since at least the 1998 season. ASU had five players with at least seven homers in 2022, tied for the second-most at ASU since 1998. The Sun Devils had seven players with at least seven homers last season as well.
• ASU's 83 homers in 2023 were 56th in the country prior to the NCAA Tournament.
• The better news was ASU finally started the get pumps with runners on base. 37 of the team's last 66 Sun Devil home runs that year came with runners on base after 14 of the first 17 that season were solo shots. Of the 26 solo shots, 17 were leadoff homers and thus not given the opportunity to happen with runners on base.
• The timing of the home runs improved immensely over the second half of the 2022 season as well. On 24 of the final 37 homers on the year, ASU had at least one runner on base. That was notable as ASU had runners on base just eight times on the teams first 27 homers.
• Of the nine position players with at least 30 starts in 2022, all nine had multiple home runs. ASU had ten total players with multiple homers.
  
  COMING IN HOT
• The Sun Devils have 40 innings this season scoring at least three runs, 18 with 4+ and 11 with 5+.
• ASU has outscored teams 486-300 over its last 49 regular season games dating back to last season, posting a 36-14 record in the process.
• Big innings have been the theme of ASU's season as the team has now scored in 117 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 78 of those.
• ASU has scored 109 runs in its 12 conference games this season (9.1 per game) - second in the league.
• The team is batting .353 in Big 12 games - 30 points higher than any other team (next closest is .323)
• Seven time in the Willie Bloomquist tenure - and twice this season - the Sun Devils have recorded 20 or more hits (since 2022). The team had just eight from 2008-21 and only three from 2011-21).
• Both of ASU's 20-hit games this season have come on the road and three of the seven total under Bloomquist. Of the team's 36 games with 20+ hits from 2000-2021, only eight came on the road.
• The Sun Devils have scored 20 or more runs five times in 3+ seasons under head coach Willie Bloomquist. That total is notable as the team had just five such games TOTAL from 2009-2021.
• Last season, ASU has posted 68 3+ run innings and 41 4+ run innings. 21 times last season, ASU  scored five or more runs in an inning.
• The Sun Devils thrived in the big innings in 2023 as well, 12 times recording five or more runs in an inning. The team recorded 51 innings with three or more runs scored.
• The team has 10 or more hits in 15 games so far this season. ASU recorded 10 or more hits in 39 of 58 games last season and in nine-straight games to conclude the regular season and 16 of the last 17 in the regular season . ASU's 652 total hits last season were tops in the Pac-12 and 14th nationally.
• ASU ranks 27th nationally and 3rd in the Big 12 with a .312 batting average this season and is 47th in the country and third in the league with a .503 slugging percentage. The Sun Devils'  offensive surge at the end of last year boosted its team slugging percentage to .541 on the year, good for tops in the Pac-12 and 15th nationally. The batting average was .313 for the year, tops in the Pac-12 and 12th nationally.
• ASU is fourth in the Big 12 and 58th nationally with 8.3 runs per game. Last season, the Sun Devils were second in the Pac-12 in averaging 8.3 runs per game and 29th nationally.
• The Sun Devils have outscored opponents 36-9 over the last 28 first innings. ASU is 16-3 when it scores in the first frame of the game. ASU has held teams scoreless in the first in 21 of those 28 games.
• ASU has also been very good in the sixth inning of games, outscoring teams 34-16.
  
  HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS
• After going 1-7 in one-run games in 2022, ASU went 7-3 and 8-5 in one run efforts in 2023 and 2024. ASU's eight wins in one run games last year were the most since the team had nine in the 2017 season.
• ASU is 5-4 in one-run games this season and is 8-6 in games decided by two runs or less after going 11-13 in such games last year.
• The team has posted the game-winning RBI/run in the sixth inning or later in nine of the team's wins so far.
• The walk-off win against UNLV  in the regular season finale a year ago was ASU's sixth last season as a result of a ninth or extra-inning lead change, with walk-offs against Oregon, GCU and UW (10th inning) and UNLV and ninth-inning go-ahead runs on the road against Arizona and UNLV. ASU has two walk-offs this season.
• ASU won four games last year when trailing after eight innings and five games when trailing OR tied after 8. The team had five wins when trailing or tied after eight in 2016 and nine in 2015. ASU's four games in which it trailed after eight innings are the most since the team had five such victories in 2006.
• ASU has trailed at one point in 47 of its last 74 victories dating back to to 2023 - including nine of its wins this season.
• In 2023, ASU was incredibly efficient at closing games out, going 24-4 when leading after six, 27-1 when leading after seven and 29-0 when leading after eight. Last season ASU was 27-2 when leading after six, 25-2 after seven and 23-1 after eight
• The loss of ninth-inning leads against Oral Roberts and Minnesota marked just the third  and fourth times ASU has lost a game where it led after eight innings under Willie Bloomquist. ASU is 84-4 under Bloomquist when leading after eight innings.
• In three seasons under Willie Bloomquist, the Sun Devils have shown that no opponent lead is safe, showing off plenty of grit in erasing multi-run deficits. ASU has nine wins in each of the last two seasons when trailing by at least three runs at some point in the game. It added its first of the 2025 season against Austin Peay.
• In 2022, the seven-run deficit overcome by the Sun Devils to defeat and take the series from Cal was the most since March 3, 2000 against Arizona. ASU doubled down at that in 2023  with the victories over North Dakota State and GCU, overcoming a 7-0 deficit in both (and 9-2 in entering the eighth against GCU) for victories in both.
• ASU came from behind 13-6 in the regular season finale against UNLV to walk it off in the ninth - the fourth seven-run comeback in the Bloomquist era.
• ASU has won 11 games in which it has trailed by at least five runs at some point in the game under Willie Bloomquist.
  
  ROAD WARRIORS
• The Sun Devils are in the midst of one of their most impressive road stretches crossing over the end of last season and into this year.
• ASU is 12-3 in its last 15 true road games dating back to last season, averaging 9.8 runs per game in those (notable as 11 of those games have come against perennial powers Stanford, UCLA and TCU). The team was 18-38 in its previous 56 road games prior to the current stretch.
• Against Utah, the Sun Devils won their fourth-straight road series dating back to last season, the first time the program has accomplished that feat since winning the three road series of 2021 and the first of 2022.
• With a series win this weekend, ASU would have just its third five-series streak of road series wins since 2000.
• The series sweep over Utah was the first road sweep in a conference series by a Big 12 team this season and just the 14th conference road sweep for a Power Four program this year.
• Utah had not been swept at home since its final home series of the year in 2022 against No. 8 Stanford.
  
  DO I KNOW YOU?
• The Sun Devils welcome an incredible 22 new faces to the roster in 2025. The class features Perfect Game's No. 17 freshman group in the country - its second-straight Top-25 class.
• The roster will feature 6 freshman arms, a notable tally considering the 2022 team didn't have a single freshman arm on the roster. Additionally, ASU added six transfer arms, including expected Saturday starter Jack Martinez (Louisiana) and potential closer Will Koger (Louisville)
• The team will feature two new middle infielders for the third consecutive season after having at least one returner up the middle from 2018-22, this year in the form of Matt King (UTSA) at short and Kyle Walker (Grambling) at second.
• In addition to the guys playing on the field, the team also welcomed a slew of new faces on the coaching and support staff, highlighted by new pitching coach Jeremy Accardo, new hitting coach Jason Ellison and new pitching analytics coordinator Jared Matheson.
  
  PRESEASON ACCOLADES

Sun Devil Baseball was no stranger to collegiate baseball's preseason awards season with numerous members of the roster earning Preseason All-America, All-Conference and Top Prospect recognition.

The Sun Devils were tied for the nation's lead with three players named to the 2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List while four Sun Devils garnered at least one All-America honor.

The pitching staff's ace, southpaw Ben Jacobs, headlines the preseason awards haul, garnering three All-America nods in addition to a spot on the Golden Spikes Watch List.

Ben Jacobs – Left-Handed Pitcher

D1Baseball Preseason All-American (3rd Team Starting Pitcher)

Perfect Game Preseason All-American (2nd Team Starting Pitcher)

NCBWA Preseason All-American (2nd Team Starting Pitcher)

2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

D1Baseball #13 Starting Pitcher

D1Baseball #28 2025 MLB Draft Prospect/#4 Big 12

All-Big 12 Preseason Team (Starting Pitcher)

Brandon Compton - Outfielder

NCBWA Preseason All-American (1st Team Designated Hitter)

2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

D1Baseball #13 Outfielder

D1Baseball #29 2025 MLB Draft Prospect/#5 Big 12

Kien Vu - Outfielder

NCBWA Preseason All-American (2nd Team Outfielder)

D1Baseball #14 Outfielder

D1Baseball #21 Big 12 2025 MLB Draft Prospect

All-Big 12 Preseason Team (Outfielder)

Jacob Tobias – First Base

NCBWA Preseason All-American (2nd Team First Baseman)

D1Baseball #6 First Baseman

Kyle Walker – Second Base

2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

D1Baseball #12 Second Baseman

OTHER D1Baseball Honors

Nu'u Contrades – D1Baseball #8 Third Baseman/#22 Big 12 2025 MLB Draft Prospect

Matt King – D1Baseball #34 Shortstop

Jack Martinez  - D1Baseball #92 Starting Pitcher

Isaiah Jackson - #19 Big 12 2025 MLB Draft Prospect

Lucas Kelly - #31 Big 12 2025 MLB Draft Prospect

Derek Schaefer - #6 Big 12 2026 MLB Draft Prospect

Cole Carlon - #8 Big 12 2026 MLB Draft Prospect

Wyatt Halvorson - #16 Big 12 2026 MLB Draft Prospect

Landon Hairston - #4 Big 12 Impact Freshman

Ky McGary - #23 Big 12 Impact Freshman