Willie Bloomquist has adopted the underdog script for Arizona State as his team travels to Nebraska for the Lincoln Regional, the opening step on a postseason trail that could lead back to the College World Series, a destination the program last reached in 2010. The Sun Devils enter the tournament with a 37-19 record and a No. 3 seed — a placement that contrasts with a majority of public projections in the days before the NCAA field was revealed, when many had ASU slotted as a No. 2. The Big 12 placed six teams in the tournament, including two No. 1 seeds in Kansas and West Virginia and three squads carrying No. 2 designations; Arizona State finished the regular season ahead of each of those No. 2 seeds in the standings. "We're the underdogs," Bloomquist said. "They put us as a 3 seed, and so obviously we're the underdogs, going in there with something to prove."
ASU coach watches from the dugout, maintaining a calm presence as the team prepares for the Lincoln Regional.
Arizona State will open regional play against No. 2 seed Mississippi (36-21) in a Friday, May 29, 6 p.m. MST matchup that will be televised on ESPN2. The Rebels finished ninth in the Southeastern Conference this season; while that places them in the lower half of the powerful league, their schedule ranked among the nation's toughest. Mississippi claimed its program's only College World Series title in 2022 and brings an offense that has shown significant power alongside a pitching staff that features depth and strikeout ability.
The Lincoln Regional's other first-round game pairs host and No. 1 seed Nebraska (42-15) with Summit League champion South Dakota State (24-31), the No. 4 seed. The regional plays out as a double-elimination bracket, with the winner advancing to a super regional that will pit regional champions against the winner of the Auburn-hosted site.
This marks Arizona State's second postseason appearance under Bloomquist, who is in his fifth season as head coach and is guiding his alma mater back to NCAA play for the second consecutive year. The previous trip came a year ago at a regional hosted by UCLA, where the Sun Devils went 1-2: winning the opener before dropping the next two games and exiting the tournament. Several holdovers from that roster have carried the disappointment from last year's result into this spring and summer preparation.
Sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston has been at the center of ASU's offense and has posted numbers that place him among national leaders. He ranks first in the country in total bases and slugging percentage, is fourth in RBIs with 79, has hit 28 home runs and ranks fifth in batting average at .413. Hairston said last season's finish was a motivating force for the returners. "Obviously, last year was not the result we wanted. We didn't play our best," he said. "It did nothing but motivate us, especially all the guys coming back. We know that feeling of losing a regional, so we're going to do our best not to let that happen again."
On the mound, junior left-hander Cole Carlon figures to be in the mix for the opening role after making relief appearances in two of the three games in last year's regional. He recorded a save in the opener but yielded four earned runs in the third and deciding game that eliminated Arizona State. Carlon is seeking a chance at redemption in a starter's role. For Mississippi, a likely choice for the first start is sophomore right-hander Cade Townsend, a second-team All-SEC selection who is 5-3 with a 3.81 ERA; junior lefty Elliott Hunter (5-3, 5.07 ERA) is another primary option. The Rebels' bullpen presents reliability through volume: eight pitchers have logged at least 29 innings, and only two relievers carry ERAs above 4.25.
Comparisons between the teams show contrasting profiles. Arizona State's collective batting average sits at .320, sixth best nationally, reflecting a lineup that consistently produces hits. By contrast, Ole Miss hits .266, placing it 221st among the 303 Division I programs, but the Rebels compensate with power — totaling 100 home runs, 17th nationally — while also striking out frequently, with 589 strikeouts at an average of 10.3 per game. On the pitching side, Mississippi has a team ERA of 4.47, roughly a full run better than ASU's 5.43, and the Rebels rank second in the SEC and fifth nationally in strikeouts with 637, one spot ahead of Arizona State.
Several players emphasized the team's focus on executing its own game plan rather than worrying about opponents or venues. Second baseman Nu'u Contrades, who missed the 2025 postseason with a hand injury after four years in the program, spoke about what the event means to him personally and to his time at ASU. "This place is awesome," he said. "Arizona State is, I think, the best school in the nation. This program means so much to me. Coaches, my teammates, this past four years have been the best four years of my life." Sophomore catcher Brody Briggs echoed a similar pragmatic stance on matchups and atmosphere. "I think we don't really mind who we play," Briggs said. "We're just going to play our game regardless. It's cool to go play (in) Nebraska, play somewhere different, and just go compete." The Sun Devils will attempt to translate that mindset into wins beginning with the May 29 opener against Mississippi.