SURPRISE, Ariz. – There was no lack of passion from the Arizona State Sun Devils faithful on Friday night at Surprise Stadium.
They did everything in their power to will their team to victory. But passion in the stands does not always translate to positive results on the field.
At least not for manager Willie Bloomquist’s squad, which fell 7-3 to No. 2 West Virginia in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament. The Mountaineers embraced the moment and created chaos on the basepaths to clinch the program’s first Big 12 championship game appearance since joining the conference in 2012.
“It was nice, it feels like the postseason, and the opposing crowds just never get to us,” Mountaineers second baseman Brodie Kresser said after the game about the environment. “We do well on the road, bringing the energy and just trying not to let the noise get to us.”
Kresser’s line drive single over the head of Arizona State third baseman Austen Roellig started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. The 1-0 score held until the fourth, when the Sun Devils took a 2-1 lead on Dean Toigo’s 457-foot home run.
By the fifth, lefty Cole Carlon had thrown 57 of his 78 pitches for strikes on the mound for Arizona State. He ended the inning with his sixth punchout of the night, subtly nodding his head at his work on his way to the dugout.
Then came the rowdiness. Joshua Suriago, who entered the game in the sixth in relief of Mountaineers’ starter Chansen Cole, talked smack when he induced a grounder from the bat of Big 12 Player of the Year Landon Hairston. Hairston talked back, but the confrontation was brought to a quick halt. A few batters later, the lefty (accidentally) threw an up-and-in fastball to Toigo, much to the displeasure of Sun Devil fans.
The sophomore urged the crowd to boo him louder during a pitching change. Arizona State extended its lead to 3-1 later that inning on a wild pitch that scored Roellig all the way from second base.
The two-run advantage disappeared swiftly, as the Mountaineers plated three in the bottom half of the sixth with a trio of singles, including Armani Guzman’s one-hopper off the left field wall. With runners on second and third, first baseman Dominic Smaldino couldn’t handle a throw in the dirt from shortstop PJ Moutzouridis, scoring two on aggressive baserunning from Guzman from second.
Now leading 4-3 in the eighth, the Mountaineers added three runs. First, a throwing error from Hairston in center, who undershot third and allowed Guzman, who went from first to third on a single by Kresser, to score.
Tyrus Hall followed with a two-out RBI single to left field. He later crossed home plate, sprinting around the bases following catcher Brody Briggs’ poor throw on a stolen base attempt that trickled into right center field. Hall beat the tag at home after a replay review.
In the top half of the ninth, Hairston, who set Arizona State’s single-season program record with his 28th homer of the year on Thursday, flew out to the warning track for the final out. Even a three-run shot would have required the Sun Devils to rally for one more run with one out to go.
“Obviously, we wanted to make a run in the Conference tournament here and be playing tomorrow, but that obviously comes to an end tonight,” Bloomquist said after the loss. “Which is disappointing, but you know we’re excited with the momentum we have. We’re anxious to find out where we’re going. I think we have the pieces that can do this thing; we just have to execute, and you know, click at the right time.”
The second-seeded Mountaineers have punched their ticket to Saturday’s championship game at 4:30 p.m. MDT at Surprise Stadium. Their opponents, No. 1 Kansas, defeated Oklahoma State 9-2 in Friday’s first semifinal matchup.
Where to Watch – The first two days of the tournament will be broadcast on ESPN+. The quarterfinals on Thursday, May 21, will air live on ESPNU. The semifinals will be available on ESPN+, and you can watch Saturday’s championship game on ESPN2.
Big 12 Tournament Schedule
All Games at Surprise Stadium, Surprise, Ariz.
All Times Mountain Daylight Time
Saturday, May 23
4:30 p.m. – No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 1 Kansas
Photo: The Mountaineers celebrated reaching the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time with a 7-3 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils. (Photo via @WVUBaseball on X)
