ASU Baseball Begins Season 2-0 Behind High Scoring Third Inning

The Sun Devils won the season opener on Friday night and followed it up with an 11-5 victory over Omaha on Saturday.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0) continued their strong start to the 2026 season, taking down the visiting Omaha Mavericks (0-2) by a score of 11-5 in game two of their three-game series. The Sun Devils were led by a big third inning that included a grand slam from Nuu Contrades, as well as home runs from Matt Polk, Dominic Smaldino, and Dean Toigo.

Why it matters

The Sun Devils are looking to build on a successful 2025 campaign under head coach Willie Bloomquist, and this 2-0 start is an encouraging sign as they aim to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Arizona State's offense exploded in the third inning, with Beckett Zavorek breaking a 1-1 tie with an RBI single before Nuu Contrades hit a grand slam to extend the lead to 6-1. The Sun Devils continued to pour it on, with Dominic Smaldino and Dean Toigo each hitting solo home runs later in the game.

  • The Sun Devils won the season opener on Friday night by a score of 8-2.
  • The game on Saturday afternoon was the second of a three-game series against Omaha.

The players

Willie Bloomquist

The head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team, now in his fifth season leading the program.

Cole Carlon

The starting pitcher for Arizona State in their season-opening win on Friday night.

Matt Polk

An Arizona State player who hit a solo home run in the second inning to get the scoring started for the Sun Devils.

Nuu Contrades

An Arizona State player who hit a grand slam in the third inning to break the game open for the Sun Devils.

Dominic Smaldino

An Arizona State player who hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to extend the Sun Devils' lead.

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What’s next

The Sun Devils are set to host UConn at Phoenix Municipal on Tuesday night in a one-game set.

The takeaway

Arizona State's offense has come out firing to start the 2026 season, with several players contributing big hits and home runs. If the Sun Devils can continue this level of production, they will be a team to watch in the Pac-12 this year as they aim to return to the NCAA Tournament.