Don't call it a rivalry.
Sun Devil fans would never show enough respect to the Antelopes to call Grand Canyon a rival, but losing to the in-state college is never acceptable.
The Sun Devils managed to course correct last week with a series win over lowly Texas Tech, even though they dropped the final game of the series to miss out on the sweep opportunity. Still, their Monday loss to Purdue dropped them 15 spots in RPI to 48, putting their postseason hopes in serious jeopardy.
On paper, they should be able to handle Grand Canyon tonight. The Antelopes are 63rd in RPI and have lost their past two series, as well as getting blown out by Arizona in seven innings last Tuesday.
That said, Grand Canyon beat the Wildcats back at the start of the month, winning 11-5. Earlier in the year, they also notched wins over ranked teams in Nebraska and Oregon while narrowly losing to other ranked opponents like Oregon State and Vanderbilt.
In other words, the Antelopes have been capable of catching better teams by surprise.
Arizona State will have to be on their game tonight, something that hasn't often been the case for them on these mid-week games this season. But any more losses to inferior opponents will drastically hurt their postseason case, something that Grand Canyon is certainly aware of.
How to watch Arizona State at Grand Canyon
The Sun Devils (25-15) and Antelopes (23-16) will throw out the first pitch at 7:00 PM MDT at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona.
The game will air on Fox 10 Xtra and will stream on ESPN+ (subscription required) for out-of-market viewers. Barry Buetel, Mike Rooney, and Kate Longworth will be on the call.
Betting information
Arizona State comes into this game as a 1.5-run favorite, according to DraftKings sportsbook.
The Sun Devils are -188 on the moneyline, while the Antelopes are +145.
The over/under on total runs is 14.