There is no sports program with a more rich history at Arizona State than baseball. Only three programs in the country have more national championships to their name, and the Sun Devils boast the most alumni to reach the big leagues.
On Friday night, though, Arizona State will write a brand new chapter in the baseball program's long, storied history book. For the first time ever, they will compete in a Big 12 conference game, kicking off their conference play with the first of a three-game series with TCU.
The Horned Frogs, picked to finish third in the Big 12 prior to the start of the season, have gotten off to a hot start. They come into this one with a 13-4 record, good for fourth in the conference. They're riding a six-game win streak that features series sweeps of both Fresno State and Air Force, with both games against Air Force being decided in just seven innings.
TCU has, thus far, been a team built around stellar defense. Their team ERA is just inside the top 50, and they're 39th in total strikeouts thrown. That. combined with an offense that's just inside the top 100 in OPS, has made the Horned Frogs into a dangerous squad.
The Sun Devils, meanwhile, are looking for a bounce back. They lost a solo outing against in-state rival Arizona, which was technically not a conference game, and saw head coach Willie Bloomquist ejected late in the game.
After starting the year with an electric offense and leaky bullpen, Arizona State has made a complete reversal in the past two weeks. Over their last five games, the Sun Devils have posted a team ERA of 1.80, which would rank second in the entire nation; however, their offense has fallen by the wayside, averaging just six runs a game after previously hovering around nine.
Facing a pitching staff as talented as TCU certainly won't help, but perhaps Arizona State can break out of its malaise with the raised stakes of conference play. The path to Omaha begins, in earnest, right here.
How to watch Arizona State at TCU
The Sun Devils and Horned Frogs will throw out the first pitch at 6:00 PM CDT at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
The game will air on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Betting information
Arizona State comes into this game as underdogs, with TCU favored by 1.5 runs, according to DraftKings sportsbook.
The Sun Devils are +130 on the moneyline, while the Horned Frogs are -166.
The over/under on total runs is 10.5.