Willie Bloomquist entered this season in desperate need of a breakthrough.
The longtime utility player was named the head coach at his alma mater prior to the 2022 seasom, replacing Tracy Smith at a time when fan apathy had reached an all-time high for a baseball program that has traditionally been the crown jewel of Arizona State.
Bloomquist, who once played in the national championship game as a Sun Devil, set about to revive the program. He's had three straight winning seasons, with an increase in conference victories each year, but Bloomquist has yet to make the NCAA Tournament.
This year needed to be different. So far, it's looking like it will be.
The Sun Devils are 20-9 at just about the halfway point in the season. They have won six of their eight series thus far, splitting one and losing another, and have yet to lose a Big 12 series. After a brief stretch of rough mid-week games, Arizona State crushed Cal State Fullerton - fresh off debuting in the Top 25 at No. 24 - this past Tuesday to extend their current win streak to four games.
Now, they prepare for a pivotal weekend series.
The rival Wildcats come to town for a Friday through Sunday stretch of games that will shape the Sun Devils' season, one way or another. Just a week ago, Arizona looked like the team to beat in the Big 12. They swept Cincinnati in their conference opening series, beat Kansas in a one-off, and took a series against the stout West Virginia Mountaineers 2-1. That catapulted them to No. 23 in the polls, the only Big 12 team to be ranked.
Then the wheels fell off. They barely scraped by Seattle University before losing last weekend's series against a slumping Baylor team. That dropped them from the rankings, and the Wildcats followed it up with a shocking blowout loss against Grand Canyon on Tuesday.
Despite all that, Arizona is still just fourth place in the Big 12, two spots behind Arizona State. Their offense has fallen silent, dropping to 103rd in team OPS, but the pitching staff remains elite: their team ERA of 4.27 ranks 38th in the nation and fourth in the conference.
In terms of overall team strength, Arizona is 20th in the nation in RPI, indicating they're still one of the best teams out there despite their recent slump. For what it's worth, the Sun Devils are 15th in RPI, the best of any Big 12 team.
All of that underscores the importance of this weekend. On paper, these are two of the top programs in the conference, and the result this weekend could very well have a lasting impact on the Big 12 race and, by extension, the conference's representation in the NCAA Tournament this year.
The two teams met earlier this year for a Tuesday night solo tilt in Tucson that technically did not count as a conference game. The Wildcats took that one, narrowly edging out the Sun Devils 3-2. That said, neither team was using their top pitchers, given its placement in the schedule.
When Arizona State takes the diamond on Friday, they'll have Ben Jacobs on the mound. The left-handed ace has a strong 4.42 ERA and is averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Even hotter is Jack Martinez, with a 4.46 ERA and a 12.44 K/9 that ranks 34th in the nation, who will be pitching Saturday's contest.
The Sun Devils have to feel good about that one-two punch from the mound, especially with the way their offense has caught fire lately. They've scored 6+ runs in six straight games, with five batters averaging a +.300 batting average and eight with a +.900 OPS. As a team, their batting average has risen to 36th in the nation.
They're getting hot at the right time, but the Wildcats have more than enough talent to cool them down. Bloomquist's clubs in years past would wilt in a moment like this. How this year's team responds to such a challenge will speak volumes to what this group can accomplish.
The stage is set. All that remains to be seen is how the Sun Devils deliver. One way or another, this weekend will change the course of the season.