After Tuesday's trip at the finish line against GCU, the Sun Devils needed a bounce back win in a big way.
They got exactly that behind a stellar start from Ben Jacobs, taking Game 1 against BYU by a final score of 8-3.
The win bumped the RPI needle in the right direction, moving up to 45 and putting the low 40's or even high 30's in sight with a sweep.
One game at a time, however. With a win tonight, the Sun Devils will claim another important series win, and reach the 20 win mark at home for a third consecutive season. 20 home wins in a season was always an inevitability starting in 1999, with that streak ending in 2017. Joined by other sub-20 win seasons in 2018 and 2022, as well as the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the hope is that this streak will be renewed, along with return trips to Omaha.
How to watch BYU at Arizona State
First pitch is once again set for 6:30pm MST from Phoenix Municipal Stadium for this middle game between the Cougars (20-19, 6-13 Big XII) and the Sun Devils (26-16, 12-7 Big XII).
Braiden Bell and Alex Coil will have the call again on ESPN+ (subscription required), with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter carrying the action on the radio on KDUS 1060 AM.
Betting Information
The Sun Devils enter tonight's matchup as a 2.5-run favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Arizona State is -220 on the moneyline, while BYU is +170.
The over/under on total runs is 16.