Another day, another chance to put a painful loss behind you.
That has to be the motto for Arizona State after suffering a brutal loss in extra innings on Friday night. After taking the lead in the eighth inning, the Sun Devils' inconsistent bullpen allowed Minnesota to tie things up and then take the lead in the 10th. Meanwhile, the vaunted Arizona State offense went silent at the worst possible time.
It's the Sun Devils' third loss in their past six games, which is not the pace they want to be playing at. That said, they've made a habit of bouncing back after each. Their first one of the season was followed up with a dominant 12-5 win, while the second saw their first shutout victory of the season, beating UCLA 2-0.
Can they do it again? Head coach Willie Bloomquist sure hopes so, especially if he has to do it without catcher Josiah Cromwick. Bloomquist revealed after Friday's loss that Cromwick has been dealing with a hand injury that might impact his availability in tonight's rematch.
Willie Bloomquist revealed catcher Josiah Cromwick is dealing with a hand injury:
— Jakob Brooks (@Jakobrooks) March 1, 2025
"Crom's been dealing with a hand issue. It's why he didn't play at UCLA... He had some tests done that came back in his favor, there was nothing structurally wrong with it."@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/VdaPCeOa2y
It's anticipated that Bloomquist will turn to Jack Martinez for the start on the mound Saturday. Martinez has been strong in his two appearances this season, going 1-0 while throwing 14 strikeouts over 11.1 innings.
Arizona State will need that kind of performance from Martinez, especially if their typically potent offense can't find its rhythm again. The Golden Gophers, meanwhile, are looking to clinch this series while also improving their record to .500 on the year.
How to watch Arizona State vs Minnesota
The Sun Devils and Golden Gophers will throw out the first pitch at 6:30 PM MST at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona.
The game will air on ESPN+ (subscription required). Koby Mitchell will be on air for play-by-play with Payne Moses providing color commentary.
Betting information
Arizona State comes into this game as a 2.5-run favorite, according to DraftKings sportsbook.
The Sun Devils are -238 on the moneyline, while the Golden Gophers are +180.
The over/under on total runs is 14.