Just a week ago, the Sun Devils were getting ready for the start of their final series of the season, squaring off in Stillwater with a firm hold on second place in the Big 12 and a puncher's chance at first.
Now, they're hoping the baseball gods smile upon them and grant them entry to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.
It's been a stunning and rapid downward spiral for the baseball program this past week. They were inexplicably swept by an Oklahoma State club that had been one of the Big 12's worst all season, until a last minute surge that was highlighted by beating the Sun Devils.
That dropped Arizona State from second to fifth in the conference tournament, drawing a first round matchup against BYU, who they swept earlier in the year. History did not repeat itself, though, as Arizona State was shut out for the first time all year and eliminated from the Big 12 tournament before any other team had even played a game.
Now, all eyes turn to Monday's selection show. And to Willie Bloomquist.
Willie Bloomquist makes his final pitch to the NCAA selection committee, which will unveil the full field of 64 on Monday afternoon.
— House of Sparky (@HouseOfSparky) May 21, 2025
"I would ask the other coaches across the country if they want to play us in a regional, I would bet not" pic.twitter.com/UYt8cNJhYj
The former player entered his fourth season as head coach needing to break through. He inherited a program in desperate need of a cultural reset, and Bloomquist provided that. The Sun Devils saw their conference record improve each successive year, but they had yet to reach the NCAA Tournament.
In the entire storied history of this program, the Sun Devils have never missed the postseason four years in a row. Bloomquist, who sold himself on returning the program to the glory days of Pat Murphy (under whom Bloomquist played), could not be the coach who changed that.
For much of this season, it looked as if he was safe. Arizona State has consistently sat inside the Top 45 in RPI, generally a promising mark for any tournament hopefuls, and have routinely seen their names listed in the tournament projections.
The sweep in Stillwater changed things, though. Arizona State went from being a shoo-in to being firmly on the bubble, with a win over BYU all but sealing things up. Not only did that win not happen, but it was arguably their worst performance of the season.
Now, it would hardly be a surprise if the Sun Devils get left out when all is said and done on Monday.
If that happens, it would be very hard to imagine a world in which the same does not happen to Bloomquist, who has just one year left on his current contract. Even if Arizona State does get lucky and reach the tournament, a quick exit might still be too much to bear.
New athletics director Graham Rossini was the administrator for baseball prior to his promotion, and his relationship with Bloomquist goes way back. Rossini served as a student assisting and, later, the director of baseball operations under Murphy, overlapping with Bloomquist's playing career. Later, he worked in the business office for the Diamondbacks, for whom Bloomquist played for three seasons.
Rossini was also a key part of the contingent of Arizona State officials who ultimately chose to hire Bloomquist, with no prior coaching experience, to lead the Sun Devils following the 2021 season. It would be safe to say that Rossini has a vested interest in Bloomquist working out.
That said, Rossini also cares deeply about baseball, and he has made that very clear since being promoted to athletics director. Next year, once the House v NCAA settlement officially goes into effect, Arizona State will be one of a handful of teams that will use the full allotment of 34 scholarships for baseball. That's a significant investment into the program and its future success.
As much as Rossini wants Bloomquist to be the one who can revive this program, he knows the history well enough to know what is and isn't acceptable. And if these last four games turn out to be the lasting impression of the 2025 Sun Devils, it can only be deemed as unacceptable.
ASU was shut out in a 2-0 loss to BYU, eliminating it from the Big 12 Tournament and casting doubt on its NCAA resume. Still hard to imagine a team with 18 Big 12 wins missing the field but this could be close. Should never be the case with the talent that team has.
— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) May 21, 2025
Winning cures all, of course. If Arizona State sneaks into the tournament and then makes some noise, all can be forgiven. That feels like a massive "if" right now, though. For the next five days, Bloomquist and many others will be waiting with baited breath.
When the selections are finally made, and the bracket is officially set, then we will start to get answers on some very ominous questions.