The Arizona State Sun Devils' promising 2025 baseball season came to a dramatic close on Sunday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles, where they fell 11-6 to the UC Irvine Anteaters in a high-stakes NCAA Los Angeles Regional elimination game. Despite a spirited comeback effort and several standout performances, ASU was unable to overcome the potent power display from UC Irvine, who connected for five home runs to secure their victory and advance to face the undefeated host UCLA Bruins.
Entering the game as the third seed, ASU had already made history this season by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, ending the longest drought in program history under head coach Willie Bloomquist. The Sun Devils finished their campaign with a solid 36-24 record, including an 18-12 mark in their inaugural Big 12 season, marking the most wins under Bloomquist and the highest total since 2019.
The game began with UC Irvine striking first in the top of the first inning, as first baseman Alonso Martinez singled to right field, scoring Will Bermudez. ASU responded quickly, tying the game at 1-1 in the bottom half when Jacob Tobias delivered a sacrifice fly, bringing home Kien Walker. The early innings set the tone for a back-and-forth contest, with UC Irvine pulling ahead in the third inning thanks to a home run from center fielder Jacob McCombs, an All-Big-West First Team honoree, who repeated his power display from the previous day with a no-doubt blast over the right field fence.
ASU's starting pitcher Derek Schaefer, making his third start of the season, faced early challenges as UC Irvine loaded the bases with hits and walks. Schaefer allowed a solo home run to Alonso Reyes in the fourth inning, who had entered the game with just one home run on the season, and then a two-run homer to right fielder Chase Call, who was proving to be a nightmare for ASU pitching. These shots helped the Anteaters take a commanding 6-1 lead.
However, the Sun Devils refused to fold. Isaiah Jackson, who has been a consistent offensive force all year, responded with his 18th home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, a solo shot that brought ASU back within striking distance. Jackson's recent offensive surge has been attributed by Coach Bloomquist to his commitment to the hitting program, with the coach noting, "He’s made an extremely impressive transformation offensively this year in trusting what he’s doing and sticking with it. This is just, he’s bought in … stuck with the plan of attack all year long and he’s having a great year." Jackson's persistence has been remarkable, recording hits in all but 15 of ASU's 60 games and driving in runs in more than half of those contests.
ASU's rally peaked in the sixth inning. Trailing 7-2, the Sun Devils loaded the bases with a walk from Kien Vu and a hit-by-pitch to Jackson. Josiah Cromwick laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, setting the stage for Brandon Compton, who delivered a clutch two-run double to deep left-center field, narrowing the deficit to 7-4 and forcing UC Irvine’s starting pitcher Ryder Brooks from the game. Freshman Beckett Zavorek followed with a double of his own, scoring Compton and making it 7-5. Landon Hairston then nearly tied the game with a deep fly ball to right field that went just inches foul, leaving ASU tantalizingly close to a comeback.
But UC Irvine answered swiftly in the seventh inning. Chase Call smashed his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that extended the Anteaters' lead to 9-5. The Anteaters capitalized on two defensive errors and a well-timed double to plate two more runs, pushing the score to 11-5 and putting the game out of reach. ASU managed to add a run in the eighth inning when Matt King, who finished the season with a remarkable .403 batting average, recorded his 29th multi-hit game of the year and drove in Beckett Zavorek. Despite this late spark, the Sun Devils could not close the gap.
King’s .403 average makes him only the second Sun Devil in the BBCOR era to finish a single season with an average over .400, a feat previously achieved by Kien Vu last season. This marks the first time since the late 1990s that two different Sun Devils have hit over .400 in consecutive seasons, a testament to the program's offensive resurgence. King also leads the Big 12 in batting average, having surpassed Kerrington Cross’s .396 mark, and has recorded 15 games with three or more hits this season.
Defensively, Kien Vu provided standout moments with two outfield assists in the first two innings, a notable feat since he had no assists prior to this game. ASU’s pitching staff, however, struggled to contain the Anteaters’ power. Schaefer's outing ended after three innings, having allowed seven hits and five runs, including two home runs. Relievers Lucas Kelly and Cole Carlon faced difficulties as well, with Carlon conceding a season-high five runs over 1 1/3 innings, including Call's second homer and James Castagnola’s two-run shot in the seventh.
On the other side, UC Irvine’s redshirt sophomore left-hander Ryder Brooks delivered a solid performance, pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing five runs on six hits while walking four and striking out three. His start was his longest since a complete-game shutout in April, providing the Anteaters with crucial innings and preserving the bullpen. Big West Pitcher of the Year Ricky Ojeda contributed 1 1/3 innings of relief, maintaining the lead and positioning UC Irvine to advance.
UC Irvine coach Ben Orloff praised his team's offensive capabilities, stating, "There’s a little more swing and miss and strikeouts in there than we would like, but we got a lot of guys that can change again with one swing." The Anteaters’ power was on full display with five home runs from five different players: Chase Call (two), James Castagnola, Jacob McCombs, and Alonso Reyes, underscoring their threat at the plate.
With this victory, UC Irvine moves on to face UCLA in the Los Angeles Regional final, needing just one win to advance to the super regionals, while the Anteaters would require two victories if an additional game is necessary. The Bruins, undefeated in the tournament so far, present a formidable challenge, but UC Irvine's momentum and firepower give them a fighting chance.
For the Sun Devils, the season ends with pride in their accomplishments and optimism for the future. Coach Bloomquist reflected on the journey, "I still in my heart think it's a little too early for us to be done, but we just didn't execute how we needed to today. (We) came up short. But at the end of the day, I'm extremely proud of our guys for the effort and everything they gave to this program. I think this was one of those teams that you're gonna remember for a long time." He lauded the team's resilience and character, emphasizing the growth made over his four years at the helm.
As the Sun Devils close this chapter, the program looks ahead to building on this season’s successes, fueled by the performances of players like Isaiah Jackson, Matt King, and the promising freshman Beckett Zavorek. Meanwhile, UC Irvine’s powerful offense and strategic pitching will be tested as they aim to continue their impressive postseason run against UCLA.
