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ASU Baseball Faces Uphill Battle in Nebraska Regional
28 May
Summary
- Arizona State is a No. 3 seed in the Lincoln Regional, exceeding expectations.
- Sophomore Landon Hairston leads the nation in total bases and slugging.
- The Sun Devils face Ole Miss in their opening game on Friday, May 29.
Arizona State baseball is heading into the Lincoln Regional as a No. 3 seed, a position Coach Willie Bloomquist is embracing as motivation. Most projections had the Sun Devils as a No. 2 seed heading into the NCAA tournament.
The team, with a 37-19 record, will face No. 2 seed Ole Miss (36-21) in their opening game on Friday, May 29. Ole Miss, despite finishing in the lower half of the SEC, presents a challenge with the third-toughest schedule played and a 2022 College World Series title.
Sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is a key offensive weapon for ASU, leading the nation in total bases and slugging percentage, and ranking highly in RBIs and home runs. His performance, along with the team's collective drive, aims to avoid a repeat of last year's regional exit.
ASU's team batting average of .320 ranks sixth nationally, significantly higher than Ole Miss's .266. However, Ole Miss boasts a strong pitching staff with a 4.47 team ERA, which is nearly a full run better than ASU's 5.43. The Rebels also excel in strikeouts, ranking fifth nationally.
The Lincoln Regional also features host No. 1 seed Nebraska (42-15) against No. 4 seed South Dakota State (24-31) in the other first-round matchup. The winner of this regional will advance to face the winner of the Auburn regional in the super regionals.
