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By Ethan Desjardine
Cronkite News
TEMPE – At Arizona State’s baseball fall practices, the body language seems different, the music a little more vibrant, and the vibe slightly more upbeat than in previous years.
Even though ASU’s baseball program is one of the most storied in the country, with 22 NCAA World Series appearances and five NCAA championships, as of late, the program has faced tough times.
The Sun Devils have had just four losing seasons in history, three of which have come since 2017, and in 2024, for the first time since 1959-63, ASU missed the postseason for a third season in a row.
No one wants to return Arizona State baseball to prominence more than coach Willie Bloomquist, who played three seasons at ASU and helped his team to the College World Series finals, falling just short to USC.
“We’ve fallen short the past couple years and that has been disappointing, so obviously we’re not where we need to be so we’ve got to keep coaching and keep recruiting and keep getting these guys better and better,” Bloomquist said. “Everyone knows the expectations here. I’m not satisfied with what we’ve done.”
Bloomquist is 90-81 as ASU’s skipper and guided the team to a 32-26 record last season. The Sun Devils open the new season on Saturday when they host California Baptist University at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. They’ll do it with two new high-profile coaching hires, Jason Ellison and Jeremy Accardo, both of whom were brought in over the summer. Already, their impact is being felt.
Ellison, the Sun Devils’ new hitting coach, has extensive MLB playing and scouting experience and was previously the hitting and outfield coordinator at the University of Washington.
Accardo, on the other hand, is also a former professional player and coach, and most recently was the pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds.
The Sun Devils’ new staff will bring professional hitting and pitching knowledge and experience, along with extensive knowledge of the game that is sure to pay dividends to player development, but according to Accardo, the most important thing that needs to be built for his players is confidence.
“I am personally not someone who likes to just go in and make changes,” Accardo said. “Obviously, building confidence is first and foremost, understanding what these guys do well and how to apply it.”
The growth in confidence among the players has been noticed by all of ASU’s coaching staff in recent weeks, from summer ball to the beginning of fall practices.
“I think the vibe has been great,” Bloomquist said. “It’s been a little bit lighter atmosphere, especially on the pitching side. Those guys are having a blast down there in the bullpen with music and stuff like that, and I think that’s by design that Jeremy [Accardo] wanted to do, getting these guys confident.”
Sam Peraza, who has been an ASU assistant coach since 2019, has also seen the growth in confidence among his players firsthand, specifically in the returners from last year.
“They’re walking in with their chest a little more out,” Peraza said. “They know what to expect this year, which is half the battle already.”
Peraza specifically pointed to pitchers Jaden Alba, Cole Carlon, and Wyatt Halvorson in terms of growth from last season.
“Guys who had their ups and downs at times last year know what to expect now,” Peraza said. “They look like veterans out there even though they’re only one year into it.”
Rebuilding anything takes time, and returning a large group of starters is a great way to continue to establish a foundation and culture within a program.
“Last year was all our guys, this year is all our guys, next year’s class will be all our guys, so hopefully that’s how you build a culture and establish what you want out of those guys,” Peraza said.
ASU has also brought in several new players from the transfer portal this offseason, including talented pitchers such as Ryan Minckler, Will Koger, Chance Daquila, and Derek Shafer, who won a national championship at Tennessee last year, along with infielder Matt King and catcher Manny Garza.
Typically, it takes time for new players to acclimate to a change in a program, but the returning Sun Devils have been welcoming to the new players.
“Everybody has a good attitude,” King said. “I walked in here and everybody acted like they knew me. The guys around me and the coaches, they make everything easy.”
The coaching staff has also had high praise for the way the team veterans have been helping the transfer class acclimate to the program.
“I think the returners on both sides are doing a great job of helping the new guys understand what we want out of the program, kind of the standards of the program, I think they’re doing a good job,” Peraza said.
Ellison said the players are buying into what the coaches are selling, and pairing that with a tight-knit locker room and talented returners often translates to a recipe for success.
“Some guys have a better feel than other guys and take a little longer,” Ellison said. “But as long as they’re bought in it’s fine, and so far there isn’t a player on here who isn’t bought in.”
With all the changes, hopes are high for the upcoming season and fall ball as the Sun Devils attempt to reclaim some of the luster that has eluded them in recent years.
“This past year, although we didn’t get to where we needed to get to, we were still young and we got a lot of experience out of them, so this is it,” Peraza said. “I think the expectation is pretty high for them this year.”
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