HOUSTON – No. 22 Sun Devil Baseball secured its fifth road series win of the season with an 8-3 victory on Saturday at Houston, closing the book on the 2026 regular season.
Arizona State (36-18, 19-11 Big 12) picked up its sixth rubber match victory, highlighted by Landon Hairston’s 27th home run of the season, which extended the Sun Devils’ lead in the fifth inning. The two-run shot now tied Hairston with Mitch Jones (2000) for the most home runs in a single season in ASU history.
The Sun Devils went undefeated in road series over the course of the 2026 season, going 5-0 in all its Big 12 road treks. It marked the first time ASU went undefeated in conference road series for a season since it was 4-0 in the 1982 campaign.
Jaden Alba got the start for the Sun Devils, delivering a career-best 5.2 innings of one-run baseball in place of the scratched Kole Klecker. The junior struck out seven and earned the win in the Herculean effort. After allowing a run in the first inning, Alba settled in to shut down the Houston offense and give the Sun Devil bats a chance to wake up.
Arizona State got on the board in the fourth inning with an RBI-single from Austen Roellig, took the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Nu’u Contrades, and broke it open in the sixth with a four-spot. PJ Moutzouridis brought in two and Hairston followed it up with his historic blast.
Runs in the seventh and ninth extended ASU’s lead and effectively put the game out of reach, as the duo of Taylor Penn and Derek Schaefer came out of the bullpen and delivered 3.1 innings in relief. Penn faced the minimum over his 2.1 innings, allowing only one baserunner.
With the win, the Sun Devils finished the regular season tied with UCF for third in the Big 12. ASU holds the tiebreaker over the Knights after taking the series between the two teams in Orlando a few weeks ago, and will be the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament next week.
Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
Inning by inning
First inning
The Sun Devils went down in order in the first. Houston led off with a double, scoring the run on a groundout and sac fly. Alba picked up his first strikeout to keep it a 1-0 game.
Second inning
The Sun Devils went down in order for a second consecutive inning. UH recorded a pair of one-out singles but the Sun Devils got out of it with a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to keep it 1-0.
Third inning
Briggs reached on a one-out walk for ASU’s first baserunner of the day and Hairston recorded ASU’s first hit with two outs. Contrades singled to right but the Devils were too aggressive in sending Briggs home as he was easily thrown out at the dish to keep it a 1-0 lead. Alba kept the momentum from shifting on that play with a smooth 1-2-3 frame.
Fourth inning
Toigo skipped one off the first base bag for a leadoff double and stole third with one out. Roellig chopped an infield single up the middle to score him and tie things at 1-1 but ASU could do no damage beyond that. UH drew a one-out walk and Contrades made an incredible diving play to keep that runner from going first to third and having runners on the corners with one out. Alba’s fifth punchout stranded the runner in scoring position and kept it tied.
Fifth inning
Briggs walked for the second time to lead off the frame and that chased the Houston starter. Moutzouridis sac bunted him into scoring position. Briggs took third on a wild pitch and Hairston walked to put runners on the corners with one out and Contrades put ASU on top with a sac fly. Toigo was hit by a pitch but ASU couldn’t add to its lead. Alba set the bottom of the UH lineup down in order, tacking on two more strikeouts to keep it a 2-1 ASU advantage.
Sixth inning
Roellig singled through the left side to lead off the inning and Polk was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs and Myers sac bunted both into scoring position. After ASU failed to tag up and score on a flyout to right, Moutzouridis saved the day by lining a two-RBI single down the opposite right field line past the shifted first baseman to plate both runners and give ASU a 4-1 lead. Hairston followed that immediately with his historic 27th homer of the season to open the game up and make it a 6-1 game. ASU kept the pressure on with back-to-back singles from Contrades (on the ninth pitch of his AB) and Toigo but ASU couldn’t extend the lead. Houston notched a one-out double and single but Alba issued a flyout to end his day, handing the rock off to Penn. Smaldino made a nice play at first for the final out to keep ASU on top, 6-1.
Seventh inning
Polk wore a pitch for the second consecutive inning to get on base with one out and Myers walked to put two on but Polk was picked off at second. Briggs salvaged the frame by ripping a double down the right field line to score Myers and make it a 7-1 game. Hairston made a sliding catch in center to open the frame defensively and Penn worked a clean 1-2-3 frame, including a slick defensive play himself.
Eighth inning
The Devils went down in order and Penn worked around a leadoff walk by facing the minimum with Briggs helping the cause by throwing out a runner in the process.
Ninth inning
Smaldino launched the first pitch of the ninth far enough that the left fielder didn’t even give it a token jog to make it an 8-1 game as ASU put up a run for the fifth time over the final five innings. Houston didn’t go quietly, scoring on a wild pitch with one out after a leadoff HBP and double and another on a line-drive single just off Moutzouridis’ glove but Schaefer stranded two runners in scoring position and notched the final out on a strikeout to seal the deal.
Up next
The Sun Devils will turn their attention to the Big 12 Tournament, which kicks off next week at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. As the No. 3 seed, Arizona State will receive the double-bye and face the No. 6 seed Cincinnati on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. MST, but delays are expected with ASU’s game being the final one of the day. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU and available over Valley airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM.
Fans can purchase tickets here. Tickets are sold by session, with ASU’s game being on Thursday, Session 4.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Brooklyn Cohen
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