No. 16 Sun Devil Baseball avoided the sweep with the win on Mother’s Day as Dominic Smaldino hit three home runs and collected eight RBIs.
(Phoenix, AZ) No. 16 Sun Devil Baseball did what it has done best all season, winning a series finale and – in doing so – salvaging its series against Oklahoma State with an 11-7 victory on Sunday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
In the final home game of the 2026 regular season – a campaign that saw ASU set a school record in averaging 3,553 fans per game over the course of the year – Dominic Smaldino put the team on his back and matched an Arizona State single-game school record with three home runs while also logging eight RBIs.
The Sun Devils (34-17, 17-10 Big 12) moved to 10-2 in series finales in the process (losses at KSU, vs. WVU) and maintained a hold on third place in the Big 12 rankings heading into the final weekend of play three games back from conference leader Kansas.
Kole Klecker capped off his exceptional campaign within the hitter friendly confines of Phoenix Municipal Stadium with 5.0 innings of one-run baseball, striking out seven with just one walk while scattering five hits against one of the most potent offenses in the nation.
Landon Hairston, Nu’u Contrades and Beckett Zavorek all notched multi-hit days. Sean Fitzpatrick, Finn Edwards and Derek Schaefer all stranded runners in relief in their 2.1 combined innings of work.
Inning by inning
First inning
Kole Klecker started on the mound for the Sun Devils. The first batter reached on an error, but was doubled up as the next hitter lined out to Beckett Zavorek. Klecker gave up a single and a walk to the next two batters, but was able to escape the jam with a groundout to end the scoreless frame.
In the leadoff spot, Landon Hairston doubled into the gap before advancing to third on an error. A walk was issued to Nu’u Contrades and a sac fly from Dean Toigo allowed Hairston to score. A double play ended the inning with the Sun Devils up 1-0.
Second inning
Klecker returned to the mound, striking out the side.
Matt Polk was the first on base for the Sun Devil in the second, reaching on a single. However a double play erased him from the base path. PJ Moutzouridis grounded out for the third out.
Third inning
After a strikeout to open the inning, Klecker gave up a solo home run to tie the game 1-1. With two outs, the Cowboys singled, but a groundout ended the inning.
Zavorek reached second on an error, followed by a walk being issued to Hairston. Contrades was called out on an infield fly, but Toigo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A pass ball allowed all runners to advance, scoring Zavorek. Dominic Smaldino followed up with a three-run home run to extend the lead, 5-1. Ky McGary added on to the momentum with a pinch-hit solo shot of his own. A strikeout from Coen Niclai closed out the inning.
Fourth inning
Another three-up, three-down inning for Klecker saw him strike out the side again.
A groundout and fly out opened the frame, but a two-out single from Zavorek gave the Sun Devils a baserunner, but was left stranded on a fly out by Hairston.
Fifth inning
Back on the mound, Klecker was able to retire the first two batters before giving up back-to-back base hits. A fly out closed out the inning without any damage done.
Contrades led off with a single through the left side, and was brought in on a two-run home run from Smaldino, to make the score 8-1. Niclai worked a two-out walk, and Moutzouridis followed it up with a single to left center. Briggs struck out to end the frame.
Sixth inning
Alex Overbay entered the game for the Sun Devils and struck out the first two batters he faced before allowing a two-out walk. The next batter up for the Cowboys hit a two-run homerun to bring the game to 8-3. Another strikeout closed out the inning.
Hairston and Contrades hit two consecutive singles to open the frame, and both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. A walk from Toigo loaded the bases, and Smaldino drove in a run with an RBI-fielder’s choice to make it 9-3. Pinch hitter Sam Myers was hit by a pitch to load the bases again, but Garrett Michel struck out to end the threat.
Seventh inning
After a groundout opened the inning, Overbay ran into trouble, as a single and a walk put two runners on. Sean Fitzpatrick entered the game in relief, working the next two batters out via foul out and fly out.
A new pitcher entered the game for the Cowboys. Zavorek singled with two outs but was left on as a flyout kept it a 9-3 game.
Eighth inning
Fitzpatrick returned to the mound, walking the first batter he faced. Following a single, Finn Edwards was called into the game for the Sun Devils, where he struck out the next batter and induced a double play that promptly ended the inning.
Contrades was first on base with a walk. Following a strikeout by Toigo, Smaldino hit a two-run blast to increase the lead to 11-3. A fly out by Myers concluded the frame.
Ninth inning
Colin Linder came in to pitch for the Sun Devils, where he struck out the first batter he faced before allowing two baserunners on a walk and a hit by pitch. Linder then gave up a three-run home run to bring the game within five. The Cowboys tacked on another run with a solo shot. A walk put a runner on base for OSU, prompting a pitching change for Arizona State. Derek Schaefer was the next guy out of the bullpen for the Sun Devils. He retired the first batter on a flyout, before closing out the game with a strikeout.
Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“Can’t say enough about Kole Klecker. Again, just when we need him the most, he steps up big time and gives us a good, solid start. So he did an outstanding job navigating a very tough lineup today and giving us a chance to win offensively. Dominic Smaldino obviously had a huge day for us with three homers. That was the majority of our offense today, so that was huge for him to come up big for us. Some big plays defensively. Landon Hairston, I don’t want that play to go unnoticed there in the seventh inning- we had a pop up dropped down the line, and next pitch is a bullet, which maybe gets out of the ballpark, or maybe not. But Landon makes a great play that was huge for him. And Finn Edwards, the way he came in, and that’s the best he’s thrown all year, up there in the eighth inning with just velocity and high octane fuel, and got us out of that jam. And then, can never have enough runs. The ninth inning was ugly, a little bit, but (Derek Schaefer) came in and bounced back from Friday, and got it done for us. So that was big for him, and at the end of the day, resilient win by our guys after a tough couple days. And with a hot Oklahoma State team that’s been playing really well, they came in and played us tough. But on the flip side, we were that close from taking a series again against one of the hotter teams in the country, and it’s what could have, should have happened on Friday, but that game was there to be won, and it slipped through our fingers. But we’re that close to winning that series. And again, we keep saying, if there’s things we can clean up a little bit, I like our chances against anybody we play.”
On Dominic Smaldino’s growth this season
“He continues to get better and better, and he’s still not a finished product. I think there’s a lot of things he can continue to improve upon, which is scary, because his potential is through the roof when you have that type of leverage in your swing. And the biggest thing today, or the last few days that I saw, was that he was not chasing below the zone a lot. He got up in his wheelhouse where he was looking. And it’s amazing you do damage when you get those pitches up in the zone. So I was really happy that he had the weekend he did.”
On Kole Klecker’s resiliency throughout the year
“I think it’s a testament to his character and how he’s been raised, and the experiences that he’s had in his life. He just continues to rise to the occasion when it’s called upon. And he’s one of those guys that has learned from the hard times, learned from some failures, learned from some injuries. And instead of tuck tailing and running the other way, he’s learned from them and grown from it and gotten better. And when you have negative things happen, they’re only negative if you don’t learn from them. And I think he’s learned a lot from the experiences in his life, and he continues to grow from it. And again, he showed up today, in my mind, gave us the best start of the year that we needed.”
On the message to the team going into the final conference series
“To stay within the moment and not let things get too big or too out of control at this stage of the game. Every game is a big game, and that’s what you’re hoping for. You just play to win that particular game and let the chips fall where they may. And to me, it’s got to be the mindset this time of the year anyway. You go out and play one at a time, and you put all your energy and effort level into that one particular game that day, and it’s playoff baseball starting today. We understand the situation we’re in, and we want to continue playing, if we can play playoff baseball right now, before we get there, or if we do get there, then it’s not going to be any different when we do get there. So we just got to continue to play the way we’re capable of playing.”
Up next
The Sun Devils head out on the road for their final conference series of the season on Thursday at Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. AZT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
Click on Logo
