ASU extends Willie Bloomquist through 2028, backing program’s momentum
Arizona State did not wait for perfection.
Instead, the Sun Devils chose progress, momentum, and alignment.
ASU plans to extend baseball coach Willie Bloomquist for two additional seasons through the 2028 campaign, Baseball America’s Jacob Rudner reported. The move is a measured but meaningful show of confidence from athletic director Graham Rossini and the university’s administration. Bloomquist entered the 2026 season with just one year remaining on his original contract, making the timing of the extension notable after a tenure defined as much by transition as by results.
The move reflects the belief that ASU is trending in the right direction under Bloomquist, even if last season marked just the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance during his four years as head coach.
“It’s a privilege to be here,” Bloomquist noted. “I’m honored to be here and lead this program. I never take that for granted.”
Bloomquist returned to his alma mater in the summer of 2021 with no prior head coaching experience, inheriting a program navigating sweeping change. The early results were uneven. ASU went 26–32 in 2022, 32–23 in 2023, and 32–26 in 2024, missing the postseason each year. The three-year NCAA Tournament drought was the longest in program history for one of college baseball’s most decorated brands.
The sport itself was shifting beneath the program’s feet. The transfer portal, NIL, conference realignment, and scholarship limitations reshaped roster construction and competitive balance, placing pressure on coaches to adapt quickly. Results lagged early, and patience was tested.
Still, ASU’s administration stayed the course.
“They’ve looked at the whole body of work,” Bloomquist stated. “They understood what we took over. There were some things that needed to be fixed. We’ve had a very unique landscape change over the past three years.”
That patience was rewarded in 2025. ASU finished 36–24 overall and 18–12 in its first season competing in the Big 12, snapping the postseason drought and restoring a baseline of competitiveness. The Sun Devils reached an NCAA regional, a modest step by historical standards but a critical one for a program seeking stability.
Bloomquist was careful not to oversell the breakthrough.
“It’s not our ultimate goal,” he noted. “Our goal is to go deep in the postseason. But everything shows progress in the right direction.”
The progress extended beyond the win-loss column. As the Sun Devils leaned back into their self-proclaimed “MLB U” identity, ASU added to its nation-leading total of all-time MLB Draft picks by having nine players selected, all within the first 10 rounds.
Off the field, the signs of renewed energy were just as visible. Fan engagement surged throughout the season. ASU set a program opening-weekend attendance record in February 2025, drawing 10,570 fans for a series against Ohio State. In April, the Sun Devils sold out Phoenix Municipal Stadium with 7,084 fans for a single game against Arizona, the largest crowd since the program’s return to the venue.
Those numbers mattered.
“We set attendance records last year, both complete season attendance and single-game attendance,” Bloomquist stated. “That momentum has been huge.”
The renewed interest signaled something ASU leadership could see clearly: the program was reconnecting with its fan base. Combined with the return to postseason play, it offered tangible evidence that Bloomquist’s approach was gaining traction.
That momentum carried into the offseason.
ASU retained key contributors from its 2025 roster, including junior left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon, the Sun Devils’ lights-out bullpen anchor, and sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston, a rising hitting phenom, with both earning All-Big 12 first-team honors. The Sun Devils also assembled one of Bloomquist’s most complete rosters through the transfer portal, landing the No. 13 portal class nationally, according to D1Baseball.
The group was led by several Baseball America top-100 transfers, including former Cal shortstop PJ Moutzouridis, who came nearly as part of a package with former Cal first baseman Dominic Smaldino, former UNLV outfielder and 2025 Mountain West Co-Player of the Year Dean Toigo, and former TCU right-hander Kole Klecker.
Even that does not capture the full picture, as ASU welcomed 17 newcomers in total, each with a legitimate opportunity to make an impact. The influx represented a shift from previous seasons, when ASU often finished second in recruiting battles.
“We’re not finishing second place in a lot of these recruiting battles anymore,” Bloomquist added. “Guys are noticing what we’re doing, how we’re developing players, and now guys are wanting to come here.”
The administration supported that push with increased institutional investment. As part of the extension, ASU adjusted Bloomquist’s contract incentives and committed to expanding resources within the baseball program. The Sun Devils now fund the full allotment of 34 scholarships, the NCAA maximum.
“That, combined with the amount of scholarships we’ve been given from administration, Dr. Crow and Graham have teed us up pretty nicely,” Bloomquist noted. “Being able to use that in recruiting helps these guys get here.”
The extension itself is modest by design. Rather than a sweeping long-term commitment, the two-year deal provides continuity while maintaining expectations. It offers Bloomquist stability while continuing to shape the program without insulating him from accountability.
For Bloomquist, the confidence resonated personally.
“I have more energy and excitement now than I did on the first day I took this job,” he added. “I’m a Sun Devil through and through. I love it here. I want what’s best for this program, and we’ll continue to keep grinding.”
Internally, the tone has shifted from rebuilding to competing.
Bloomquist described a roster defined by depth and competition, noting that quality players will be left on the bench by design.
“There’s going to be some really good players sitting by me that aren’t used to sitting,” he stated. “That’s all by design. We need depth. We need competitiveness.”
That competition has already surfaced this offseason, even spilling over during the Maroon and Gold World Series, when tensions boiled over into on-field scuffles.
“I don’t encourage our guys throwing hands,” Bloomquist noted. “But I love the intensity. I love how they’re getting after it.”
The episode, he said, resonated with recruits.
“We had two top-50 recruits here that day,” Bloomquist stated. “Both of them committed that night because they loved the intensity.”
On the field, the pitching staff remains a central focus. While starting roles are still being sorted and the rotation lacks a clear frontrunner after losing heavy lifters like Ben Jacobs and Jack Martinez, Bloomquist expressed confidence in the group’s depth and development.
He highlighted returners such as Carlon, junior right-handers Josh Butler and Wyatt Halvorson, along with transfers and recovering arms like fellow junior right-handed pitcher Colin Linder.
“I’m very confident we have enough arms to navigate through games and get 27 outs,” Bloomquist noted. “I would love to define those roles, but I’m confident somebody’s going to step up.”
The Sun Devils will be tested immediately. Five of the preseason top-25 teams appear on ASU’s schedule, including three in an early-season weekend in Arlington. Conference play opens with TCU, a projected Big 12 favorite.
“We scheduled very tough,” Bloomquist added. “We’re not going to back down from anybody. We’re going to take every challenge head-on.”
That mindset reflects where ASU believes it stands. The extension does not erase the uneven results of Bloomquist’s first three seasons, nor does it guarantee national relevance. Instead, it aligns the program around the idea that sustained success is built incrementally.
“We haven’t put another banner on the wall yet,” Bloomquist noted. “But we’ve withstood the storm.”
For Rossini and ASU, the decision signals confidence that last season was not an outlier but a foundation. The administration saw growth in attendance, recruiting, player development, and competitive relevance, even before postseason wins fully followed.
“I’m extremely excited that they want to keep me around,” Bloomquist added. “As long as it’s great for the program, I’ll keep giving everything I’ve got for this place.”
