PHOENIX — From the moment he arrived at Arizona State in 2023 from Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe, junior left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon knew he wanted to pitch on Friday night, even if that goal looked unrealistic at times. 

“I've always wanted to be a starter,” Carlon said. “It's kind of my goal to be a Friday night pitcher, definitely at Arizona State.”

Despite posting a 7.52 ERA as a freshman, Carlon bounced back, earning All-American honors as a relief pitcher in 2025 and receiving the coveted Friday night slot in the rotation in 2026. The left-hander enters the spotlight in the footsteps of yet another southpaw with major-league aspirations. 

“Don't take it for granted,” Carlon said on making the most of the moment. “Go out and do what I can do. You can't predict it and make everything happen exactly how you want it to be. But, just go out and control what I can control and be able to rely on my teammates.” 

While transitioning from reliever to starter, Carlon said he spent this offseason ramping up to pitch deeper into games, mixing pitches to work on both sides of the plate, and to simply trust his stuff. 

Although set to start for the first time in his college career, Carlon said his preparation won’t change.

“My process when I'm out pitching is just kind of the same for each hitter,” Carlon said. “I just have to be able to do that for longer.”

With practice comes skill, and Carlon said he’ll always have a place to turn to for those destined turbulent times on the mound.

“When you get out there, you just have to fall back to your preparation,” Carlon said. “ I think knowing that I'm going to be just as prepared as I possibly can be for each and every week is going to be a big thing.”

However, Carlon isn’t alone. A year ago, another junior left-hander sat in a very similar position.

Former Friday night starter Ben Jacobs gave Carlon valuable advice for when he takes the mound on Friday, Feb. 13, against Omaha. 

“Enjoy the moment, go out and just be myself, and don't try to do too much,” Carlon said. “I think seeing what he was able to do last year has just been really cool.”