PHOENIX – While the feeling of love lingered in the stands at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, so did the Arizona State players’ delight for playing in gorgeous weather. 

“Last night was cold and windy, so balls were not leaving the yard,” graduate designated hitter Matt Polk said. “But today, we stuck with the same approach, and we were blessed a bit more with the conditions.”

The Sun Devils (2-0) slugged their way to an 11-5 victory over the University of Omaha (0-2) on Saturday, Feb. 14, thanks to four home runs that accounted for seven of the eleven total runs scored. The floodgates opened in the third inning after junior second baseman Nu’u Contrades launched a grand slam, extending the Sun Devil lead to 6-1.

While the crowd erupted after the ball left the yard, a previous heads-up decision set the stage for the grand slam.

Earlier in the inning, sophomore third baseman Beckett Zavorek stood at the dish with runners on first and second and no outs. 

Instead of trying to hit a ball into the gap, Zavorek squared around to bunt, drawing Omaha graduate third baseman Henry Zipay in. 

Zavorek noticed this and pulled back, allowing each runner to advance without needing to bunt.

“Those little things are helpful for us winning games,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “If we can continue to stretch and get free 90 feet, it makes the difference in a lot of ball games.”

In a similar heads-up fashion, sophomore catcher Coen Niclai backpicked to first after detecting an opportunistic lead. 

“We talked about it yesterday and before the game today about watching a guy on first or second,” junior first baseman Dominic Smaldino said. “Those plays are really big momentum shifters and can really get a team going.”

Although ASU did the little things right, the offense left 10 men on base, squandering opportunities to put the nail in the coffin earlier in the game. 

“We had a chance to really bust it open offensively," Bloomquist said. “We came up with big hits, but we definitely had chances to put that game way out of reach.”

Out on the mound, a few weaknesses surfaced throughout the afternoon.

The pitching staff allowed six walks to Maverick hitters, creating potential breakout innings.

In the sixth inning, junior right-handed pitcher Josh Butler surrendered a leadoff walk, allowing the Mavericks to put a run on the board.

An inning later, junior right-handed pitcher Wyatt Halvorson issued a leadoff single but then got two straight outs. The Arizona native then allowed a free pass and a hit by pitch, along with throwing three wild pitches.

“We pitched ourselves into unnecessary trouble a few times,” Bloomquist said. “We weren’t as sharp as I’d like us to see.”

The Sun Devils notched their first series win of the young 2026 campaign, and while there are things to tighten up, ASU fans left the stadium with something to celebrate.

“We were a little too sloppy from top to bottom,” Bloomquist said. “But nonetheless, we secured a win.”