PHOENIX — Up until the seventh inning on a chilly Friday night, Arizona State head coach Willie Bloomquist said he wasn’t happy with the team’s offensive performance.

“(Our) offensive approach was spotty,”  Bloomquist said. “If I’m being critical, we just swung at too many breaking balls early in the count and got ourselves out with weak contact.” 

Yet St. John's put the game on a silver platter in the seventh, loading the bases without surrendering a hit and making way for junior second baseman Nu’u Contrades. 

Unlike past seasons where the Sun Devils played down to competition, the magic of 2026 continued. Fresh into the game, Contrades made senior right-hander Conor Burns pay, launching a grand-slam to left-center field and fueling a five-run frame. 

“As a hitter, you always dream about getting the opportunity to do it,” Contrades said.

The second baseman’s grand slam – alongside a lockdown performance from junior left-hander Cole Carlon – proved consequential in ASU’s (5-0) 9-1 rout over St. John's (1-4) on Friday, Feb. 20, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Despite the big inning, Bloomquist pointed to areas of improvement like the team’s 1-9 mark with runners in scoring position. 

“I just think we got over anxious up there at times and trying to do too much,” Bloomquist said on the team’s plate approach toward Red Storm starter, junior right-hander Liam O’Leary. “End of the day, we did enough to get it done, and we'll continue to improve on where we need to improve upon. 

“We're not a finished product by any means, but these are the learning things. It's much easier to learn after a win, than it is a loss.” 

Despite strong showings in the box score, graduate right fielder Dean Toigo said he still doesn’t feel he’s fully arrived in the maroon and gold. 

“I don't feel fully like my feet are wet yet,” Toigo said. “I'm still doing decent, and we're winning, so that's all I really care about. I still think there's more room for me to grow offensively. I think the more at bats I get, the more comfortable I'm gonna get up there.”

Although Toigo said he’s a few pieces away from putting his profile together, the 2025 co-Mountain West Player of the Year blasted a 429-foot two-run home run in the first inning.  

“I was hunting fastball up, and then he just threw it where I was looking, fastball up and in, and I got it,” Toigo said. “I knew I got it pretty well.” 

Junior first baseman Dominic Smaldino joined Toigo and Contrades in the middle of the order’s home run barrage, leading off the fourth inning with a solo shot. The California transfer finished the night 3-for-4 and a triple away from the cycle. 

Smaldino said he tried to keep everything slow with his approach on Friday night. 

“We knew they were gonna throw a lot of breaking balls, just making sure I didn't speed myself up to where I was too susceptible to that, and just sticking to my process,” Smaldino said. 

On the night, the Sun Devils’ middle three — Toigo, Contrades and Smaldino — combined for three home runs, 5 of the 10 hits and eight RBI.  

“It's fun. I mean, one through nine, it's fun to watch it,” Toigo said on ASU’s lineup depth. “I feel like it makes my life easier knowing my guys are going to pick me up.”

While the middle of the lineup found its groove, Carlon kept the Red Storm bats in order on the mound. The former All-American reliever steadily integrated his changeup on Friday night, inducing his first strikeout on it. 

“(I) felt really good towards the end. Kind of felt like a little bigger part of the game,” Carlon said.

The southpaw struck out nine over six innings, setting a career high in pitches with 83 while also battling through adversity. 

In the third inning, Carlon faced a second and third situation with one out; however, the left-hander responded by striking out a pair and emotionally strutting off the mound.

“I needed to get kind of back into where I was mechanically and mentally just attacking the zone,” Carlon said.  

While focusing on his mental game in a moment of crisis, Carlon said he also knew his defense would have his back. 

One of those web gems came in the fourth, when Toigo leaped into the right field fence to rob St. John's freshman right fielder Dylan Fitzsimmons of extra bases and a run. 

“My defense that whole game was just picking me up,” Carlon said. “That was great by them.”

With a projected start next Friday, Feb. 27, against No. 4 Mississippi State on the horizon, Carlon said he’ll rest up as best as he can. 

“Just really good recovery, lots of sleep, hydrate, things like that,” Carlon said. “Still routine-wise, still going to go out and keep my same process, attack the zone and trust my stuff.

“I am looking forward to that. I'm excited.” 

As Carlon departed the mound, junior right-hander Alex Overbay picked up where his predecessor left off. 

The UNLV transfer struck out three over two innings; however, Bloomquist said his right-hander’s low pitch count keeps Overbay available for the remainder of the weekend and potentially next week’s midweek series against Oklahoma. 

“He's going to be good for us moving forward, and he's got a bright future on the mound,” Bloomquist said. “We're going to continue to look for opportunities for him to get him in games.”