The Sun Devils struggled to drive up the pitch count of opposing pitchers, not taking advantage of pitches left up in the zone and swinging at balls in advantageous hitters' counts.

Heroics in the later innings saved ASU from potential disaster on both evenings, but Bloomquist said he wanted to see a full offensive performance without the slow start.

The Sun Devils (11-4) picked up 23 hits en route to a 29-4 win over Loyola Marymount University (5-13) on Sunday, March 8, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The offensive explosion came courtesy of a more relaxed offensive approach, as ASU put smoother swings on the ball, something Bloomquist has preached, as he tries to pull his squad away from falling in love with home runs.

“When you try to hit homers, they don’t happen,” Bloomquist said. “When you stick with an approach and stay disciplined to it, it’s fun to watch.”

While six Sun Devils hit home runs, including a grand slam by sophomore first baseman Landon Hairston in the fourth inning, bat-to-ball skills and overall contact were the focus.

Bloomquist had everyone bought into his approach, as 15 of the 16 Sun Devil hitters who took an at-bat recorded at least one hit.

Sophomore third baseman Austen Roellig led the way with four knocks, but his entrance to the game came in sour circumstances, pinch-running for junior second-baseman Nu’u Contrades, who appeared to pull a hamstring after an RBI double in the first inning.

Contrades left the game with members of the training staff immediately, and Bloomquist had a lot to say about his potential absence.

“I wasn’t celebrating too much as that game was going on,” Bloomquist said. “Knowing that we were down a big horse here for a little bit.”

The junior has been one of ASU’s most consistent bats all season, creating a big hole that Roellig and many others will have to step into while Contrades recovers. 

Luckily for the Sun Devils, they ran up the score so quickly that many players who don’t normally see the starting lineup were able to get extended playing time, providing a tryout of sorts for who might see more at-bats in their star player's absence.

Freshman second baseman Finn Leach entered the game in the sixth inning, putting up a 2-for-2 day himself in his first real chunk of playing time all season.

“Hey man, you’re going to have to get ready,” Bloomquist said of Leach. “You’re going to have to grow up quick.”

Leach looked the part on Sunday afternoon, and while he’s projected to be a key part of ASU’s future, his time looks to be coming sooner than anticipated.

While the bats were hot once again, the Sun Devils were also the beneficiary of LMU’s lack of command, as 11 walks and five hit-by-pitches gave them 16 free passes, clogging the bases and making any mistake left in the zone hurt just a little bit more.

On the other hand, ASU’s pitching staff limited baserunners, giving up only one free pass total — a walk by senior right-handed pitcher Kole Klecker, who took the mound for his first weekend start of the season.

Klecker put together an efficient performance, throwing four innings of three-run ball, giving up six hits and striking out three on only 59 pitches.

The bullpen also got some much-needed work in, as six pitchers combined for the final five innings, none of which giving up an earned run.

“It was good to get those guys out there and in competition again,” Bloomquist said.

After completing the sweep and securing a huge bounce-back series, ASU’s road gets a little tougher.

In-state rival Arizona heads north to visit the Sun Devils on Tuesday, March. 10, before a weekend tilt with No. 17 TCU headlines the beginning of conference play.

While the series against another ranked team looms large, there is something about the rivalry game that just means a little bit more.

“It matters to a lot of people, not just you guys (the team),” Bloomquist said. “That’s not pressure, that’s just reality.