TUCSON, Ariz. – Entering Thursday, it had been over two years since No. 25 Arizona State baseball won a game in Tucson, the home of the program’s biggest rival, Arizona.

747 days after its last victory, ASU took the long drive down the I-10, motivated to end its drought and take advantage of a scuffling Wildcats team.

While the rosters, of course, look different from years prior, the deciding factor in the Sun Devils' first win at Hi Corbett Field since 2024 was none other than scorching hot sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston.

Hairston put together another eye-opening stat line, going 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI and propelling ASU (22-8, 7-4 Big 12) to a win over Arizona (9-20, 2-9 Big 12) on Thursday, April 2. The slugger was a home run away from the cycle, snapping his five-game homer streak, but still finding a way to be the biggest offensive storyline of the night.

“It’s unreal,” junior second baseman Nu’u Contrades said. “It’s really special to watch, I’m super happy for him.”

While Hairston continued to cement himself as one of the top players in college baseball, even earning a spot on the Golden Spikes mid-season watch list, it was Contrades who found himself at the plate for a crunch time at bat in the seventh inning.

With runners on first and second with one out and a 4-3 lead, Contrades fought back after being down 0-2 in the count, ripping a double over the third baseman’s head and down the left field line, scoring both runners and providing his team with pivotal insurance runs.

“I chased a couple below the zone early in the at-bat,” he said. “I had an idea he was going to try and do it again, so I made an adjustment, moved up in the box, and put my best swing on it.”

Contrades was part of the four Sun Devil hitters at the top of the lineup that carried the load on offense, as the one through four spots in the order combined for nine of ASU’s 12 hits.

Though the double-digit hit total itself is a fairly common thing to observe in the box score of a Sun Devil baseball game, the usual power that comes with the knocks didn’t make the trip down to Tucson.

ASU played small-ball effectively in the contest, not hitting a home run for the first time in six games but using seven singles and two sacrifice flies to take down the Wildcats with one thousand cuts.

While putting together rallies with timely hitting is one thing, taking advantage of them and bringing in runs is what wins teams games in the end.

The Sun Devils' offense did just enough to make that happen with their approach, but their pitching was also instrumental in the win, as they kept Arizona off the board in multiple innings where the Wildcats were threatening a crooked number.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Penn started the game, going four innings and only giving up two runs, working out of multiple jams that could’ve ended his evening and potentially his team’s chances at a win early.

The bullpen followed suit, as senior left-hander Sean Fitzpatrick got five huge outs in the seventh and eighth innings, stranding runners not only credited to him, but also junior reliever Alex Overbay.

“Even when situations are not ideal,” Fitzpatrick said, “just competing, understanding, and trusting your stuff is important.”

After Fitzpatrick’s departure, junior right-hander Derek Schaefer entered to close out the game.

While the tying run moved into scoring position with two outs, Schaefer fooled senior pinch-hitter Dom Rodriguez with a curveball that crossed into the opposite batter's box, ending the game and igniting an emotional reaction on the mound.

Schaefer’s celebratory flex and scream proved that this wasn’t just any other April baseball game.

This game and the series as a whole just mean more.

747 days later, ASU now looks to start a new streak, this one a little different, against its biggest rival, with junior southpaw Cole Carlon taking the mound for his regular Friday night outing.

For head coach Willie Bloomquist, Carlon is exactly who he wants on the mound with a chance to win the series, one that is different from any other.

“This matters to a lot of people,” Bloomquist said. “It’s important our guys come and perform well.”