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Baseball secures series victory over Houston, finishes regular season

Landon Hairston tied the school record for most home runs in a season as the Sun Devils won their fifth road series of the season.

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Baseball secures series victory over Houston, finishes regular seasonBaseball secures series victory over Houston, finishes regular season
Erin Powers

Landon Hairston hit his 27th home run of the season, tying him for most in a single season in school history.

Box Score

HOUSTON – No. 22 Sun Devil Baseball secured its fifth road series win of the season with an 8-3 victory on Saturday at Houston, closing the book on the 2026 regular season. 

Arizona State (36-18, 19-11 Big 12) picked up its sixth rubber match victory, highlighted by Landon Hairston’s 27th home run of the season, which extended the Sun Devils’ lead in the fifth inning. The two-run shot now tied Hairston with Mitch Jones (2000) for the most home runs in a single season in ASU history. 

The Sun Devils went undefeated in road series over the course of the 2026 season, going 5-0 in all its Big 12 road treks. It marked the first time ASU went undefeated in conference road series for a season since it was 4-0 in the 1982 campaign. 

Jaden Alba got the start for the Sun Devils, delivering a career-best 5.2 innings of one-run baseball in place of the scratched Kole Klecker. The junior struck out seven and earned the win in the Herculean effort. After allowing a run in the first inning, Alba settled in to shut down the Houston offense and give the Sun Devil bats a chance to wake up.

Arizona State got on the board in the fourth inning with an RBI-single from Austen Roellig, took the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Nu’u Contrades, and broke it open in the sixth with a four-spot. PJ Moutzouridis brought in two and Hairston followed it up with his historic blast. 

Runs in the seventh and ninth extended ASU’s lead and effectively put the game out of reach, as the duo of Taylor Penn and Derek Schaefer came out of the bullpen and delivered 3.1 innings in relief. Penn faced the minimum over his 2.1 innings, allowing only one baserunner. 

With the win, the Sun Devils finished the regular season tied with UCF for third in the Big 12. ASU holds the tiebreaker over the Knights after taking the series between the two teams in Orlando a few weeks ago, and will be the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament next week. 

Turning point
The Sun Devils faced some more adversity on the mound - a theme of the weekend - with Jaden Alba having to be penciled in for a last-minute start with slated starter Kole Klecker out with an illness. After having to pitch out of order with the Thursday through Saturday series and having things exacerbated with ace Cole Carlon’s second inning last night, ASU was in desperate need of someone to step up in a pivotal game and they got it in the form of Alba. The junior went a career-best 5.2 innings and allowed just one run while striking out seven and walking just one and scattering five hits. One of those hits came on the first batter of the game while two others came in the sixth in Alba’s final inning as he absolutely shut down the UH offense in innings two through five to set ASU up for victory.

Big moment
That sixth inning marked the most pivotal inning of the game as ASU was clinging to a slim 2-1 advantage and had a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs. Having struggled mightily the last two weeks in that exact scenario, the Sun Devils finally broke through as PJ Moutzouridis lined a single down the first base line past the shifted first baseman to bring both runners across and make it a 4-1 game. That set the table for Hairston’s historic blast as he did not miss on a 2-1 pitch, lifting it onto the street in right field for his 27th homer of the season to tie the single season school record with a two-run shot that made it 6-1 and allowed ASU to exhale down the stretch.

Final straw
Brody Briggs notched a two-out RBI double in the seventh and Dominic Smaldino recorded his 15th of the season on the first pitch of the ninth inning to keep stacking runs and make it an 8-1 game. Taylor Penn mowed down seven batters in his 2.1 innings on just 18 total pitches with the only blemish on his stat line coming on a leadoff walk in the eighth which Briggs wiped off the board attempting to steal second anyways as the Sun Devils didn’t need any late theatrics in this one. 

The big number
7 - The Sun Devils recorded seven hits with a runner on base and four hits with a runner in scoring position after going 1-for-11 with runners on base yesterday and 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Arizona State was 7-for-15 with two outs today after going 1-for-9 in the category yesterday. 

vsHouston-3-20260516-EJ-23Sun Devil Baseball's Jaden Alba pitches against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
vsHouston-3-20260516-EJ-30Sun Devil Baseball's Dominic Smaldino stands in the infield against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
WEFRGEBCFP7259Sun Devil Baseball's Matt Polk scores against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
vsHouston-3-20260516-EJ-36Sun Devil Baseball's Jaden Alba pitches against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
vsHouston-3-20260516-EJ-38Sun Devil Baseball's Brody Briggs runs to first base against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
WEFRGEBCFP7344Sun Devil Baseball's Landon Hairston hits his 27th home run of the season against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
WEFRGEBCFP7219Sun Devil Baseball's PJ Moutzouridis doubles against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
vsHouston-3-20260516-EJ-25Sun Devil Baseball's Austen Roellig bats against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
WEFRGEBP6141Sun Devil Baseball's PJ Moutzouridis throws across the infield against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.
vsHouston-3-20260516-EJ-41Sun Devil Baseball's Nu'u Contrades bats against Houston in their 8-3 win on March 16, 2026.

Notables

  • ASU has scored multiple runs in 98 of its 175 half-innings with runs this season. ASU has 56 innings with at least three runs scored, 30 with at least four and 23 with at least five.
  • Landon Hairston extended his reached base streak to 37 consecutive games with his third inning single.
  • Hairston made history in the fifth, opening the game up with his 27th home run of the season to tie Mitch Jones’ 2000 single season school record. 
  • Jaden Alba went a career-high 5.2 innings in a spot start with Klecker out due to illness.
  • The Sun Devils mustered their sixth rubber match victory of the season on Saturday and improved to 6-1 in the category this season and 11-2 over the last two seasons. 
  • The victory marked ASU’s fourth ROAD rubber match win of the year - the most of any team in the nation.
  • The Sun Devils went undefeated in road series over the course of the 2026 season, going 5-0 in the overall weekend series in its Big 12 road treks. It marked the first time ASU went undefeated in a conference road series for a season since it was 4-0 in the 1982 campaign. 
  • The victory marked ASU’s 11th series win of the season, finishing at 11-2 - its most since the 2021 season. Entering the weekend only UCLA, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia had won 11 weekend series this season among Power Conference teams. 
  • Arizona State is one of just four Power Conference teams in the nation to win at least 16 conference games over EACH of the last four seasons (Arkansas, Oregon, USC). ASU is the only of those four to win an increasing amount each season (16, 17, 18 and now 19). here are just 26 overall teams in the country from all conferences to win 16+ over the last four seasons (over 300 D1 teams)
  • ASU is one of just nine Power Conference teams to win at least 70 conference games over the last four seasons (Arkansas, UNC, Oregon, Texas, West Virginia, USC, Georgia Tech, UCLA).

    Up next
    The Sun Devils will turn their attention to the Big 12 Tournament, which kicks off next week at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. As the No. 3 seed, Arizona State will receive the double-bye and face the No. 6 seed Cincinnati on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. MST, but delays are expected with ASU's game being the final one of the day. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU and available over Valley airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM. 

Fans can purchase tickets here. Tickets are sold by session, with ASU's game being on Thursday, Session 4.  

Sun Devil Baseball on social
Get an inside look at the Sun Devil Baseball program by following their Instagram (@asu_baseball), X (@ASU_Baseball), and Facebook (facebook.com/SunDevilBaseball) accounts. For the latest information on Sun Devil Baseball, visit sundevils.com/sports/mens/baseball.

Inning by inning
First inning
The Sun Devils went down in order in the first. Houston led off with a double, scoring the run on a groundout and sac fly. Alba picked up his first strikeout to keep it a 1-0 game. 

Second inning
The Sun Devils went down in order for a second consecutive inning. UH recorded a pair of one-out singles but the Sun Devils got out of it with a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to keep it 1-0.

Third inning
Briggs reached on a one-out walk for ASU’s first baserunner of the day and Hairston recorded ASU’s first hit with two outs. Contrades singled to right but the Devils were too aggressive in sending Briggs home as he was easily thrown out at the dish to keep it a 1-0 lead. Alba kept the momentum from shifting on that play with a smooth 1-2-3 frame. 

Fourth inning
Toigo skipped one off the first base bag for a leadoff double and stole third with one out. Roellig chopped an infield single up the middle to score him and tie things at 1-1 but ASU could do no damage beyond that. UH drew a one-out walk and Contrades made an incredible diving play to keep that runner from going first to third and having runners on the corners with one out. Alba’s fifth punchout stranded the runner in scoring position and kept it tied.

Fifth inning
Briggs walked for the second time to lead off the frame and that chased the Houston starter. Moutzouridis sac bunted him into scoring position. Briggs took third on a wild pitch and Hairston walked to put runners on the corners with one out and Contrades put ASU on top with a sac fly. Toigo was hit by a pitch but ASU couldn’t add to its lead. Alba set the bottom of the UH lineup down in order, tacking on two more strikeouts to keep it a 2-1 ASU advantage. 

Sixth inning
Roellig singled through the left side to lead off the inning and Polk was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs and Myers sac bunted both into scoring position. After ASU failed to tag up and score on a flyout to right, Moutzouridis saved the day by lining a two-RBI single down the opposite right field line past the shifted first baseman to plate both runners and give ASU a 4-1 lead. Hairston followed that immediately with his historic 27th homer of the season to open the game up and make it a 6-1 game. ASU kept the pressure on with back-to-back singles from Contrades (on the ninth pitch of his AB) and Toigo but ASU couldn’t extend the lead. Houston notched a one-out double and single but Alba issued a flyout to end his day, handing the rock off to Penn. Smaldino made a nice play at first for the final out to keep ASU on top, 6-1.

Seventh inning
Polk wore a pitch for the second consecutive inning to get on base with one out and Myers walked to put two on but Polk was picked off at second. Briggs salvaged the frame by ripping a double down the right field line to score Myers and make it a 7-1 game. Hairston made a sliding catch in center to open the frame defensively and Penn worked a clean 1-2-3 frame, including a slick defensive play himself. 

Eighth inning
The Devils went down in order and Penn worked around a leadoff walk by facing the minimum with Briggs helping the cause by throwing out a runner in the process. 

Ninth inning
Smaldino launched the first pitch of the ninth far enough that the left fielder didn’t even give it a token jog to make it an 8-1 game as ASU put up a run for the fifth time over the final five innings. Houston didn’t go quietly, scoring on a wild pitch with one out after a leadoff HBP and double and another on a line-drive single just off Moutzouridis’ glove but Schaefer stranded two runners in scoring position and notched the final out on a strikeout to seal the deal. 

Quotables

Outfielder Landon Hairston
On having success at the plate all season
"Just sticking with it every day and not trying to do too much. There’s been times where I’ve tried to do too much in the past in my career, so just staying confident in what I’m doing and going out there every day and competing.”

On facing the Houston bullpen
"We’re just up there looking for a good pitch to hit and driving it. This is a do or die game for us, and the guys showed up today. So I’m very proud of this team.”

On ASU’s potent offense
"Dangerous. We can go out and play our game every day. I don’t think there’s a team in the country that can hang with us. So we go out there every day and compete and give it all we got, and the results will happen.”

On how the team is going to get ready for the Big 12 Tournament
"Just go back home and rest, kind of reflect on how things went this weekend, and attack it the same way we do always.”

Season Home Run Tracker (104)

Season/Career details with video from all ASU's home runs this season

Season, 27 | Career, 31

May 16 at Houston (Sixth inning, 365 feet to right field)

May 15 at Houston (First inning, 389 feet to right field)

April 22 vs. New Mexico State (Fourth inning, 403 feet to right field)

April 22 vs. New Mexico State (First inning, 435 feet to right field)

April 12 vs. Utah (Fifth inning, 339 feet to right field)

April 11 vs. Utah (Eighth inning, 429 feet to right field)


April 11 vs. Utah (Fourth inning, 405 feet to right field)

 


April 10 vs. Utah (Fifth inning, 398 feet to right field)

 


April 7 at GCU (Seventh inning, 397 feet to center field)

 

April 4 at Arizona (Third inning, 403 feet to center field)

March 30 vs. San Diego St. (Seventh inning, 420 feet to right field)

March 30 vs. San Diego St. (Fifth inning, 416 feet to right field)

March 29 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (First inning, 404 feet to center field)

March 28 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (Fifth inning, 405 feet to right field)


March 27 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (Fourth inning, 403 feet to right field)

March 27 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (First inning, 411 feet to left field)

March 25 vs. New Mexico State (Seventh inning, 409 feet to left field)


March 21 at Kansas State (Second inning, 385 feet to right field)

 

March 20 at Kansas State (Eighth inning, 401 feet to right center)

 

March 15 vs. No. 17 TCU (Fourth inning, 420 feet to left center)

March 14 vs. No. 17 TCU (Third inning; 413 FT to left field)

 

March 10 vs. Arizona (Fourth inning; 419 FT to left field)

 

March 8 vs. LMU (Fourth inning; 369 FT to left field)

 

March 7 vs. LMU (Seventh inning; 461 FT to right center)

 

Feb. 24 vs. No. 14 Oklahoma (Third inning; 386 FT to right center)

 

Feb. 24 vs. No. 14 Oklahoma (Second inning; 432 FT to right center)

 

Feb. 17 vs. UConn (Fifth inning; 413 FT to right field)

Season, 17 | Career, 32

May 15 at Houston (First inning, 410 feet to left field)

May 15 at Houston (First inning, 414 feet to left field)

May 9 vs. Oklahoma State (Eighth inning; 427 FT to left field)

May 3 vs. UCF (First inning; 390 FT to left field)

April 25 vs. Baylor (Third inning; 405 FT to right center field)

April 24 vs. Baylor (Seventh inning; 386 FT to right field)

 April 13 vs. Arizona (Eighth inning; 399 FT to left field)


April 12 vs. Utah (First inning; 424 FT to left field)

 

April 11 vs. Utah (Eighth inning; 420 FT to center field)


March 27 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (Fifth inning; 371 FT to right field)

March 27 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (Fourth inning; 440 FT to left field)

March 25 vs. New Mexico State (First inning; 455 FT to left field)


March 6 vs. LMU (Fourth inning; 410 FT to down left line)

 

Feb. 24 at No. 13 Oklahoma (Second inning; 408 FT to down left line)

Feb. 20 vs. St John's (Fifth inning; 400 FT to left center)

Feb. 17 vs. UConn (Fourth inning; 420 FT to center)

Feb. 14 vs. St. John's (Third inning; 366 FT to left center)

Season, 16 | Career, 34 (DI only)

April 24 vs. Baylor (First Inning, 433 FT to right field)

April 22 vs. New Mexico State (Ninth Inning, 417 FT to center field)

April 12 vs. Utah (First Inning, 422 FT to right field)

April 7 at GCU (Third Inning, 353 FT to right field)

March 29 vs. No. 17 West Virginia (Ninth Inning, 400 FT to right field)

March 21 at Kansas State (Ninth inning; 387 FT to left center)

March 21 at Kansas State (First inning; 417 FT to right center)

March 17 vs. GCU (Sixth inning; 421 FT to right center)

March 15 vs. #17 TCU (Eighth inning; 410 FT to center)

March 14 vs. #17 TCU (Sixth inning; 400 FT to left center)

March 10 vs. Arizona (Fourth inning; 398 FT to right center)

March 8 vs. LMU (First inning; 451 FT to right field)

March 7 vs. LMU (Second inning; 415 FT to right field)

 

Feb. 20 vs. St. John's (First inning; 429 FT to right field)

Feb. 15 vs. Omaha (Sixth inning; 380 FT to right field)

Feb. 14 vs. Omaha (Sixth inning; 362 FT to right field)

Season, 15 | Career, 29

May 16 at Houston (Ninth inning; 412 FT to left field)

May 10 vs. Oklahoma State (Eighth inning; 389 FT to left field)

May 10 vs. Oklahoma State (Fifth inning; 434 FT to center field)

May 10 vs. Oklahoma State (Third inning; 369 FT to left field)

 

May 9 vs. Oklahoma State (Second inning; 374 FT to right field)

May 9 vs. Oklahoma State (Second inning; 411 FT to right field)

April 26 vs. Baylor (Eighth inning; 438 FT to center field)


April 24 vs. Baylor (First inning; 452 FT to left field)

April 22 vs. New Mexico State (Third inning; 424 FT to left field)

April 7 at GCU (Third inning; 409 FT to left field)

April 4 at Arizona (Third inning; 404 FT to right center)

March 8 vs. LMU (Eighth inning; 402 FT to left center)

Feb. 27 vs. No. 4 Mississippi State (Ninth inning; 466 FT to left center)

Feb. 20 vs. St. John's (Fourth inning; 397 FT to right field)

Feb. 14 vs. Omaha (Fifth inning; 423 FT to right center)

Season, 6 | Career, 17 (DI only)

March 8 vs. LMU (Fourth inning; 348 feet to left field)

March 7 vs. LMU (Third inning; 395 feet to left field)

 

March 1 vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (Sixth inning; 378 to left field)

Feb. 27 vs. No. 4 Mississippi State (Ninth inning; 396 FT to left center)

Feb. 24 vs. No. 14 Oklahoma (Second inning; 416 FT to center field)

Feb. 17 vs. UConn (Second inning; 416 FT to center field)

Season 5 | Career, 6

April 11 vs. Utah (Fourth inning; 422 FT to center field)


April 7 at GCU (Seventh inning; 368 FT to right field)

 

April 7 at GCU (Fifth inning; 388 FT to left field)

March 17 vs. GCU (Seventh inning; 405 FT to right center field)

March 8 vs. LMU (Fifth inning; 426 FT to left field)

Season 4 | Career, 13

April 11 vs. Utah (Ninth inning; 359 FT to left field)

April 7 at GCU (Ninth inning; 337 FT to left field)

March 20 at Kansas State (Fifth inning; 376 FT to left field)

March 13 vs. TCU (First inning; 341 FT to right field)

Season 3 | Career, 13

April 16 at BYU(Seventh inning; 410 FT to center field)

March 28 vs. West Virginia (Ninth inning; 402 FT to left field)


Feb. 14 vs. Omaha (Second inning; 395 FT to right field)

Season 3 | Career, 3

April 24 vs. Baylor (Eighth inning; 405 FT to left field)

April 24 vs. Baylor (Second inning; 403 FT to left field)

March 8 vs. LMU (First inning; 353 FT to left field)

Season 3 | Career, 21

May 2 at UCF (Second inning; 398 FT to center field)

March 14 vs. No. 17 TCU (Sixth inning; 427 FT to left center field)

March 1 vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (Second inning; 381 FT to left field)

Season 2 | Career, 7

April 17 at BYU (Second inning; 401 FT to right field)

Feb. 15 vs. Omaha (Third inning; 354 FT to right field)

Season 2 | Career, 3

Apr. 26 vs. Baylor (Fifth inning; 389 FT to right field)

Feb. 17 vs. UConn (Sixth inning; 414 FT to center field)

Season 1 | Career, 1

May 10 vs. Oklahoma State (Third inning; 412 FT to right field)