Led by former Major Leaguer Willie Bloomquist, the Arizona State Sun Devils were one of the most formidable offensive units in Division I last season. That group helped lead ASU to a Regional berth, although the school couldn’t get past Ole Miss in Lincoln. Now, the school will look for better with a different look.
The Returnees
Aside from Daniel Jackson from Georgia, there was perhaps no hitter more intimidating to college pitchers last season than Landon Hairston.
Landon, whose father, Scott Hairston, hit well in the Majors for the better part of a decade, is poised to extend his family’s lengthy baseball legacy at the pro level. Hairston hit .400 with 28 home runs in the season, part of what was a very deep Sun Devils offense in 2026.
Dominic Smaldino hit 18 home runs as a junior in 2026. He’s back, as is journeyman Austen Roellig, who batted over .300 for ASU last season. Catcher Brody Briggs, outfielder Sam Myers, and infielder Finn Leach came back, too.
As for the pitching staff, Cole Carlon is gone, as is a bunch of other names.
Perhaps the biggest name on the 2027 pitching staff is Eli Buxton, who struck out 28 over 17 innings in a relief role for ASU. Buxton was a notable recruit alongside Hairston two years ago, and as noted in our preview of Cotuit in the Cape Cod League, he has a booming fastball with carry that was running into the mid-90s.
This past summer in the Cape Cod League, Buxton had a Whiff% just a tick over 39%, which put him third on the list among CCBL pitchers with 125+ induced swings.
Taylor Penn, who started four games but worked mostly as a reliever, is also back for his junior season. Penn struck out 50 over 47 innings in 2026. He doesn’t have the big, booming fastball but does have a lot of weapons to work with.
Austin Musso and Easton Barrett are also back for a pitching staff that will look very different in 2027.
The Newcomers
The Sun Devils’ pitching staff last season was filled with juniors and seniors. Cole Carlon, Kole Klecker, Jaden Alba, Colin Linder, Alex Overbay, and Colby Guy were all pitchers who logged a combined amount of significant innings. All are gone for 2027.
Plus, Finn Edwards, a sophomore last year who pitched well, transferred to Georgia over the summer.
Speaking of Georgia, the Sun Devils picked up two pitchers from Georgia in that portal. One was Dylan Wood, a sophomore who didn’t pitch much with UGA but performed when on the mound. Wood struck out seven over 4.2 IP. However, he walked nine.
The other was senior Luke Wiltrakis, who saw just three innings of work out of the bullpen last season.
Jett Wright, like Wood, was a mixed bag. Joining ASU from California, the sophomore walked 19 but struck out 17 over 17 innings.
Arizona State plucked some talent from the Big 10. Now-junior outfielder Jackson Hotchkiss was, arguably, the best hitter with Washington last season. Hotchkiss hit a team-high 19 home runs, and also led the club with 62 hits.
Joey McMannis did not pitch for Maryland in 2026 but was one of many pitchers to leave the Terrapins program after last season. As a freshman, McMannis struck out 31 over 40 innings two years ago.
David Hogg II was originally on the 2026 Kansas roster. However, the former LSU infielder wound up not suiting up for the Jayhawks last year. Hogg II bounced between LSU and Grayson College in his first two collegiate campaigns.
Additionally, there are 10 new freshmen on the 2027 Arizona State roster. Jet Berry can run and hit, and will join the many infielders on the ASU roster. Evan O’Connor, a left-hander, was able to work his fastball into the 93-94 MPH range during his high school days.
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