Landon Hairston Off to Historic Start to 2026

(Photo: Aiden Longbrake/WCSN)

PHOENIX – After losing its opening conference game to then-No. 17 TCU the night before, Arizona State was in the middle of a consequential inning. The Sun Devils had gone down 1-0 early, clawed back a four-run cushion and aimed to apply the finishing touches to avoid their first series loss of the season.

Here came sophomore left-fielder Landon Hairston. The bases were loaded with Sun Devils.

On the first two pitches of his at-bat, Hairston watched as the ball crossed over the plate. As the 0-2 pitch came in, Hairston’s eyes lit up as he found the location he was looking for. When the bat made contact with the ball, he stared it down and watched as it traveled over the wall and gave the Sun Devils a 9-1 lead that would prove enough to get them to victory.

Hairston’s offensive prowess hasn’t been for just a game here and a game there. His start to the season has met, if not exceeded, the high expectations that came with being the Sun Devils’ lead-off hitter to start the season.

“He’s been outstanding,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “It kind of goes unnoticed when he only has two hits and a home run. He continues to be a staple at the top of the lineup. He’s a special kid, a special player.”

The Queen Creek native is batting .458 through his first 25 games this season, which would’ve been good enough to rank him fourth nationally, per D1Baseball.com. Not only does Hairston have a high batting average, but he is also leading the team in RBIs, home runs, hits, and doubles.

Hairston is now up to 11 home runs on the season, tied with senior right fielder Dean Toigo for the most on the team. More impressive about Hairston’s start is that he has almost tripled his home run total of four from last season.

Last season, Hairston was still a top hitter for the Sun Devils, with 65 on the year. However, many of those were either hard-hit singles or deep fly ball doubles, as Hairston was only a freshman. Now, as a sophomore, many of those deep fly balls have become home runs, and the top-level contact hitting has turned into being one of the top power hitters in the country, evidenced by him hitting the second-longest home run in Muni’s history at 460 ft.

“He continues to stick within himself,” Bloomquist said after ASU’s 10-4 win over New Mexico State. “I’ve said it time and time again. The fact that he is a year more physical and more mature than he was last year. That ball that he hit in the eighth inning is a clear image of him getting more physical.”

The Casteel High School graduate also credits some of the work with hitting coach Jason Ellison on the mechanics of his swing to his extra step up from last season.

“Getting stronger definitely helps,” Hairston said. “Getting more backspin on balls, too. I was kind of knuckling and front spinning a lot of balls last year. Trying to find that backspin consistently has played a huge role.”

Also, part of his power may be the bat he has been using. After frustrating Bloomquist by utilizing Jacob Tobias’ bat last season, Hairston claims he has been using another star Sun Devil’s bat from last season: Brandon Compton. While Bloomquist may not have loved the decision last year, Hairston’s performances this season may have won him over.

Along with his power hitting, Hairston has been one of the clutchest hitters for ASU. Whether it was his game-winning home run on the road against Kansas State or taking walks at the right time to keep an inning alive, Hairston has continued to show why Bloomquist keeps him high in the lineup.

The sophomore also leads the team in walks with 15 on the season. He has struck out as many times as he has hit the leather out of the park, with just 11 punch-outs on the season. Bloomquist said he believes it is a sign of even more growth from Hairston as a more rounded batter.

“That’s one of the things that makes him a special hitter,” Bloomquist said. “His plate discipline is off the charts. He doesn’t chase off the plate very often. He’s very good at saying that was just off. His plate discipline and his knowledge at the plate make him a complete hitter.”

Whether it was adding strength or just being a year more experienced, Hairston has gone from a promising young outfielder to one of college baseball’s elite hitters. As the Sun Devils face a highly ranked opponent in No. 17 West Virginia this weekend, they will hope their star hitter will continue his historic start.