‘We Have Tremendous History That’ll Never Go Away.’ How ASU’s Past Success May Lead to a winning future

TEMPE – As Arizona State gets ready to kick off its 2026 season, it finds itself in a very different situation than it was just 15 years prior. Following their 2010 College World Series appearance, the Sun Devils were looked at as a national contender and a top place to go for recruits.

Now, ASU has entered a new era of college athletics. In today’s game, college athletes are openly paid, and money has become an imperative part of their recruitment. As evidenced by football head coach Kenny Dillingham’s consistent pleas for external financial aid, Sun Devil Athletics is far from an advantageous position when it comes to NIL deals.. 

“We don’t always have the most money,” pitching coach Jeremy Accardo said. “We don’t have the best way to get all these guys and pay them. We lose a lot of guys to a lot of coin being thrown at them. What we do is we take the ones they mess up and try to make them better.”

With ASU’s lack of funds, its pitch to recruits differs from other elite programs such as Texas, Texas A&M or even UCLA. The Sun Devils can lead with a rich history that includes five national titles, fourth-most in the country, along with five national runner-ups.

“We’re in a whole different era,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said, “We have tremendous history that’ll never go away. The expectations are always going to be there. But the facts are, we’re in a different era. We’re playing under different rules. We’re playing under transfer and NIL rules.”

The Sun Devils’ coaching staff brings with it a plethora of success and professional experience in big-time moments. Bloomquist was a part of the 1998 runner-up team before moving on to the big leagues and playing for 13 years. Accardo pitched for seven years professionally before coming to ASU to coach its pitching staff.

“We’re selling ourselves,” Accardo said, “We’re selling the program and what we’re trying to do and how we’re going to build it. All of these things we can look at ourselves first, and that’s probably the best way to land the next guy.”

The Sun Devils lead the country in total number of draft picks all time in the MLB, with 486 selections, with a range of Hall of Famers among them. Whether it’s Reggie Jackson, Dustin Pedroia, or even MLB’S home run king, Barry Bonds. 

Players like Bonds even led to the Sun Devils getting their most recent big-name star, former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson. 

“It was really easy for me [to come to ASU],” Torkelson said. “I didn’t really have a college program growing up. I knew I was going to have an opportunity to maybe play college baseball. I was a big Barry Bonds and San Francisco Giants fan growing up. So, I was like, where did Barry Bonds go to school? Someone said he went to Arizona State, and I said that’s where I want to go.” 

For this year’s team, Torkelson joins the list of Sun Devil legends whom coaches can point to as a true possibility for incoming players. With his second straight appearance at ASU baseball’s Celebrity Softball Game, Torkelson has made a point to stick around the Sun Devil program and help out in any way he can.

“Just getting these guys back and continuing to be a part of our program,” Bloomquist said, “The names go on and on of people who have played here and are recognizable household names. Trying to keep those guys engaged in our program and understand the importance that they have by being around here.” 

While players such as Torkelson represent the dream of playing at a top level, the geographical location of ASU presents an achievable and logistical way to develop players into big league prospects. 

The Phoenix area is home to both the Arizona Fall League and the Arizona Complex League. The two leagues combine for 17 teams and are directly affiliated with Major League Baseball. 

 

“I think when we’re recruiting pitchers, they understand the importance of the exposure that the Phoenix area provides for them,” recruiting coordinator Sam Peraza said. “With all the minor league baseball facilities that are here, all the general managers that are here. Sometimes a guy like Christian Curtis, who was here, had a high ERA, and now he’s knocking on the door of the big leagues.”

The Sun Devils have always been considered a top program in the country. However, with the changing rules, their recent success hasn’t been as large. If ASU is to return to its form as a national powerhouse, it will likely have to look to its past successes and professional players in order to do so.

“[Coming to ASU] was the best decision I ever made,” Torkelson said. “So, I’m sure it’ll be the same for a lot of guys.”

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