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The only podcast covering all things Arizona State athletics! We bleed maroon and gold, and love talking about the Sun Devils no matter what sport.
Tom Hardon (00:39)
Welcome one, welcome all to another episode of Echo from the Butes. I'm your host, Tom Harden. With me is Andrew Hazlitt. And it's unfortunate, but the Sun Devil baseball season has come to an end. ⁓ the Sun Devils did fall to Ole Miss on Sunday again in extra innings fashion to the Ole Miss Rebels, knocking the Devils out of the NCAA tournament after failing to reach the Super Regionals.
For the first time since twenty eleven. But now Andrew, I want to get your take on the overall scope of this season. Thirty-nine wins and advancing to the regional final, albeit with needing to force the Monday game to win that region. Is this a is this an improvement? Is this a big enough improvement for you? I I should ask.
Andrew Hayslett (01:37)
that's a good question and I don't think there's a right answer. I think it's it's yes and no. I th I think the team I I coming into this year I thought this team's ceiling was was a super regional appearance, which they were just off that, what which I I if you you get s couple things better happen in the regional, you make that super regional. But regardless
Yeah, it's a step in the right direction. That that that's what it is at the end of the day. It's it's a small step, you'd like him to be bigger, but as long as you're not going backwards right now, you're fine. And I I think that's that's why Willie Bloomquist will be here next season at ASU is he's you might say he's un underperforming, but he's taking steps in the right direction, albeit slow. And that's
what's important. You you're you're still making the playoffs every year and you're improving. La last year made the playoffs for the first time. Won a game in the playoffs. This year it's two ones. Alright? Next year it it should be the the the the co the next step up is the super regional appearance. So that that should be
I I d I don't wanna say Omaha's unrealistic for the Sundals. I think that's very realistic, but th the goal that d the rate of growth would say super regionals should be the goal next season. So
Tom Hardon (03:16)
I would agree with you and I think my like my baseline expectation was to get to this point to be playing for the regional final. ⁓ getting to a super regional obviously would have been much preferred, but getting you know getting one game further into the national tournament fulfills what I really wanted to see out of this team.
And let's not forget that the improvement is not just in the national tournament, but in the Big Twelve tournament. Don't forget that in 2025, the Sun Devils finished fourth or finished in fifth in the Big Twelve, having to missing out on that first round bye and getting bounced in the first game by BYU. This season, Sun Devils moved up to third place.
Andrew Hayslett (03:50)
Fair.
Tom Hardon (04:03)
Gotta win in ⁓ in the quarterfinal in their first game of tournament over Cincinnati before getting knocked out by West Virginia. So the the improvement isn't just in in the scope of the national tournament, it's in the scope of the conference tournament. And yes, it's small steps, and I know there's going to be a lot of
Frustrated voices in the fan base that are going to say, Well, why aren't we winning the conference tournament? Why aren't we getting to a super regional? This is what Arizona State baseball is known for historically. And this team, this program is not far removed from a very tumultuous 2010s decade that saw the program miss the national tournament for the first time in, I think it was about 50 years. ⁓ probably the first time, first time ever, at least in the modern era of the tournament.
And this, you know, this program is rebuilding back to the level of where Pat Murphy had this team in the 90s and the 2000s. It's it's seen its up years, it's seen its down years, and the fact that there's incremental improvement under Willie Blumquist ⁓ that speaks that speaks well to me, ⁓ speaks well to him going into the twenty twenty-seven season.
as he's set to start the first year of the contract extension that was announced earlier on this season.
Andrew Hayslett (05:34)
Yeah, I th I think there were there were definitely rumors saying Bloomquist could be fired after this this season depending on if ASU were to miss the tournament, ASU obviously made the tournament and I I think if there were was a possibility of Bloomquist g getting fired because Grammar Sini publicly said that's not gonna happen regardless of what happens
If if there were ever even was the possibility Bloomquist sh he the team performed well enough for him to save his job. At least for this season, obviously expectations are gonna be higher. ⁓ considering that we last season now in twenty twenty six is when I refer to last season. Last season was your best season.
So now 2027, gotta improve on the weaknesses. ⁓ Bullpen in particular, starting pitching and just pitching as a whole. ⁓ Pitching has improved over Bloomquist's t Bloomquist's tenure, but now it's about finding w working on getting that number of portal returns higher, especially on the pitching staff side.
Tom Hardon (06:52)
I'm glad you bring up the bullpen because while the pitching depth was a little bit questionable at times, ⁓ a number of people that I've ⁓ that I've actually heard from over the over the last week seem to have forgotten that Wyatt Halverson was lost early on in the season to Tommy John surgery. That's a big piece of your bullpen that you did not have for the bulk of the season. And needless to say, when it mattered.
This bullpen picked up the slack. You saw the the relief effort from Eli Buxton in Sunday night's game against Liz. You saw Jaden Alba go out and and throw his stellar relief outing on Friday. You see guys like Colby Guy stepping up and making spot starts with the season on the line. You know, the the depth was there. It's the consistency of that depth being able to perform. And I think that is, you know, simply
I I don't think it's really a fault of of anybody. I think it's simply situational and just just purely the fact that this team losing its big arm out of the bullpen was forced to shuffle and adjust on the fly. And sometimes that works out in your favor, sometimes it doesn't.
Andrew Hayslett (08:16)
Yeah, I I think that w we we saw that a lot with with the season is just the mismanagement of certain pieces. Alex Silverbay started off in the season in the bullpen, great move him as a starter, I think he struggled, moved him back to the bullpen, he picked it up. Taylor Penn was started off pretty strong in the bullpen, moved him to the starter, he struggled, moved him back to the bullpen, picked it up again. ⁓ you look at
Colin Linder did okay to start the year, had a s s a s bad start against Tennessee, moved him to the bullpen, he he got worse a little bit throughout the season. And but in and then we saw his start on
Sunday against Olmess. He he struggled a little bit. So it's it's interesting to see the the consistency. Colby guy who who was a who's a guy I thought was gonna be a reliever for this team and but historically was a starter, and you look at his when he was starting for this team, he performed really well and makes you wonder. Maybe he should have been a starter, but I don't I I don't know. It's it's a lot of right now looking back and say, what if this, what if
this and yeah it could've it could've been better yes I I think it could have been but how much better not significantly enough I think this team's getting past supers so that's my opinion I I I think it might have helped a little but it also could've hurt this team a little so
I I don't know, just consistency's gotta be better. ⁓ it's part of playing in Phoenix Municipal Stadium, part of college pitching as a whole. It it's g it's gonna be inconsistent, especially with Muni being a a smaller park, ⁓ gonna gonna yield home runs if you're not careful, so just just gotta get gotta get more guys. Gotta get more guys is all I can say about that.
Tom Hardon (10:20)
I I I think back to a comment that you had towards the beginning of the season. ⁓ I'm gonna paraphrase here a little bit, but I I believe you were saying something to the tune of Coach Bloomquist indicating that clearly defined roles, I mean, outside of no, outside of Cole Carlone being the Friday starter, clearly defined roles especially for the pitching staff.
weren't really going to be set at the start of the year. It was gonna be continually evaluated as the season went on. We saw that with the emergence of Cole Clecker taking taking over and anchoring down the Sunday role after getting his first couple starts in midseason games. I I think, you know, you can kind of point to that, to the consistency and guys not really knowing what their role exactly is going to be week to week. You know,
And for me at least, I I wanna know I wanna be able to look at a calendar and know, okay, Friday, Carloan's going. Saturday, overbay's going, Sunday, Clecker's going. You know, just be able to reel that off week by week and know know consistently that's what the plan of action is going to be.
Andrew Hayslett (11:30)
Yeah, absolutely. We like I looking back to the start of the year, it it did seem Clucker was gonna take a a a weekend start but spot at some point, but w we didn't know which I I I thought Easton Barrett was gonna be really good this season and he obviously didn't last as a starter. i it's like
e even in the bullpen, the the the back end pieces were supposed to be Uli Buxton and Derek Schaefer. Schaefer obviously lasted, but Buxton the wheels f largely fell off the track for him this season to an extent and and struggled. He did have a good end of season, but i it's I you can only predict so much with things early in the season. I
Things evolve, thing things don't. The emergence of Sean Fitzpatrick on this team after a a a junior season that was night and day difference to the senior season. It it was almost like watching a completely different pitcher some nights, from last year to from twenty five to twenty six. So yeah. Look moving forward I would like to see
guys set in in starting rotation. It's it's it's hard to predict as as I've said but I'll I'll wager a prediction at this point. ⁓ I'll throw out Finn Edwards and I'll throw out ⁓
Give me a second here. I'll throw out a Colin Linder is guys if they were to return could be in position to start. I think you're going to see at least one, if not two potential starters, maybe even three, come in from the portal. I don't be surprised if that happens.
Tom Hardon (13:38)
Yeah, the the portal is going to be a a very a very beneficial ad for for the Sun Devils. And that's just the nature of college sports these days. But I'm I'm glad that you bring up Sean Fitzpatrick as well. He was actually who I was going to bring up as one of my my wins for the season out of the bullpen. You you mentioned his his twenty twenty five season, largely ⁓ shall we say disastrous ⁓ in in twenty five appearances, fourteen innings.
ERA of over eleven and a half, but really we're really buckled down in his training. And it's something that he spoke about a number of times in ⁓ in postgame media availability and came out with a four and one record, three point one two ERA in thirty one games, twenty six innings, and really ⁓ really emerged as a left handed specialist, something that you know
the you know everybody who follows major league baseball now knows about the three batter minimum rules so you don't really see ⁓ one batter specialists but you know Fitzpatrick was absolutely dominant against left-handed hitters but the real detriment as we saw in the in the end of the game against Soul Miss was his pretty rough splits against right-handed batters. Ultimately the the tying run did come in off a right-handed bat and
But you know, that that's really one of the one of the trade-offs that you get with a guy who is so dominant to one side of the plate.
Andrew Hayslett (15:08)
Yeah, y you saw it with Derek Schaefer too, is when when he struggled, particularly the Oklahoma State game, he struggled against lefties. And all those lefties through on Oklahoma State beat him up, I believe it was that Friday night game, and in the ninth inning, where they got like half a dozen runs or s or something like that off Schaefer. And the Sun Devils lost that one.
you see it in in righteous, you see it in lefty guys. that that's something that happens in baseball regardless of arm. the the the best guys obviously are good on against both righties and lefties and but it it's good to have those specialists as well. Especially with the Sun Devils
having only four lefty arms this season.
Tom Hardon (16:12)
Yeah, it'll be it'll be really interesting to see just the the makeup over the over the offseason who ⁓ who coach Bloomquist pulls in from ⁓ from the portal, who is coming in as a freshman, and who actually arrives to campus as a freshman and does not sign out of the MLB draft, which current Sun Doubles do have many players that are that do appear to be headed to the draft, first and foremost.
Cole Car Cole Carlone. He's consistently been ranked one of the one of the top prospects in the MLB draft. Should be a first or second round pick. I don't see him falling anywhere below the second round.
Andrew Hayslett (16:56)
Yeah, I've seen th all the mock drafts I've seen as of late have had him in the first round is somewhere around twenty. I've seen I think as high as like fourteen or so, but round twenty in in that range is where you'd might expect to see Carlone. Twenty twenty-two I think I think's the spot possibly for him.
Tom Hardon (17:21)
And you know, a any any player that is junior or above is eligible eligible to be to be drafted. So you know you're gonna s you know you could see guys like Cole Clecker go off the board, you could see ⁓ you could see Garrett Michel, Derek Schaefer. The the the numbers are endless for the current Sun Devils who could be taken in this year's MLB draft and add to the legacy that is Sun Devil baseball in the major leagues.
Andrew Hayslett (17:49)
Yeah, definitely. And to to add on to that, there's a couple of red shirt sophomores on this team and Brody Briggs and Austin Rolleg who are draft eligible. I don't think we'll see those guys picked in this year's draft, but could always see them next year. I think you you look up and down this board, it it's like there there's
could see eight nine guys being selected. New Contratus is one who who's played really well this year on one leg for the a good portion of the season. PJ Mutzeritas not the best offensively, but defensively he has his glove is rated to be really high. ⁓ I think a lot of people are gonna like that out as a shortstop position in particular.
Dominic Smaldino has played really well as of late and might have played himself in in into a position where he opts to go and who would who opts to sign somewhere instead of staying out staying at ASU for another year. Colin Linder's a guy I mentioned who could might might be picked late.
after a certain point it kinda gets cloudy on who teams like versus who teams dislike in a draft that's twenty rounds.
Tom Hardon (19:22)
⁓ It it's it's always a tough call. It's always interesting seeing you know where you know where these guys that are projected, how you know how far they jump up from their projections, how far they slide from their projections. But we you know we'll learn all that in July during the during the right around the all-star break, I believe, is when the draft is. I think July July eleventh it starts, if ⁓ if memory serves me right. And and we'll you know we'll we'll see who
Andrew Hayslett (19:46)
That sounds about right.
Tom Hardon (19:51)
who is getting the call from ⁓ from arizona state to one of the 30 mlb farm systems. But to to circle back to to the end of the the 2026 season, you know, I I want to put and put out what what we feel are our biggest wins collectively of the of the season. Andrew, you know what what what's your biggest takeaway that was ⁓ that was a huge plus for the Sun Devils.
Andrew Hayslett (20:19)
Well, there's the obvious Landon Harrison. His season is w was one of the best probably I think th there's a tier of three guys
That deserved to win Golden Spikes Award. He for me ranks one. ⁓ Teg Davis of Louisville is another. And Daniel Jackson of Georgia is my third personally. but I I think those three are are the best players in college baseball and he probably deserves d deserves ⁓ a mention there. And then on the pitching side
I'm I'm gonna say Taylor Penn. I think his season was was really outstanding. He wasn't thought of as
one of the top arms in the bullpen necessarily coming into the season, but pitched well this season to a a three point four five ERA. And that that number would be lower if if you take away his starts, Tom. So he is I think th those are my two individual players that had significant wins for me this season.
Tom Hardon (21:43)
You took the obvious offensive one. I will I will take these the ⁓ the slightly less obvious offensive win, and that's that's New Contrates. Really formed a a dynamic one two punch at the top of the order with Harrison and along with Dominic Smaldino. This was the first year that Arizona State had three twenty home run hitters in program history. ⁓ you it's it really you know, really takes a special development and I know ⁓ I know New was
was really ⁓ really down about not being able to take part in the postseason last year and took it on himself to get healthy, to get back to game speed and ⁓ even though like you said he was playing on one leg for a good portion of the season, he really showed out and ⁓ you know those those three, you know, once once Smaldino really started to get into his get into his stride, the offense was clicking
as well as you could ask for. The hit 326, good first sixth in the nation, scored eight point six runs per game, tops in the Big 12, 15th nationally. And you you you look at an offense that that performs like this, and granted it was it it did start to get very top heavy at the end of the season. You saw some obvious holes at the bottom of the order, but
when the the top five or top six in your lineup is hitting as strongly as they are, this team could not be beat. Then you know on on the pitching side, I'm I'm gonna come back to Sean Fitzpatrick. He's he's been a guy I've been very, ⁓ very excited to watch all season long. Just his we mentioned his recovery, his and his dedication to his off season training. And I I think he was a a big
bolster in the back end of the of the bullpen when Alverson went down. And you know for the for the pitching staff collectively, again, top ten in the nation with eleven point four strikeouts per nine innings. ⁓ when when this team could get everything firing on all cylinders, it was you know nobody wanted to play Arizona State.
Andrew Hayslett (24:03)
Yeah, absolutely. I at times this this lineup was top to bottom dominant. And other times I think
near the end of the season it it kinda felt top heavy a as you said Tom. guy guys slumped. ⁓ Garrett Michel had a 0 for double digit stretch at one point. Brody Briggs at points. Who who is a defensive catcher, which that does provide value, but on the offensive side of the bat, struggled compared to other guys. And then
you kind of try to piece together other positions of of need
the with the DH after and w when Shell was struggling, you tried going with Cohen Neekly, that didn't really work. ⁓ Sam Myers for a game or two, which he didn't really click. Hi McGarry f would which didn't which at times worked, at times didn't. I I I'm curious to see if he stays with the team next year. And if he does, what his role will be with the team. So y you with all those guys is it kinda leads me to wonder
Who's coming back, who's not coming back, j just how that offensive depth was managed.
Tom Hardon (25:30)
Well, you you bring up my my next point and you know with at least with the who's not coming back, we do already have two names that have entered and found new homes in the portal. Cooper Clauser and Jackson Durst both transferring. ⁓ Andrew, you were ⁓ you were reporting on their destinations. I'm sure I'm gonna get them crossed up, so I'll let you take the lead on that one.
Andrew Hayslett (25:58)
Yeah, both players hopped in the portal on Monday when it opened and they both committed when when we were recording this Wednesday. we s we we'll start with Cooper Klaus our catcher, who was third on the depth chart for the majority of the season. ⁓ when he played played well with a four hundred batting average, but only in a handful of games.
Transferred. He's going to Michigan. Go play for Tracy Smith, the former Sun Devil head coach. Be interesting to see how he does that. I I'm in I'm very intrigued by by what he can do because what we saw offensely in that short time was really special. And in you sit behind Briggs and Necly, who
I think Briggs is staying for al almost certainly I'd imagine. I I'd be very surprised if Briggs were to lead. And Cohen Necly, who it was is probably gonna be an offensive bat if he stays. So i I would imagine Clauser's ready he's ready to go play ball at a at a significant level.
he'd ha he'd have to transfer. So so it makes sense to me. I'm very curious to see what his numbers and and game time will be at Michigan. I think that that that might be a guy ⁓ where ⁓ we're sitting here this time next year saying, Yeah, he's having a really good season. We we might have wished to keep him or two years down the line.
He is still going to be a sophomore. Did he did have a hand injury, so he is applying for a medical redshirt. We'll see if that gets approved or not. But regardless, that that's one. And then Jackson Durst was the other freshman who only played in a I think three games this season as an outfielder. Going to back to his home state of Nevada to go play there at UNR.
For the Wolf Pack, I believe but Nevada is the Wolf Pack, right? If if memory serves me correctly, but he he's going to I just just wanted to make sure I wasn't spewing nonsense here. But again w we'll we'll see what what he can do there for his hometown or for his home state team. ⁓
Tom Hardon (28:17)
Yeah, Nevada is the wall.
Andrew Hayslett (28:37)
Again two freshmen departing. Not the most surprising to s just to see freshmen go after not not having playing time. Probably tend to s I I'd imagine s see some of these other freshmen who didn't play much depart, ⁓ both on the offensive side and and the pitching staff.
Beyond that, who who knows? This this the these transfer portals are really impossible to predict. We've seen top guys leave top programs before. Never know what w with these things. It it it it's hard to predict.
Tom Hardon (29:20)
the Wolfpack and the Wolverines, there's a little bit of ⁓ commonality there if you really search for it and you know dig dig around and find find that ⁓ find that similar trend in the in the start to their mascots. But yeah, again to me not entirely surprising to see not to see freshmen transfer out, especially after getting limited playing time. But there's you know th there's always the the the chance that you know maybe we'll maybe maybe Arizona State will
regret not holding on to them or look back in a in a year and say, Okay, we've we've been able to pull in some other guys that have that have played to the expectations that or played to the level that these guys have played at as they've gone out. So it you know it it could really be a wash, you never know. Like you said, almost impossible to predict.
But with with guys who are at least staying for the time being, ⁓ baseball season still doesn't end for for some of the Sun Devils. And for those who are not as in tune with the collegiate summer leagues, there are a couple dozen summer leagues across the country. ⁓ myself personally, I have followed the the Cape Cod baseball league for oof, I'm gonna date myself here, going on thirty years, ⁓ having
⁓ having been been a fan, worked for a team that's been been all around the league, but ⁓ I I've been able to pull together a little bit of a tracker of Arizona of Sun Devils who are confirmed to be heading out to the Cape this season. Those are Austin Musso and Garrett Michelle both going to the Bourne Braves and Taylor Penn going to the Yarmouth Dennis Red Sox. If
If you if you're unfamiliar with the Cape Cod Baseball League and have the ability to get to Cape Cod to see games, absolutely take the chance. If you can't get to Cape Cod, the games do all stream for free on the Cape Cod Baseball League website. You can watch the Sun Devils play in Massachusetts from starting from actually next Saturday, June thirteenth, all the way through until on or around August fifteenth.
Andrew Hayslett (31:41)
Yeah, you saw a bunch of guys play in the like various summer leagues throughout last season. Landon Harrison, I I also want to mention's gonna be playing for USA baseball this summer too, which we saw Cole Carlone ⁓ do last season, so y you you see it in pretty much
There there's a handful of leagues that the Sundowels always seem to go to. There's always a bunch of guys in the Cape, always a few in the Northwoods.
always seems to be a few in Alaska up up there, so I'm always curious to see who goes up there because we saw Cole Carlone up there in the past. We saw Wyatt Halverson, Brody Briggs, Kaymagary, Eli Buxton, Colin Linder. All all guys who have have gone to Alaska and have
had bigger w roles with the Sun Devils the next year that they they've came back from there. So whoever goes to Alaska I think think i is although it's not the most prestigious league, one that you kinda have a s ⁓ to s to circle, to say, okay, he might be taking a step forward this season to an extent.
Tom Hardon (33:01)
Fan fans might know of another Sun Devil who played in Alaska back in the nineteen eighties. ⁓ this this guy named Barry Bonds. He went on to have a pretty okay career in the major leagues, played a few games, hit a few home runs. ⁓ but r regardless of the destination for a summer league, whether it's on the Cape in Alaska, if it's in one of the the many leagues in the Midwest, playing collegiate summer ball is an excellent opportunity for ⁓
For these kids, especially underclassmen, ⁓ especially freshmen who are coming out and you know, really develop their game, play in front of scouts on a near-nightly basis. You can you can walk around any of the 10 fields on the Cape and stumble across at least two or three scouts a night. It's the best opportunity for them to develop their game and it's really really baseball at its purest form.
And as the ⁓ as these summer leagues start to ramp up, yep, Cape League is wood bats. I believe the Northwoods is wood bats. ⁓ the vast majority of these summer leagues are wood bats, especially ones that have now been ⁓ been absorbed in the ⁓ absorbed by major league baseball to get these these kids accustomed to hitting with the wood bat instead of the composite bats.
Andrew Hayslett (34:02)
Wood bats too.
Tom Hardon (34:24)
But as as these summer leagues get ready to ramp up, I did mention the Cape League starting on June thirteenth. We will be putting together a tracker of where Sun Devils will be playing across the country. You can look for that on echofronthebeats.com sometime next week.
We'll we'll pivot from ⁓ from baseball and there is some football news that came out today. It's not directly Arizona State related, but it is related to the Tempe area, and that is the return of the Cactus Bowl. played for ⁓ played since twenty sixteen at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, re most recently known as the Rate Bowl.
The bowl game will be returning to Mountain America Stadium for the twenty twenty six bowl season. And I don't know about you, but I'm I'm just excited about a postseason bowl game back at Arizona, b back at ASU, no matter whether ASU is gonna be playing it or not.
Andrew Hayslett (35:28)
i it's it's cool to have a a bowl game at at at your own stadium that is cool. I might get some flat fist, but I prefer it actually in the in Chase field, but with with yeah. I I just
Tom Hardon (35:43)
Really?
Andrew Hayslett (35:47)
I think that if you're gonna play neutral sight games, I think it's more interesting to me to see not in traditional college football stadiums. I do think regular season college s games should be in college stadiums. Not I I wouldn't wanna see a an a a territorial cup go to a a ⁓
of Chase Field or a or even a state farm stadium, I don't want that. That's not what I'm saying. I think for bowl games are especially with these other ones, I I kind of prefer it in non traditional stadiums. I that's just my opinion. But regardless, I think it's a it's a win for t the Sun Devils as a whole, hosting a a bowl game. I I think that
that's good. But for me, I'd I'd rather have it in in Chase Field, but if I think the Sun Devils will benefit from having it in Mountain America Stadium.
Tom Hardon (36:59)
I is that to say that you're not a a fan of the Ido Potato Bowl being played on the Blue Turf in Boise?
Andrew Hayslett (37:07)
Yeah. I w I would like to keep the Iowa Idaho Potato Bowl, but if if there's a better alternate, I'd like to see it. It's why I I really like s like the the the pinstripe bowl and and the the wasabi Fenway bowl or or two two two bowls. I I have a little bit of an allegiance to is if
I could send ASU to whatever bowl though I'd lean toward some of the th those bulls because it's I think that's a that's an a nice novelty personally.
Tom Hardon (37:45)
Yeah, it it's it is a nice novelty. I mean, you know, me being a Red Sox fan, it's always kinda surreal seeing a football field stretch across Fenway Park, but I don't know, to to me it's just it it's also a little bit unnatural. You know, you you get the you get the warped seating, you get you know, sometimes you're putting up the the temporary stands and the sightlines may not be the greatest. It's I don't know, I
I I like the game being being back in Mountain America Stadium and it's you know ⁓ it it's a win not only for for ASU but for the city of Tempe getting getting to host it once again.
Andrew Hayslett (38:22)
One thousand percent. I I I like I said, I think it's it's for Tempi you want to have as many events in Tempi as you can and I think with this being a d a tie in between big twelve and big ten teams,
you you'd kinda hope to see ⁓ a team that already hasn't traveled to Tempe in in the same season travel to Tempe. So you get two two groups like maybe a West Virginia who it who it's gonna be cold and miserable to an extent on in in late December in West Virginia and and let's throw it a ⁓ Michigan State
Th those two places are gonna be cold in in in December. Have come to warm tempi, experience the outdoor game. ⁓ that that's gonna be fun for them, I would imagine, or whoever it is, is get get out of the cold, get into the warm. ⁓ I think a lot of people will enjoy it.
Tom Hardon (39:29)
I it it is worth noting as well, you know, you bring up the these hypothetical matchups. It's ⁓ the it's worth noting that the the ⁓ the legacy bowl tie ins for the former Pac twelve teams will still be in place for the current season. They were due to expire at the end of the twenty twenty five season, but the stakeholders who determined the bowl games and the bowl matchups decided to extend for one more season. So ⁓
If Arizona State were to be in a position to get that bid for the cactus poll, it would not happen until 2027 at the earliest.
Andrew Hayslett (40:08)
As you mentioned, Tom, I I wish we could get rid of the legacy tie-ins at this point in time. 'Cause I just it's not who th these these conferences are anymore. Pac twelve isn't Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA. It's Boise State and all these other teams coming in. So I w I wish
We could be a little bit more ⁓ college football could could reflect reflect that. We've had I think ample enough time to adjust and figure it out. I don't know why it's taken so long to figure out that.
Tom Hardon (40:54)
I I have a hunch as to why it's taking so long to figure out it's the money aspect of it. ⁓ The bowl committees themselves are thinking about how many fans are we gonna get for the LA bowl if Fresno State is the Pac twelve representative, when we could be getting incre you know, increasingly more if Arizona State is the Pac twelve legacy representative.
I I think that's the that's a big conversation going on how these bowls and their committees can maximize the revenue from teams traveling in. As we know, Arizona State fans will travel wherever to see a bowl game. Just look at the Peach Bowl and how many fans travel to Atlanta. Doesn't doesn't matter where Arizona State plays, fans will travel, but these committees are thinking about
the new breed of the Pac Twelve. How far will Colorado State fans travel? How far will Fresno State fans travel?
Andrew Hayslett (41:55)
Yeah, I get that, but i again, how many years does AS ha have these teams announced movement? It it it's been i the i there's been plenty of time to figure something out. yes, i th there's gonna be people who get the shortened the stick. Like I
How one of the bowls I would have liked to see an ASU potentially go to is the Pop Tarts bowl because it's the Pop Tarts Bowl. I will on one hand I yeah if you're an ASU fan you wouldn't want to see that because you want to see the steam go as far i th in the college football playoff as you can, but if you can't that's that's a that's a great option. Now ⁓ with the with the Pac twelve tightens you have a if
Tom Hardon (42:28)
Mm-hmm.
Andrew Hayslett (42:52)
only a handful of places. So we'll we'll see. We'll see what happens.
Tom Hardon (43:01)
Yeah, I'm I'm I'm with you. If it if it's not if it's not a CFP appearance, then I want the most fun bowl game as possible. And that's with the most fun mascot, the giant Pop Tart. Wanna see him wanna see the Pop Tart drizzled in maroon and gold or however, you know, whatever they do for for the for the celebration at the end of the year.
Andrew Hayslett (43:24)
⁓ the didn't they have like six last year? But
Tom Hardon (43:25)
Something
like that. It's and and I I feel like the the the crew behind the Pop Darts Bowl also wants to maybe change things up year by year and not make it so predictable. Wanna keep that novelty factor. You know, if they if they don't have the novelty of playing in a baseball stadium, have the novelty of a of a different postgame ⁓ postgame celebration with the mascot.
Andrew Hayslett (43:49)
Yeah. Th there y I think that that just goes across to pretty much every bowl game. Whether it is the Sun Bowl you saw last year of Tony the Tiger, the the bowl of the whatever it was, Frosted Flakes I think it was. I don't I don't need cereal. ⁓ sorry, Tony. But point being i is you have cool things that that you'll you can
Tom Hardon (44:06)
I think it was frosted flakes, yeah.
Andrew Hayslett (44:19)
tie into it with these bowls and you'd after a certain point you'd like to go to different ones to an extent.
Tom Hardon (44:28)
Yeah, well ⁓ for for the time being, the Sun Devils will still be tied to those Pac Twelve Legacy Bowls. We will have to wait and see what the ⁓ what the ties will be, if if they retain the the current ties that the Big Twelve has, or if bowl ties get shuffled up altogether. We we will not know until that time comes. But one one last one last closing note that I I wanna bring up.
speaking of the the national reach of Sun Devil, Sun Devil Football and Sundevel fans, the the two covers for the new edition of NCAA football were released this week. And on the deluxe edition, speaking again to to the Sun Devil's Reach, Sparky is featured. And Coach Dillingham was ⁓ was quoted as saying in his in his media availability today, it really speaks to how
⁓ how football and how Sun Devil Athletics in general is activating the valley and activating the ⁓ the national recognition of the Sun Devils. You you look back even five years, I I don't think you would have seen this level of ⁓ this level of brand recognition. And that that all starts at the top. We've we've been raving about him for weeks on end now. He he did get his well deserved recognition. I
The name of the recognition is escaping me right now, but for Rossini, everything he's been doing at the top since becoming athletic director is lending its hand to this recognition for all of Sundevel Athletics.
Andrew Hayslett (46:11)
Yeah, absolutely. It it's it's cool to see Sparky on the cover. which two years in a row next nice n i is nice, but maybe next year I'd I'd like to see Kenny Dillingham on the cover or a player or someone on the cover. Which obvious which is is
I'm not super into video games right now, Tom, so you you might you might know the answer to this more than me. Is it with is this game with last year's rosters or this next upcoming season's rosters?
Tom Hardon (46:49)
It was with
the upcoming seasons rosters. So ⁓ I I have twenty six that I'm I played through and through, had the current roster, current schedule, and ⁓ the developers even added in the blackout uniform after it made its debut in late September against TCU.
Andrew Hayslett (47:11)
Yeah, I I I'll I look at at this team and I ⁓ there isn't any national superstar on the team like like Cam Scadaboo or Jordan Tyson a year ago. So yeah, it does make sense to throw throw Sparky on the cover. But maybe next year there there's someone that emerges and who who's gonna be a s who who is a Sun Devil at this time next year that we're all saying, this this guy's
Is is has national attention like we felt Jordan Tyson would this year. Scataboo few years ago. That's something I'd like to see in the future for the Sundowlers, but if you look five years, six six years ago, seven years ago, eight years ago, would this have happened? Probably not. We probably wouldn't see Sparky on the cover. So it it
Tom Hardon (48:02)
Absolutely not.
Andrew Hayslett (48:07)
an improvement but there's always more improvement.
Tom Hardon (48:11)
And we we have Sparky on the cover, we have the Tillman statue in the game running out through the pitchfork. The next addition I'd like to see to the NCAA series is working Stomp the Bus into the pregame sequence at Mountain America Stadium.
Andrew Hayslett (48:25)
Yeah, that's probably the biggest thing in of the pregame sequence is i is is that individual sequence as a whole. As well as in the press box, you're out what feels like a mile high in that stadium. You can hear it.
when when they do stop the bus. It gets allowed, you you see the student section all up on their feet. It's the the the coolest mo moment in pregame festivities for sure.
Tom Hardon (49:03)
It it absolutely is and you know it's it's a big P it's a big thing nationally when it has its own Wikipedia article. How many other pregame traditions can you think of off the top of your head that have their own Wikipedia article?
Andrew Hayslett (49:16)
Yeah, I don't know. Wik Wikipedia's a fun place. Spent way too much time in my life on that site.
Tom Hardon (49:20)
And
Who hasn't, let's be honest.
Well with ⁓ with that we will wrap up this week's episode of Echo from the Beast. We will continue to bring you all the transfer portal news for baseball as it becomes available. ⁓ we'll also bring you updates for hockey rosters. We've we've known who the incoming commits are, waiting for that finalized roster to really be determined. And any other news and updates throughout the
throughout the offseason. We will be your source on EchoFromtheButtes.com. For Andrew Hazlet and for everybody else at Echo From Buttes, I'm Tom Harden. And as always, give hell devils.