TEMPE, Ariz.— Doubt never crept into the mind of head coach Willie Bloomquist about his team’s ability to play with the best. The former Sun Devil star expected to be coaching ASU in the postseason in his second year as head coach with 28 new players on the team.
Early on, Arizona State (32-23, 16-13 Pac-12) proved that it could compete with perennial powerhouses, take care of weaker opponents and possibly even host a regional for the first time since 2010.
But on Monday, the NCAA college baseball tournament selection show did not flash “Arizona St.” in a regional bracket as teams moved on to the postseason and Omaha dreams were kept alive for 64 teams.