In the transfer portal era of the NCAA, rosters turn over as quickly as lineups. In 2026, that reality has become an advantage for ASU, turning one of the top portal classes in the country into a catalyst for its sustained success.
ASU has paired its portal additions with key staples en route to starting the season 17-6 and breaking into the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 22.
"Guys are wanting to come here," head coach Willie Bloomquist said in the preseason. "We had a tremendously successful transfer portal class … we continue to do our job and develop them once they get here, and hopefully we win."
Of the Sun Devils' typical starting nine, six of their lineup mainstays are transfers, a clear reflection of how heavily they've leaned on the portal.
Star outfielder sophomore Landon Hairston, who has been sensational to start the season, leads the team in batting average. The six hitters directly behind him who have played at least 20 games are all products of the transfer portal.
One of the gems of that class is fifth-year right fielder Dean Toigo. The Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, a transfer from UNLV, has gotten hot at the right time after what he would consider a slow start to the season.
"I don't feel fully like my feet are wet," Toigo said earlier in the season. "I'm still doing decent, and we're winning, so that's all I really care about. I still think there's more room for me to grow offensively. I think the more at-bats I get, the more comfortable I'm going to get up there."
Since the start of Big 12 play, the slugging lefty has hit four home runs and driven in 10 while batting .480 in the team's six games.
Toigo has filled a much-needed hole in the middle of the Sun Devil order, with team captain second baseman Nu'u Contrades still not fully ready to go after suffering an injury against Loyola Marymount about two weeks ago.
Infielders redshirt sophomore Austen Roellig, a transfer from Utah, and junior PJ Moutzouridis, a transfer from Cal, have also provided stability not only offensively but defensively for the Sun Devils.
Both infielders have posted a batting average over .300 and have combined for only four errors over the 41 games they've combined for this season.
The pair have been lineup staples for Bloomquist's squad, both being in the top four in walks, helping set the tone for the heavy hitters such as Toigo and Hairston.
Other notable transfers are junior infielders Dominic Smaldino, a transfer from Cal, and Dominic Longo, a transfer from Utah Valley, along with redshirt junior infielder Garrett Michel, a transfer from Virginia Tech. All of which have added some power to the maroon and gold lineup, sporting an OPS of .950 or higher.
On the mound behind ace left-hander junior Cole Carlon, two of the team's innings leaders are senior right-hander Kole Klecker, a transfer from TCU, and junior right-hander Alex Overbay, a transfer from UNLV.
Despite both pitchers having an ERA over five after some rough outings against Kansas State, ASU will likely need to rely on them down the stretch to get some crucial outs.
Landing talent in the transfer portal and hoping they perform on the field is only half the battle. The other half takes place behind closed doors. What ultimately defines a team is how those characters check their egos, buy into a shared identity and come together in the clubhouse.
Roellig and Toigo touched on how seamless the transition has been of everyone coming together in the locker room. Toigo described the team as a family, noting how egos were thrown out by each individual.
"What stood out to me most was my teammates," Roellig said on his first visit to ASU. "The returners, they were very welcoming. Even the transfers, they're all cool, that's what made the transfer here a lot easier."
The chemistry between returners and transfers comes as no surprise to Bloomquist. It was by design. He and his staff built this roster with one shared goal in mind: winning, and early results suggest the group has fully bought in.
"We did a lot of homework on the guys we brought in and understand they're the right type of kids and are going to be good team guys," Bloomquist said. "They're not overly worried about, selfishly, their own individual accolades. They're worried about us winning, and we've stressed the fact that winning teams, as a result, you reap the rewards as an individual in the long run."
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at eapache3@asu.edu.
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