Houston outfielder Will Van Wie (1) is tagged out on his slide into second base during an NCAA baseball game on Sunday, May 3, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
The Houston Cougars baseball team recently hosted its last regular-season series against No. 22 Arizona State. The series was played at Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park from May 14-16, with Arizona winning the series 2-1.
The Sun Devils held a two-run advantage over Houston through the first five innings of Thursday’s opener. An RBI from junior infielder Dominic Smaldino brought home sophomore infielder Landon Hairston for Arizona State’s first run, followed by another run scored by Hairston off an RBI from graduate outfielder Dean Toigo.
The Cougars cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior catcher Dylan Maxcey launched a deep homer to left field, allowing freshman infielder Blake Fields to score. The homer marked Maxcey’s third of the season.
Houston took the lead in the seventh inning after senior infielder Carsten Sabathia hit his sixth homer of the season. Arizona State regained the lead after an RBI from sophomore infielder Austen Roellig allowed Smaldino to score. The Sun Devils secured a 4-3 victory over Houston.
In the second game of the series, Arizona State opened aggressively with back-to-back home runs on the first two pitches of the game. Hairston recorded the first homer before junior infielder Nu’u Contrades added another. Contrades hit his second homer of the game in the third inning, giving Arizona State a three-run advantage.
Houston responded in the bottom of the third inning, evening the score before the inning concluded. An RBI from senior infielder Tyler Cox brought Fields home from first base, while Cox and senior outfielder Irvin Weems each added runs for the Cougars.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Fields launched a deep homer to left field to give Houston the lead. Senior infielder Cade Climie later scored Houston’s fifth and final run, off an RBI from junior catcher Riley Jackson. Friday’s victory evened the series at 1-1.
In the final game of the series, Houston suffered an 8-3 loss to the Sun Devils.
The Cougars trailed by one run entering the sixth inning before Arizona State added four runs to extend its advantage. Houston attempted a late comeback in the ninth inning with runs from sophomore outfielder Xavier Perez and senior infielder Antonelli Savattere, but the Cougars ultimately ran out of time.
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