Houston Baseball ended its 2026 season with an 8-3 defeat against number 22-ranked Arizona State on May 16 at Schroeder Park. Freshman pitcher Caden Cooper took the loss for Houston, allowing two runs over four innings. Arizona State’s Jaden Alba earned the win after pitching five and two-thirds innings, giving up five hits and one run while striking out seven.
The game held significance as it marked the conclusion of Houston’s campaign, finishing with a record of 24 wins and 31 losses overall, and a conference record of seven wins against twenty-three losses in the Big 12. For Arizona State, the victory improved their record to thirty-six wins and eighteen losses.
Redshirt sophomore Xavier Perez contributed offensively by going one-for-two with an RBI, a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly. Junior Riley Jackson recorded his forty-fifth hit of the season. Notably, Perez also registered his seventh outfield assist this year, tying him for the national lead.
Houston scored first in the opening inning when Perez drove home senior Tyler Cox with a sacrifice fly. Arizona State responded in later innings: tying in the fourth on a sacrifice fly in the fifth to take a lead they would not relinquish. The Sun Devils added four runs in the sixth inning and continued to build their advantage through late scoring opportunities.
In Houston’s final attempt at a comeback during the ninth inning, Perez scored on a wild pitch and freshman Blake Fields singled home senior Antonelli Savattere. Despite these efforts, Houston was unable to close the gap before recording their final out.
