TEMPE, Ariz. – In what proved to be a strong transfer portal class for the Arizona State Sun Devils, two of potentially the strongest additions came from the same source.
Following a strong 31-23 showing with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels, both current fifth-year outfielder/first baseman Dean Toigo and junior right-handed pitcher Alex Overbay found a new home in Tempe, Arizona this offseason.
What does Toigo bring to ASU?
The Sun Devils personally learned what Toigo was about in one of their more grueling losses last season.
Toigo went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI in a game that saw a 6-4 ASU lead turn into a dominating 11-6 UNLV victory.
It was just one game in what was an outstanding season for Toigo, culminating in the Mountain West Co-Player of the Year award.
He hit 18 home runs, which led the Mountain West, and hit a slash line of .377/.445/.682. His 1.127 OPS ranked fourth in the Mountain West.
“It was a blessing,” Toigo said. “I was very thankful for the opportunity I had there, and I am looking forward to the future of what this team is going to accomplish this year.”
The bat isn’t the only trait Toigo brings, as his versatility between first base and the outfield may play a vital role as ASU tries to replace a lineup that saw seven starters either graduate or get drafted.
In addition to spending a lot of time in Phoenix in the past, it was the clubhouse presence that truly reeled in Toigo.
“Coach Bloomquist and the entire staff had a lot to do with it,” Toigo said. “The location, too, and the winning success that this program has. All of those were big reasons.”
Overbay followed Toigo to ASU
Shortly after Toigo announced his commitment, Overbay followed suit.
“It’s awesome,” Toigo said. “He was one of my closest buddies last year, so it’s good to see him on this team.”
Overbay spent 2025 as the primary closer for the Rebels, allowing just one run over his final 8.1 innings.
Two outlier innings inflated his 5.14 ERA, accounting for 10 of his 16 earned runs.
If you remove Overbay’s outings on March 16 at New Mexico and April 13 at Air Force, his season ERA drops to 2.16.
In 70 percent of his outings, Overbay did not allow an earned run. He pitched more than an inning in over a third of those scoreless appearances.
Like Toigo, Overbay credited coaching as one of the significant reasons that he chose ASU.
“With Jeremy [Accardo], the thing that stands out is that he is a perfect balance,” Overbay said. “I’ve had different coaches that are more statistics or metrics-based than other coaches that are more personal…he’ll get to know you, then he’ll help you with pitching, too.”
How will ASU’s pitching staff come together?
The pitching staff, overall, did not see as much player movement in the offseason as the lineup.
The change, however, will come in roles. Both ASU’s Friday and Saturday starters, Ben Jacobs and Nick Martinez, moved on to the pros following the 2025 season.
“We built this team with different ideas in mind,” Sun Devils pitching coach Jeremy Accardo said. “A lot of different people we can go to in certain situations, with the thought of turning some of these stud relievers and closers from other teams in the portal to guys who can fill a starting role and fill length options for us.”
ASU has a strong group of returning arms, headlined by junior left-hander Cole Carlon, so a starting role may not be easy to claim.
Regardless of what the rotation looks like, Accardo believes it will be a strong group.
“The challenge is to them,” Accardo said. “We lay it out to them, we show them where everybody stands, we put a ball out and say who wants it.”
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