Arizona State will play without its best hitter in one of the most important games of its season. Sophomore infielder Landon Hairston has been suspended for the Sun Devils' NCAA Tournament regional final against Ole Miss on May 31 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Hairston was ejected in Arizona State's 11-8 elimination game win over host Nebraska after he flung his bat into the air following a called third strike. Under NCAA rules, an ejected player must sit out the team's next game, which in this case is the regional final against the Rebels.
According to Yahoo Sports, Hairston was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. He carries a .405 batting average with 28 home runs on the season. In Arizona State's previous meeting with Ole Miss on May 29, Hairston did not record a hit but drew three walks and scored two runs.
The No. 3 Sun Devils, at 39-20, face the No. 2 regional seed Rebels, who enter at 38-20. The game is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
Hairston would be eligible to return on June 1 if Arizona State wins and forces a winner-take-all game. His absence removes a significant offensive threat from the Sun Devils' lineup at the worst possible moment in the tournament.
The sophomore has a family history that runs deep in professional baseball. He could become a fourth-generation Major League Baseball player, following his father Scott Hairston, grandfather Jerry Hairston, and great-grandfather Sam Hairston.
Ole Miss will look to close out the regional and advance without facing that particular threat from Hairston's bat. Whether Arizona State can compensate for his absence without one of the most productive hitters in college baseball will determine whether this regional final goes to one game or two.