No. 17 Cincinnati Faces No. 21 Arizona State at 11 p.m. — Asu Baseball

No. 17 Cincinnati will play No. 21 Arizona State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals late Thursday night, and asu baseball gets one of its biggest postseason stages of the season at 11 p.m. in Surprise, Arizona. The winner moves deeper into a single-elimination field after both teams earned double-byes.

Hairston, Taylor in Surprise

Landon Hairston, the Big 12 Player of the Year, is the featured Arizona State name in the matchup, while Nathan Taylor enters as a First-Team All-Big 12 honoree. Those two awards put extra weight on a game that is already set up as a top-25 quarterfinal between No. 21 Arizona State and No. 17 Cincinnati.

ESPNU at 11 p.m.

The broadcast lands on ESPNU, giving viewers a clear national window for a late start in Surprise. The 11 p.m. time slot means the game arrives as a final test for two teams that skipped the earlier rounds and went straight into the quarterfinals through their double-byes.

Double-byes shape the bracket

Both teams reached this point the same way, and that route is part of what makes the matchup sharp. They come in fresh, seated in the quarterfinals without having to survive the opening games, but one loss ends the run immediately in the single-elimination bracket.

For Cincinnati and Arizona State, the setup leaves no margin to settle in. The stakes are simple: handle the pressure of a late Thursday start, survive the quarterfinal, and keep the tournament alive.