Arizona State baseball coach Willie Bloomquist puts Luke Hill on blast after transfer to Ole Miss

On Monday, Arizona State shortstop Luke Hill announced he will be transferring to Ole Miss after a weekend visit to Oxford. It took ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist less than 24 hours to respond to the decision.

“Willie Bloomquist did not hold back on the departure of Luke Hill on the last day of the transfer portal window, saying that some teammates are glad he’s gone: ‘Matter of fact, a lot of them feel like we’re going to be better without him and the attitude he showed at times,’ SunDevilSource.com wrote on Twitter.

Bloomquist’s frustration is understandable. Hill was a standout in his freshman season. The 6-foot shortstop started in all 54 games for the Sun Devils, batting .314 with 63 hits and 43 runs scored. Additionally, Hill boasted six home runs, 11 doubles and 42 RBIs.

Hill was equally excellent on defense. The Louisiana native fielded .938 with 78 putouts. He notched 145 assists on the year, ranking third in the Pac-12.

Bloomquist seemingly blames NIL for Hill’s decision.

“It’s turning into a very, very dirty business behind the scenes,” Bloomquist said. “In general, I think it’s going to destroy college baseball and college sports… Shoot, my shortstop left at the 11th hour on the last day of the transfer portal.”

Despite his comments, Bloomquist added he did not oppose players receiving money altogether.

“Am I opposed to players getting paid? Absolutely not.”

For his efforts, Hill was named All-PAC 12 Honorable Mention and the ASU Defensive Player of the Year at the Sun Devils Baseball Awards Banquet. Hill announced his intent to transfer on Twitter Monday afternoon.

“First, I would like to thank my family and friends who have helped me get here. Thank you to ASU for giving me the chance to start my college career. With that being stated, I will be continuing my baseball and academic career at Ole Miss. Hotty Toddy… let’s get to work!” Hill wrote.

Hill isn’t the only one who will need to get to work. After going 32-23 last season and missing the College World Series, the Sun Devils must improve the program this offseason. Of course, Hill leaving isn’t an ideal start.

To make matters worse, the Sun Devils might also miss out on their top recruit. ASU commit Cooper Pratt reportedly signed a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers after being selected in the 6th round of this year’s draft. Perfect Game ranked Pratt as the No. 35 player in the Class of 2023 and the 17th-best shortstop.