Landon Hairston.

Landon Hairston’s story connects Casteel’s championship foundation to one of the most electric seasons in Arizona State history. His swing has produced records. His approach has produced wins. And the standard he carried out of Queen Creek has reached college baseball’s biggest individual and international stages.

The hit record and a championship foundation

Hairston played four varsity seasons at Casteel and graduated in 2024 with a program-record 136 career hits. That total is consistent with the four-year .390 career average reported by Arizona State, which also credits him with 90 RBIs, 30 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, and an outstanding 67 walks against only 38 strikeouts.

He was at his best as the program became a champion. Hairston hit .500 as a junior—48 hits in 96 at-bats, 23 for extra bases—and helped Casteel capture its first Arizona 5A title in 2023. As a senior he hit .407 and helped the Colts repeat in 2024. Two seasons, two state championships, and a place in the center of the era that changed the program’s expectations.

136CAREER HITS AT CASTEEL
PROGRAM RECORD · 2021–2024

An immediate impact at Arizona State

Hairston arrived at ASU as a corner infielder, adapted to the outfield, and quickly became an everyday player. In 2025 he earned NCBWA Freshman All-America honors, first-team All-Big 12 recognition as a utility player, and a place on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He finished his first college season with 65 hits, 50 runs, 37 RBIs, and a .333/.441/.467 slash line.

That debut was only the opening act. As a sophomore in 2026, Hairston became one of the most dangerous hitters in the country: a .400 average, 94 hits, 20 doubles, 28 home runs, 81 RBIs, 82 runs, and a nation-leading 1.368 OPS. His 28th homer broke Arizona State’s single-season record, and his 28-game hitting streak tied for the fifth-longest in Sun Devil history.

One of college baseball’s final three

The 2026 awards placed Hairston among the sport’s elite. He was named Big 12 Player of the Year, Baseball America National Player of the Year, a first-team All-American by the NCBWA and Perfect Game, and a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.

Most notably, USA Baseball selected him as one of the three finalists for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award—the first Sun Devil finalist since Mike Leake in 2009 and the 10th in ASU history. It was national recognition for a season that combined power, patience, contact, and consistency at a historic level.

Team USA and the Hairston baseball legacy

Hairston then earned a roster spot on the 2026 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. In a family with nearly a century of baseball history—from Negro Leagues pioneer Sam Hairston to multiple generations in Major League Baseball—Landon became the first member of the family to play for a United States national team.

USA Baseball’s profile traced that legacy while emphasizing a new chapter all his own. Wearing No. 27 as an outfielder, Hairston joined the nation’s leading college players and took the values built at Casteel onto an international stage.

What the story represents

Hairston’s path is a blueprint for the players following him: own the strike zone, adapt to what the team needs, compete for championships, and keep raising the ceiling. The record book will remember the hits and home runs. Casteel Baseball can also be proud of what sits underneath them—the daily work, team-first versatility, and confidence to carry The Standard onto every larger stage.