A year after Arizona won the last Pac-12 baseball tournament ever played, the Wildcats captured a championship in their initial appearance in the Big 12 tournament at Globe Life Field at Arlington, Texas.
The No. 4 Wildcats outlasted No. 3 TCU 2-1 in 10 innings Saturday night behind Ironwood Ridge graduate Andrew Cain’s solo home run in the top of the ninth and Maddox Mihalakis‘ RBI single in the 10th.
“We battled our tails off, and I think we’re playing our best baseball right now. … I’m just proud of the resiliency of this group, hanging in there,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said during the trophy presentation on ESPN+. “Just a great group of kids and they battled their tails off all year.”
The victory improved Arizona’s record to 39-18 overall, including a 3-1 mark against the Horned Frogs, who are 39-18. Both teams will await their placement in the NCAA tournament. The bracket will be announced Monday.
Arizona has a slim hope of hosting a regional with a No. 29 RPI as of Saturday morning.
Mihalakis’ single with one out in the 10th inning ended an 0-of-7 stretch with runners in scoring position in the game for the Wildcats.
That WINNING Moment#Big12BSB | @ArizonaBaseball pic.twitter.com/ZIE068jNvQ
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) May 25, 2025
Mason White, the Big 12 tournament MVP in a runaway because of his three home runs in the event, started the rally with one out in the 10th when he was hit by a pitch square to the back by reliever Braeden Sloan (3-4).
Adonys Guzman hit a single to left-center field that advanced White to third base.
Mihalakis followed with a bloop single to right field, scoring White for the go-ahead run.
“Just having so much fun playing in the big-league yard (of the Texas Rangers) these days, best time of the year. Go Cats,” White said during the trophy presentation.
He earned a giant WWE belt as the MVP.
“(The belt) will probably sit in the locker room or the department somewhere, who knows? Put it up on the wall. Let’s go,” White said.
When asked about what emotions he was feeling with the victory, White brought up the walk-off win over USC at Scottsdale last year, a single by Tommy Splaine in the bottom of the ninth that created a euphoric celebration in the Pac-12’s final event of its existence.
“It’s kind of a repeat of last year; we went to the Pac-12 tournament and we won that thing,” White said. “We played well. It was super fun, same type of game. So happy to do it again in a big-league yard in a different conference. It just shows how great this program is.”
Arizona, which finished with six hits and left 11 runners on base, could not manufacture a run against TCU for most of the game, unlike Friday’s 12-1 win over top-seeded West Virginia. The Wildcats produced 17 hits and were 9 of 18 with eight RBIs with two outs against the Mountaineers.
The Wildcats’ frustration entering the ninth inning included 12 strikeouts, 11 by left-handed relievers Gianluca Shinn (seven in 2 2/3 innings) and Sloan (four in 4 1/3).
Cain, a left-handed batter, took out some of the frustration with a solo blast off Sloan to right-center field to lead off the ninth to tie the game at 1.
Cain was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts before that clutch at-bat.
Arizona’s pitching was effective again in the Big 12 tournament with freshman starting right-hander Smith Bailey leading the way. He allowed only four hits in 5 1/3 innings with one run and five strikeouts with a walk.
The run scored on him occurred in the first inning on a fielder’s choice groundout by Noah Franco. The groundout scored Sawyer Strosnider, who walked with one out and moved to third on a double by former Washington State player Cole Cramer.
Casey Hintz then allowed only one hit in 1 2/3 innings and Garrett Hicks pitched a hitless one inning of relief.
Tony Pluta (2-0) pitched the last two innings for the victory. He struck out three batters, including the last one of the game, with no walks while allowing a hit in the bottom of the 10th.
Anthony Silva hit a single with one out but was left stranded at second base after a ground out and Pluta’s strikeout that finished the Horned Frogs.
Incredible: Arizona ended the regular season and Big 12 tournament with five straight wins, the last four with the lineup having double-digit strikeout totals.
The Wildcats had 12 strikeouts in last week’s 8-1 win at Houston.
They had 11 strikeouts in the 4-1 win over BYU in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.
They struck out 13 times Friday against West Virginia in the semifinals.
They fanned 12 times against TCU.
Didn’t matter because of Arizona’s pitching, fueled by starters Owen Kramkowski, Raul Garayzar and Bailey — all in starting roles for the first time in their college careers this season under pitching coach Kevin Vance.
Kramkowski, a Walden Grove graduate, and Garayzar, a Rio Rico alum, each pitched six scoreless innings to set the tone against BYU and West Virginia, respectively, before Bailey’s effective outing against TCU.
Recommended for you
