Arizona’s school-record eight home runs, three of them blasted by slugger Mason White, were part of a 19-hit barrage by the Wildcats in their 14-4 shellacking Saturday night of Utah Valley in the Eugene (Ore.) Regional.
The Wildcats (41-18) advance to the championship round of the regional. They will face either Utah Valley (33-28) or Cal Poly (42-18) at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Utah Valley and Cal Poly will face each other in an elimination game at 3 p.m.
White’s three home runs gives him 19 this season and 48 for his career. The home runs tie eight others for the program record. The Salpointe graduate also had a double to cap a 4-for-5 day with four RBIs.
Arizona’s 19 hits came a day after the Wildcats had only two in a 3-2 win over Cal Poly in the opening game of the Eugene Regional.
“Just being aggressive, just coming out and taking the fight to them, honestly,” White told ESPN+ broadcasters Roxy Bernstein and Wes Clements about the difference in the lineup’s production. “Just coming out and trying to throw the first punch. I think we did that.”
The nine Wildcats with three home runs in a game (happened three times against Utah Valley, including Saturday night):
Dennis Haines at Texas-El Paso, April 7, 1972
Ron Hassey vs. Weber State, March 20, 1974
Erik Torres at Washington, April 8, 2000
Shelley Duncan vs. Utah, Feb. 23, 2001
Brad Glenn vs. Utah Valley, Feb. 7, 2007
C.J. Ziegler vs. Utah Valley, May 9, 2008
Dillon Baird vs. Sacramento State, Feb. 29, 2008
Emilio Corona at Oregon State, April 30, 2023
Mason White vs. Utah Valley, May 31, 2025
Arizona’s eight home runs surpassed the school record of seven that was set on April 8, 2001 against Washington State and matched on April 28, 2003 against Sacramento State.
The home runs hit by Arizona on Saturday night:
| INNING | PLAYER | HR | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 1 | Mason White | 2-run | Arizona 2-0 |
| Top 3 | Mason White | Solo | Arizona 3-2 |
| Top 4 | Tommy Splaine | Solo | Arizona 4-2 |
| Top 4 | Brendan Summerhill | Solo | Arizona 5-2 |
| Top 4 | Mason White | Solo | Arizona 6-2 |
| Top 7 | Aaron Walton | 2-run | Arizona 11-4 |
| Top 7 | Adonys Guzman | 2-run | Arizona 13-4 |
| Top 8 | Garen Caulfield | Solo | Arizona 14-4 |
White’s two-run home run with one out in the top of the first, after Brendan Summerhill led off the game with a double, gave Arizona an early lead.
After Utah Valley answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, Arizona took the lead for good in the top of the second when Easton Breyfogle’s fly ball to right-center field was misplayed by center fielder Jayden Smith. The error allowed Andrew Cain to score from second base. Cain had walked and Tommy Splaine followed with a single before Breyfogle came to the plate.
White’s solo blast in the third inning was followed by three more solo home runs by the Wildcats in the fourth, including one by White again for his third of the game. Splaine and Summerhill homered before him in the fourth.
Arizona led 7-2 after that barrage.
ARIZONA CAREER HOME RUN LEADERS
| Player | Years | HR |
|---|---|---|
| Shelley Duncan | 1999-2001 | 55 |
| Mason White | 2023-25 | 48 |
| Brad Glenn | 2006-09 | 43 |
| Chase Davis | 2021-23 | 39 |
| Kenny Corley | 1995-98 | 36 |
| Nick Quintana | 2017-19 | 35 |
| David Shermet | 1985-88 | 34 |
| Les Pearsey | 1975-78 | 33 |
| C.J. Zeigler | 2007-08 | 33 |
| Moises Duran | 2001-04 | 32 |
“They’re looking at me to start off, doing the first punch, like tonight,” White said of his teammates. “Just doing that, set the tone early, and let the guys behind me — and maybe the younger guys that might be a little more timid — just letting them know, ‘Let’s go, we’re in the games.’ I’ll step up and I’ll be the one to do it.”
Utah Valley managed two runs in the bottom of the fourth, forcing out Arizona starter Raul Garayzar in the process. Garayzar left with the bases loaded and no outs.
Casey Hintz entered and induced the next two batters to ground out (the Wolverines scored their two runs in the inning on those plays) before getting the last batter to ground out.
Hintz and Michael Hilker Jr. were masterful in the last six innings, limiting Utah Valley to only one hit.
The Wolverines, who upset host Oregon on Friday night, seemed to lose their spark when one of their top players, first baseman Jimmy De Anda, left the game in the bottom of the second inning with a leg injury.
Hintz did not allow a hit in his three innings of work. He had two strikeouts and no walks.
Hilker allowed one hit in three innings with no walks and a season-high seven strikeouts.
Arizona unloaded six runs in the seventh inning to pull away to a 13-4 lead.
After Breyfogle had an RBI single and Summerhill forced in a run on a groundout, Aaron Walton and Adonys Guzman each had two-run home runs.
Caulfield’s home run to lead off the eighth capped the scoring.
Arizona totaled 14 extra-base hits in the game, another program record.
White had four of them with his three home runs and double. His 110 extra-base hits ties the Arizona career record set by Dave Stegman from 1973-76.
“I just love the postseason,” said White, who hit three home runs in Arizona’s run to a Big 12 tournament title last week. “I love the pressure, and I love the competition we face every night. It’s a new season, basically, so I absolutely love it.”
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