Arizona is returning to the Super Regional round for the first time since 2021 after sweeping through the Eugene (Ore.) Regional with three straight victories, including Sunday night’s 14-0 win over Cal Poly in the championship.
The Wildcats (42-18) await their Super Regional fate next weekend.
They are pegged to travel to No. 5 North Carolina, if the Tar Heels defeat Oklahoma on Monday in the Chapel Hill Regional final. The Sooners upset North Carolina 9-5 on Sunday, forcing a deciding game Monday at noon.
If Oklahoma beats North Carolina, the NCAA will determine if Arizona or the Sooners will host the Super Regional next weekend.
In the victory over Cal Poly on Sunday night — Arizona’s eighth consecutive win — the Wildcats pounded the Mustangs early, keeping the momentum going from Saturday’s 19-hit, eight-home run effort in a 14-4 win over Utah Valley.
The Wildcats scored their first eight runs in the initial two innings, including five off starter Ethan Marmie (4-4) in the first inning.
“It’s fantastic,” Chip Hale, advancing to a Super Regional for the first time as a head coach, told ESPN+ in a postgame interview. “I’m honored to be the head coach, but my staff is unbelievable. The way they work, whether it’s positioning, whether it’s pitch calling, working in the cage … it’s just a great group of guys.
“The kids, they just fight. So we’re going to keep fighting. I don’t know where we’re going, but we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it.”
Aaron Walton wasted no time
The centerfielder set the tone early for Arizona with a pair of 2-run homers pic.twitter.com/8yLLuRNhVE
— Big 12 on D1Baseball (@Big12D1Baseball) June 2, 2025
Aaron Walton started the scoring with the first of his three home runs in the game with a two-run shot in the top of the first.
He matched the hat trick achieved by Mason White the night before in Arizona’s win over Utah Valley. Walton becomes the 10th Arizona player to have three home runs in a game.
ARIZONA’S PLAYERS WITH THREE HOME RUNS IN A GAME
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
Aaron Walton vs. Cal Poly, June 1, 2025
Tommy Splaine capped the five runs in the first with an RBI single after White scored on a wild pitch and Maddox Mihalakis crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice groundout by Andrew Cain.
The Wildcats’ three runs in the second inning came on another two-run shot by Walton and a solo shot by Mihalakis.
“Just having fun out there and passing it on to the next guy,” Walton told ESPN+ after he was asked about matching White’s performance.
The eight runs in the first two innings were more than enough for freshman starter Smith Bailey, who left after the sixth inning with the Wildcats ahead 10-0.
Bailey (3-3) allowed four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Arizona’s lead became 10-0 in the bottom of the sixth on yet another two-run home run by Walton off former Wildcat pitcher Josh Morano. Walton finished 4 for 4 with six RBIs.
A two-run home run by Splaine in the bottom of the seventh increased the lead to 12-0.
Mihalakis hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot in the eighth, to cap the scoring.
Arizona had a perfect balance between hitting, pitching and defense in the three victories at Eugene.
The Wildcats hit 15 home runs in the games and 23 extra-base hits overall among their 34 hits.
They had six home runs Sunday night after belting a program-record eight on Saturday. Easton Breyfogle also had a home run in the 3-2 win over Cal Poly on Friday.
Owen Kramkowski allowed only one run in seven solid innings Friday to go along with Bailey’s performance Sunday as a starter.
The bullpen was impeccable.
Garrett Hicks, Tony Pluta, Casey Hintz, Michael Hilker Jr., Hunter Alberini, Julian Tonghini and Matthew Martinez combined for 11 innings and allowed only five hits and one run with 17 strikeouts and only one walk.
Arizona’s defense committed only one error in the three games.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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