Arizona is headed to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., for the 19th time, the first under Wildcat great Chip Hale as head coach.
The Wildcats won the last two games of the best-of-three Super Regional, including Sunday’s 4-3 victory following a three-run rally in the eighth inning.
Arizona (44-19) has won its last four super regional series and is headed to the College World Series for the first time since 2021.
“I’m just so happy for these kids,” said Hale, who is in his fourth year. “I’m happy for these families. They have grinded so hard, spent so much money coming here and raising these kids, putting them in travel baseball and high school baseball.
“Now, they get a payoff to go to Omaha. We’re going to go there and put our best foot forward and try to win our fifth national championship.”
The Wildcats will play No. 13 Coastal Carolina in the opening round of the CWS on Friday. Those schools met in the 2016 championship series with the Wildcats falling short.
Arizona trailed North Carolina 3-1 entering the eighth inning, struggling to crack starter Ryan Lynch.
After Andrew Cain reached on a single, Tommy Splaine’s grounder was mishandled by the second baseman. Lynch exited with no outs and runners at first and second.
Lynch allowed three hits across seven scoreless innings, with five strikeouts and a walk on 91 pitches.
Easton Breyfogle followed with a bunt down the third-base line. He was safe and a throwing error allowed Cain to score to cut the lead to 3-2.
Breyfogle was hurt on the play after colliding with the first baseman. TJ Adams replaced him.
A walk to Summerhill loaded the bases.
Salpointe grad Mason White followed with a two-run single up the middle with one out to put Arizona ahead 4-3.
”I was 8 years old when Arizona won its last championship (in 2012),” White, a third-generation Wildcat told ESPN afterward. “This is what I have dreamed of.”
Casey Hintz kept North Carolina scoreless and closer Tony Pluta retired the side in the bottom of the ninth for his 14th save.
After consecutive one-out singles by Carter French and Kane Kepley, Jackson Van De Brake hit a three-run home run to give North Carolina a 3-1 lead in the third inning.
That was North Carolina’s only damaging hit against Smith Bailey, who pitched admirably in his first Super Regional start.
Bailey allowed five hits and three runs in six innings with four strikeouts and three walks.
Garen Caulfield produces Arizona’s only run until the eight inning on a solo home run just inside of the left-field foul pole with two outs in the second inning.
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