Late Rally, Dominant Pitching Secure Arizona's 3-2 Win Over No. 1 Texas A&M

Friday, February 28

Houston, Texas / Daikin Park

6:35 PM MST

University of Arizona

6-3

Texas A&M

5-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Arizona	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	8	1
Texas A&M	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	5	0

Box Score (PDF)

Photo by: Marison Bilagody / Arizona Athletics

Late Rally, Dominant Pitching Secure Arizona's 3-2 Win Over No. 1 Texas A&M

02/28/2025 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: Arizona Athletics

HOUSTON, Texas — The Arizona Wildcats (6-3) used two dominant performances on the mound and a ninth-inning rally to defeat the No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies (5-3) on Friday night at the Astros Foundation College Classic.

Wildcats starting pitcher Collin McKinney (4.0 IP) and right-handed reliever Casey Hintz (5.0 IP) combined on a five-hit, two-run gem in which they struck out 13 Aggie batters. Hintz earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the year following his remarkable relief effort.

Facing a 2-0 deficit, center fielder Aaron Walton got the Cats on the board with a solo home run in the sixth inning. His line drive homer cleared the Crawford Boxes in left field at Daikin Park and brought Arizona within a run.

Arizona's decisive rally came in the top of the ninth - down to their final three outs, the Wildcats put together a two-run frame to grab the lead.

Designated hitter Maddox Mihalakis opened the ninth inning with a double off the wall in left field, moved to third on a one-out single from Tommy Splaine, and came across to tie the game on an infield single legged out by left fielder Easton Breyfogle.

Following a fielder's choice that pushed Splaine to third base, right fielder Brendan Summerhill roped a line drive at the Texas A&M first baseman and sprinted out the go-ahead infield single.

Hintz remained in the game for the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth. A routine fly ball to right and a fielding error that turned into a 9-5 putout at third base secured the first two outs before a single to right field put the tying runner on base. Hintz proceeded to induce a swinging strikeout from Texas A&M's Jace LaViolette, one of the top prospects in the country, to slam the door shut and secure Arizona's win.

Arizona WildBATS

RF Brendan Summerhill: 3-for-5, RBI
CF Aaron Walton: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, BB
DH Maddox Mihalakis: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB
1B/C Tommy Splaine: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB

Bullpen Bullies

RHP Casey Hintz: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 7 K, Win (2-0)

Number of the Night

Friday's win marked the first time Arizona beat the No. 1 ranked team in the nation since April 20, 2010 when the Wildcats earned a 4-2 road win at ASU.

Photo of the Night

Social Media Coverage

CASEY HINTZ. ICE IN HIS VEINS. pic.twitter.com/dVSFdrYt24
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) March 1, 2025

Casey. Hintz.

DAWG ?? pic.twitter.com/P1RsduEV3E
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

HOW WE FEELING, WILDCATS?!?! pic.twitter.com/jov4knh6hh
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

ARIZONA TAKES DOWN #1 TEXAS A&M!!! pic.twitter.com/A9CrPQrJ0N
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) March 1, 2025

Good things happen when you put the ball in play ????? pic.twitter.com/eF7DuN2wsU
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

SPEED KILLS ??????? pic.twitter.com/r5yr9mm27z
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

??? LET 'EM HEAR YA, HINTY!!! ?? pic.twitter.com/G6M0TW4aZP
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

LIFTOFF ?? pic.twitter.com/E0GZnGxKWZ
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

CMC cooking with gas ????? pic.twitter.com/I9awuHFqTY
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

WHAT. AN. ESCAPE. FIRE US UP @Collinmckinne11!! ?????? pic.twitter.com/bhISAg2EIo
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

big stage, big moment ?? pic.twitter.com/ZQaIInptB7
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2025

Houston, we have arrival ??? pic.twitter.com/9VV6hdWj5z
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) February 28, 2025

Next Up

Arizona faces another ranked SEC opponent, No. 18 Mississippi State, on Saturday afternoon at Daikin Park. The Wildcats and Bulldogs square off at 2:05 p.m. MST.