University of Arizona
Pepperdine
03/05/2025 | Baseball
All four games will be broadcast to subscribers on ESPN+ and feature play-by-play from Brody Dryden. Tickets for the series are available for purchase HERE.
The Wildcats enter this week's four-game series riding serious momentum, having just secured two ranked victories over SEC programs last weekend in Houston. Arizona has won seven of their last eight games entering their final week of non-conference play before embarking upon their inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference.
For more, a complete series preview is below.
| Date | Opponent | Time (MST) | Arizona Pitcher | Opponent Pitcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 6 | Pepperdine | 6:00 PM | RHP Michael Hilker Jr. (1-1, 36.00) | RHP Jordan Cole (0-0, 2.89) |
| Friday, March 7 | Pepperdine | 6:00 PM | RHP Collin McKinney (0-1, 0.79) | RHP Tommy Scavone (0-1, 2.12) |
| Saturday, March 8 | Pepperdine | 6:00 PM | RHP Owen Kramkowski (1-1, 9.25) | RHP Matthew Boyer (1-1, 3.31) |
| Sunday, March 9 | Pepperdine | 12:00 PM | RHP Smith Bailey (0-1, 1.26) | RHP Dylan Stewart (0-1, 12.00) |
Leading Off...
- The Arizona Wildcats welcome the Pepperdine Waves to Hi Corbett Field for a rare four-game series this Thursday–Sunday.
- All four games will be broadcast to subscribers on ESPN+ with play-by-play from Brody Dryden.
- Arizona and Pepperdine have played each other 48 times previously, with games dating back to 1948. The most recent matchup between the two programs was a three-game series in Tucson in 1991; the Wildcats won game one, 4-3, but the Waves responded with a 7-1 win in game two and a 15-0 shutout victory in the rubber match.
- Last weekend, the Wildcats collected a pair of victories over ranked SEC opponents at the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston. The weekend was highlighted by a Friday night win over then No. 1 ranked Texas A&M, Arizona's first win over the top ranked team in the country since they defeated Arizona State, 4-2, on April 20, 2010.
- With three home runs so far this season and 32 in his career, infielder Mason White currently sits tied for ninth on the Wildcats career leaderboard. White is tied with Moises Duran (2001-04) and is one homer shy of moving into a tie for 7th all time.
- The Arizona pitching staff has issued only 27 walks in 11 games and posted an average of 2.61 free passes per nine innings pitched, the third-best mark in Division I. The Wildcats 3.96 strikeout-to-walk ratio is currently the fifth-best mark in the nation.
- The Wildcats have posted a perfect 4-0 record at home this season. While inside the friendly confines of Hi Corbett Field, Arizona has registered an eye-popping .389 batting average to go along with a sparkling 1.97 ERA and an impressive .985 fielding percentage.
SOME SERIES THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats (7-4) are set to host the Pepperdine Waves (3-10) for a rare four-game series this week at Hi Corbett Field...All four games between the Wildcats and Waves will be broadcast to subscribers on ESPN+ featuring play-by-play from Brody Dryden...Arizona and Pepperdine have played each other 48 times previously, with games dating back to 1948...The most recent matchup between the two programs was a three-game series in Tucson in 1991; the Wildcats won game one, 4-3, but the Waves responded with a 7-1 win in game two and a 15-0 shutout victory in the rubber match...The Wildcats enter the weekend ranked No. 21 by Perfect Game and are receiving votes in both the NCBWA Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll...Last weekend, the Wildcats collected a pair of victories over ranked SEC opponents at the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston...The weekend was highlighted by a Friday night win over then No. 1 ranked Texas A&M, Arizona's first win over the top ranked team in the country since they defeated Arizona State, 4-2, on April 20, 2010...With three home runs so far this season and 32 in his career, infielder Mason White currently sits tied for ninth on the Wildcats career leaderboard...White is tied with Moises Duran (2001-04) and is one homer shy of moving into a tie for 7th all time...The Arizona pitching staff has issued only 27 walks in 11 games and posted an average of 2.61 free passes per nine innings pitched, the third-best mark in Division I...The Wildcats 3.96 strikeout-to-walk ratio is currently the fifth-best mark in the nation...The Waves are led by first-year head coach Tyler LaTorre, who has steered Pepperdine to a 3-10 record through his first three weeks in Malibu.
STREAKONOMICS: Infielder Maddox Mihalakis enters the series riding the Wildcats longest active hit streak at eight games. Over his last eight games, Mihalakis has hit .355 (11-for-31) with six runs scored, three doubles, one triple, one RBI, and four walks. Outfielder Brendan Summerhill has reached base safely in all 11 games this season and currently sports a .434 OBP that ranks third on the team. Mihalakis (9 games) and outfielder Easton Breyfogle (8 games) also both sport active extended on-base streaks. The Wildcats longest hit streak and on-base streak last season both belong to Summerhill, who posted a 12-game hit streak and a 33-game on-base streak during the 2024 campaign.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!: Senior infielder Garen Caulfield, senior infielder Tommy Splaine, junior right-handed pitcher Casey Hintz, and senior right-handed pitcher Matthew Martinez have been named Arizona Baseball's 2025 Team Captains. They were all voted on by their teammates to lead the clubhouse this season. The quartet of upperclassmen have all been major contributors on the field, leaders in the clubhouse, and exemplary men off the field during their time in Tucson.
CATS COACHES: The Wildcats are led this season by fourth-year head coach Chip Hale — he was hired on July 5, 2021. Hale, the Wildcats all-time leader in games played, hits, and total bases during his time in Tucson from 1984-87, brought nearly two decades of professional coaching experience to Arizona. During his collegiate career, Hale helped steer the 1986 Arizona Wildcats to their third NCAA National Championship. His professional coaching career was highlighted by a stint as the manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-16) and a World Series championship with the Washington Nationals in 2019. Hale is once again joined by assistant coaches Toby DeMello, Trip Couch, and Kevin Vance. DeMello, who joined the Wildcats from Sacramento State in 2022, was promoted from volunteer assistant into a full-time coaching role after his second season in Tucson. Since arriving, he has helped craft one of the most dangerous offenses in America, one that has averaged 7.15 runs per game and batted .289 under his guidance. Couch, one of the nation's top recruiting coordinators, joined the Wildcats in the same role in 2022 after splitting the previous 11 years between Houston and South Carolina. Across his decades of collegiate coaching experience, Couch has made 14 NCAA postseason appearances, developed 15 All-Americans, and directly coached 42 MLB Draft selections. The Wildcats newest full-time staff addition was assistant coach Kevin Vance, who arrived in Tucson prior to the 2024 season to develop the Arizona pitching staff. Vance's staff led the entire nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio and BB/9 rate last year while dropping their ERA over a run and a half, the 20th best improvement in the country.
TUCSON'S OWN: Infielder and Tucson native Mason White has put together back-to-back successful seasons for his hometown Wildcats, and has already slugged his way into the Arizona Baseball record books. With 10 home runs as a true freshman, a team-leading 19 last year as a sophomore, and three more so far this year, White is now tied for ninth in program history with 32 dingers. In two-plus years he has averaged one home run every 15.3 at-bats, putting him on pace to finish with approximately 44 career home runs and rank second all-time for his hometown program.
HOME SWEET HOME: Since Arizona Baseball moved to Hi Corbett Field for the 2012 season, the Wildcats have enjoyed a tremendous home field advantage. Over those 13+ seasons, Arizona has posted a home record of 292-123, winning games at a .704 clip. Their home winning percentage over that stretch is the third best mark in the Big 12 Conference, while their 291 home victories are second most in the conference.
WE'VE GOT ICE: Outfielder Aaron Walton has been hit by pitches eight times this year, a mark that leads the team and the Big 12 Conference while ranking tied for 12th nationally. Walton is already just seven HBP shy of cracking the Arizona single-season top 10.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION: Arizona infielder Mathis Meurant, who was born and raised in France, is the lone player on the Wildcats roster from outside the United States. With assistance from Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24 on Twitter) and the French Baseball and Softball Federation it has been confirmed that, upon his Wildcat debut on opening weekend in Arlington, Meurant became the first French player at the Power Conference level in NCAA history. Meurant originally hails from Vaires-sur-Marne, a small town just east of Paris. Following a breakout performance in week two against San Diego in which he posted a 2.200 OPS, Meurant was selected as the Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week, making him the first Arizona Baseball player to receive a Big 12 weekly award.
3,000 CLUB: Arizona Baseball is one of just 10 programs in the history of college baseball to win 3,000 games. As it currently stands, Arizona is the 10th all-time winningest program in the history of the sport. The Wildcats logged their 3,000th victory with a 3-2 win over UCLA on March 29, 2024. Across time as a player (1984-87) and as a coach (2022-present), Arizona head coach Chip Hale has contributed to over 8% (268) of the program's all-time wins.
THE AMERICANS: Two Wildcat juniors, outfielder Brendan Summerhill and infielder Mason White, have both earned Preseason All-America nods from multiple outlets. The two combined to produce an outsized majority of the Arizona offense last season, and both are primed to feature heavily in what looks to be a veteran lineup in 2025. Since 2023, Summerhill and White have combined for 179 runs scored, 257 hits, 114 extra-base hits, and 187 RBI. White also earned Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball following his debut campaign in 2023.
AMONG THE BEST: Five standout Wildcats were recognized prior to the season beginning by D1Baseball as they organized their preseason position rankings. The group is led by Preseason All-Americans Mason White, who was tabbed as the seventh-best shortstop in the country, and Brendan Summerhill, who was selected as the twelfth-best outfielder in the nation. Second baseman Garen Caulfield (second base), Casey Hintz (relief pitcher), and Tony Pluta (relief pitcher) were all also honored with spots on their lists.
0-2, 1-2, OR DIE TRYING: Under assistant coach Kevin Vance the Wildcats pitching staff has excelled at limiting walks; last year, Arizona led the entire nation in both BB/9 (2.56) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.46). Three weeks into the 2025 season and the Arizona staff has come close to replicating both of those marks and ranks inside the nation's top five programs in each metric. Through 11 games, the Wildcats BB/9 of 2.61 is third best in Division I, while their strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.96 ranks fifth.
MIDAS TOUCH: Arizona Baseball outfielder Brendan Summerhill was honored with one of 55 spots on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, USA Baseball announced earlier this month. Summerhill is the first Wildcat to earn a spot on the preseason watch list since outfielder Chase Davis landed on the 2023 edition. He is the 12th Arizona player to be named to the preseason watch list since its inclusion in the awards process in 2008, and the third developed by head coach Chip Hale (Davis 2023, Daniel Susac 2022). Summerhill, a junior, has logged two-plus seasons and 91 games in an Arizona uniform and posted a .316 career batting average. The Chicago native enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign last year, leading the team in both batting average (.324) and on-base percentage (.399) en route to earning Pac-12 All-Conference honors. Summerhill contributed to the Wildcats 2024 Pac-12 Championship season in all facets of the game, scoring 50 runs, slugging 32 extra-base hits, driving in 59 RBI, stealing seven bases, and playing strong defense.
BIG CONFERENCE, BIG HONORS: Arizona infielder Mason White and outfielder Brendan Summerhill both earned spots on the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Players are nominated for, and voted onto, the Preseason All-Big 12 team by the league's 14 head coaches. At the same time, the Wildcats were selected to finish second in the 2025 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll with four first place votes, marking their highest selection since the 2021 team was picked to finish second in the 2021 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll. Arizona will face the teams that finished ranked directly ahead of (Oklahoma State) and behind (TCU) them in the poll at home this season. The complete 2025 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll can be found on the right side of page three of these notes.
