TUCSON, Ariz. — The No. 16 Arizona Wildcats (29-11, 12-6) return to Texas for a three-game series against the Texas Tech Red Raiders (13-23, 8-10) this weekend in Lubbock.

All three games from Rip Griffin Park will be televised on ESPN+ and broadcast on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM, with the latter featuring play-by-play from Brian Jeffries.

Arizona has rattled off three straight Big 12 Conference series wins and sits two games out of first place in the league standings, making this weekend's slate crucial for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats have already played seven games in Texas this season, and have three more on the schedule before the Big 12 Baseball Championship.

For more, a complete series preview is below.
 

Date	Opponent	Time (MST)	Arizona Pitcher	Opponent Pitcher
Saturday, April 26	Texas Tech	11:00 AM	RHP Collin McKinney (0-1, 2.79)	RHP Mac Heuer (1-2, 6.15)
Saturday, April 26	Texas Tech	TBA	RHP Owen Kramkowski (6-3, 5.08)	RHP Tyler Boudreau (1-2, 9.00)
Sunday, April 27	Texas Tech	10:30 AM	RHP Smith Bailey (1-1, 3.47)	RHP Zane Petty (1-2, 5.82)

Leading Off...

• The Arizona Wildcats hit the road to Texas for the third time this season to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a three-game series in Lubbock this weekend.
• All three games will be televised on ESPN+ with John Harris and Mike Gustafson on the call. The series will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM featuring play-by-play from Brian Jeffries.
• Arizona and Texas Tech have squared off 15 times previously, with games dating back to 1972 and the Wildcats holding a 10-5 (.667) edge in the all-time series.
• The Wildcats and Red Raiders last met in 2022 at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, a game that Arizona won 10-5.
• Arizona's last visit to Lubbock was in 2017 at an NCAA Regional, however the Wildcats and Red Raiders did not meet. They did play a single game at Rip Griffin Park earlier that season, a game won by Texas Tech on a score of 13-1.
• Shortstop Mason White currently ranks fourth in program history with 38 career home runs. He sits just one home run shy of a tie for third. Of his 38 career home runs, 28 have been hit away from Hi Corbett Field at road/neutral venues.
• 40 games into the season the Wildcats have collected a Division I best 27 triples, more than they collected in 59 games last season. 21 of Arizona's 27 triples have been hit at home.
• Outfielder Brendan Summerhill returned on Wednesday against UT Arlington after losing a month due to injury. He hit the first pitch he saw from the Mavericks for a home run and finished the game going 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB.

SOME SERIES THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats and Texas Tech Red Raiders face off in a three-game Big 12 Conference series this weekend in Lubbock...This marks the third of Arizona's five scheduled weeks in the state of Texas this season...The Wildcats have combined to go 2-4 across six neutral site games in the Lone Star State this season...All three games will be televised on ESPN+ with John Harris and Mike Gustafson on the call. The series will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM featuring play-by-play from Brian Jeffries...Arizona and Texas Tech have squared off 15 times previously, with games dating back to 1972 and the Wildcats holding a 10-5 (.667) edge in the all-time series...The Wildcats and Red Raiders last met in 2022 at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, a game that Arizona won 10-5...Arizona's last visit to Lubbock was in 2017 at an NCAA Regional, however the Wildcats and Red Raiders did not meet...They did play a single game at Rip Griffin Park earlier that season, a game won by Texas Tech on a score of 13-1...Arizona made gains in every national poll this week and enters this weekend's action in Lubbock ranked No. 16 by D1Baseball, No. 21 by Baseball America, No. 20 by the NCBWA, No. 15 by Perfect Game, and No 19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll...Arizona currently sits tied for second in the Big 12 Conference standings, two games behind first place West Virginia...Outfielder Brendan Summerhill returned on Wednesday against UT Arlington after losing a month due to injury (fractured hand)...He hit the first pitch he saw from the Mavericks for a home run and finished the game going 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB...Shortstop Mason White currently ranks fourth in program history with 38 career home runs...He sits just one home run shy of a tie for third...Of his 38 career home runs, 28 have been hit away from Hi Corbett Field at road/neutral venues...40 games into the season the Wildcats have collected a Division I best 27 triples, more than they collected in 59 games last season...Texas Tech is led by 13th-year head coach Tim Tadlock, who has steered the Red Raiders to a 466-266 (.637) record, four College World Series appearances, eight NCAA Tournament berths, and three regular season conference championships during his tenure.

STREAKONOMICS: Five Wildcats enter this weekend's action sporting extended on-base streaks, led by outfielder Brendan Summerhill at 24 games. Summerhill has reached base safely in every game in which he's played this season. Outfielder Aaron Walton (15 games), catcher Adonys Guzman (7 games), infielder Garen Caulfield (6 games), and infielder Richie Morales (5 games) all boast lengthy on-base streaks of their own. No Wildcats currently carry hit streaks of more than three games. 

WHITE'S WEEKLY HONORS: Arizona shortstop Mason White has been selected as a Big 12 Co-Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. White joins fellow infielder Mathis Meurant as the two Wildcats to earn Big 12 weekly awards this season; Meurant was tabbed as a Co-Newcomer of the Week on February 24. This is the first conference weekly award for White. The Tucson native started all four games for Arizona during a 3-1 week that included a run-rule victory over Grand Canyon and a road series win at BYU. During the week, White went 9-for-19 (.474) at the plate with four runs scored, three doubles, two home runs, six RBI, and 18 total bases. He led the Wildcats in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, extra-base hits, and total bases. In addition to his contributions with his bat, White posted an unblemished 1.000 fielding percentage on 10 total chances. White opened the week with a three-hit performance against Grand Canyon on Tuesday; he scored a run and picked up an RBI against the Antelopes. He swatted his first of three doubles in the series opener against BYU on Thursday. White's performance peaked on Friday and Saturday in Provo, when he went a combined 5-for-9 with three runs, two doubles, two home runs, and five RBI to help Arizona seal a crucial road series win. The slugger's home runs on Friday and Saturday were both ultimately game-winning hits for the Wildcats. His two home runs during the week gave him 38 for his career, moving him just one homer shy of moving into a tie for third in program history.

TUCSON'S OWN: Infielder and Tucson native Mason White has 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 nine more so far this year, White is now fourth in program history with 38 dingers. In two-plus years he has averaged one home run every 16.10 at-bats, putting him on pace to finish with approximately 42 career home runs and rank third all-time for his hometown program. He has also cracked the Wildcats career top 10 in extra-base hits, with 93.

VITAMIN K: During a 16-inning marathon win against West Virginia on Friday, March 21 the Wildcats pitching staff tallied a program-record 29 strikeouts. The impressive mark shattered the previous program high of 21, set on April 26, 1940. The previous high-water mark of 21, accomplished 85 years ago, was solely the work of one man: Ken Heist. He struck out 21 New Mexico Lobos in a game played at Hi Corbett Field, then named Randolph Park, decades before it became the permanent home of the Wildcats. Arizona's program record 29 strikeout performance fell just two strikeouts shy of tying the NCAA record of 31.

MAJOR LEAGUE CATS: The Arizona Wildcats are proudly represented among the Major League Baseball ranks once again this season. Six Arizona letterwinners earned spots on Opening Day rosters last month, while former standout and Golden Spikes Award winner Terry Francona returned to the game as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Arizona's six MLB players on Opening Day rosters were the second most among all Big 12 programs, trailing on Arizona State's seven.

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 9% (289) of the program's all-time wins.

EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: Arizona has consistently taken advantage of the large dimensions at Hi Corbett Field since moving there in 2012 — in the decade-plus since the move off campus, the Wildcats have swatted 2,510 extra-base hits. Over that stretch, only one current members of the Big 12 Conference have tallied more extra-base hits: Texas Tech (2,677). Across 13 seasons at Hi Corbett Field as members of the Pac-12 Conference, Arizona paced the league in doubles seven times and triples eight times; they currently lead the Big 12 and the nation with 27 triples.

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 227 runs scored, 322 hits, 145 extra-base hits, and 235 RBI. White also earned Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball following his debut campaign in 2023.