TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats (20-8, 6-3) and No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils (20-9, 7-2) meet for three games this weekend at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in a significant Big 12 Conference series. 

The first two games in the series will be available to subscribers on ESPN+ while Sunday's series finale will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. All three games will also be live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM featuring play-by-play from both Brian Jeffries and Brody Dryden.

Arizona and ASU are both currently among the top four teams in the Big 12 Conference standings, adding extra significance to the rivalry series.

Sunday's game will be the 500th meeting between the two programs in a series that dates all the way back to 1907.

For more, a complete series preview is below.
 

Date	Opponent	Time (MST)	Arizona Pitcher	Opponent Pitcher
Friday, April 4	#24 ASU	6:30 PM	RHP Collin McKinney (0-1, 2.00)	LHP Ben Jacobs (2-1, 4.42)
Saturday, April 5	#24 ASU	6:30 PM	RHP Owen Kramkowski (3-3, 6.46)	RHP Jack Martinez (3-1, 4.46)
Sunday, April 6	#24 ASU	5:00 PM	RHP Smith Bailey (1-1, 3.13)	RHP Jaden Alba (1-0, 4.82)

Leading Off...

• The Arizona Wildcats face a road rivalry series against the Arizona State Sun Devils this weekend in Phoenix. 
• Friday and Saturday's games will be available to subscribers on ESPN+ with play-by-play from Braiden Bell and analysis from Deven Marrero. Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Victor Rojas (PxP) and Mike Rooney (Analyst) on the call.
• All three games this weekend will also be live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from both Brian Jeffries and Brody Dryden.
• Arizona and ASU have faced off 497 times previously, with games dating back to 1907 and the Wildcats holding a 263-233-1 (.520) edge in the all-time series.
• The Wildcats won the most recent matchup, a 3-2 decision in midweek non-conference action last month on March 11 in Tucson.
• Mason White currently ranks tied for sixth in program history with 34 career home runs. He is tied with David Shermet (1985-88) and sits just one home run shy of a tie for fifth. Of his 34 career home runs, 26 have been hit away from Hi Corbett Field at road/neutral venues.
• The Wildcats currently lead all Division I programs with 18 triples, five of which have been hit by the middle infield duo of Mason White (2) and Garen Caulfield (3).
• Arizona and Arizona State are the 10th and 9th winningest programs in the history of college baseball, respectively. The Wildcats 3,044 wins have come across 120 seasons, while the Sun Devils 3,053 victories have been spread across 114 seasons.

SOME SERIES THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats return to Phoenix for a three-game rivalry series against the Arizona State Sun Devils this weekend at Phoenix Municipal Stadium...Game three on Sunday will be the 500th game in series history...Friday and Saturday's game will be available to subscribers on ESPN+ with Braiden Bell (play-by-play) and Deven Marrero (analyst) on the call...Sunday's game was selected for a national television broadcast on ESPN2 with Victor Rojas (play-by-play) and Mike Rooney (analyst) on the call...All three games this weekend will also be live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from both Brian Jeffies and Brody Dryden (middle three innings)...Arizona and ASU have faced off 497 times previously, with games dating all the way back to 1907...The Wildcats hold a 263-233-1 (.530) edge in the all-time series and won the most recent matchup, a 3-2 decision in midweek non-conference action last month on March 11 in Tucson...Arizona has won three consecutive games in the series dating back to last season and have been victorious in five of the last seven...Both programs enter this weekend's action ranked in various national polls: Arizona is ranked in the Top 25 by Baseball America (#22), the NCBWA (#24), and Perfect Game (#20) while Arizona State is ranked by D1Baseball (#24) and Perfect Game (#25)...Since Chip Hale and Willie Bloomquist took over at their respective alma maters, the all-time series between the two programs is tied, 7-7...Arizona outfielder Brendan Summerhill, currently unavailable due to injury, was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Thursday afternoon; the Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player...Infielder Mason White currently boasts 34 career home runs with the Wildcats, tied for the sixth most in program history with David Shermet (1985-88)...White sits just one home run shy of moving into a tie for fifth; of his 34 career home runs, 26 have been hit at road or neutral venues...The Wildcats currently lead all Division I programs with 18 triples, five of which have been hit by the middle infield duo of Mason White (2) and Garen Caulfield (3)...Arizona and Arizona State are the 10th and 9th winningest programs in the history of college baseball, respectively...The Wildcats 3,044 wins have come across 120 seasons, while the Sun Devils 3,053 victories have been spread across 114 seasons.

STREAKONOMICS: While no Wildcats currently boast an extended hit streak, the team's middle infield duo of Garen Caulfield (17 games) and Mason White (12 games) both bring extended on-base streaks into this weekend's action. Outfielder Brendan Summerhill's 23-game on-base streak is currently on pause as he is unavailable due to injury. During Caulfield's streak he has hit .323 (20-for-62) with 12 walks and one HBP to earn a .423 on-base percentage. Over the course of the last 12 games, White has posted a .370 (20-for-54) batting average to go along with two walks and HBP to post a .433 on-base percentage.

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 week, 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.

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.

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 five more so far this year, White is now tied for sixth in program history with 34 dingers. In two-plus years he has averaged one home run every 16.56 at-bats, putting him on pace to finish with approximately 40 career home runs and rank third all-time for his hometown program.

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% (280) 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 2,458 extra-base hits. Over that stretch, only one current members of the Big 12 Conference have tallied more extra-base hits: Texas Tech (2,637). 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 18 triples.

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.

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.

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 216 runs scored, 306 hits, 133 extra-base hits, and 219 RBI. White also earned Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball following his debut campaign in 2023.

IRON ARM: Wildcats southpaw Eric Orloff is climbing the career charts at Arizona, currently boasting 80 games pitched in his four seasons in Tucson. Orloff is two appearances shy of moving past Ben White (1993-96) on the all-time leaderboard, the father of Eric's current teammate, Mason White.