TUCSON, Ariz. - The University of Arizona baseball team will welcome Texas Tech to town this weekend, as they will host the Red Raiders in their first Big 12 series at Hi Corbett Field this season.

Arizona (7-13, 1-2) opened Big 12 play by going 1-2 at Utah last weekend, while Texas Tech went 2-1 against Kansas in Lubbock last weekend to commence their Big 12 slate.

Friday and Saturday's games are each scheduled for 6 p.m., while the third and final game of the series will take place at Noon on Sunday.

LEADING OFF

• The Arizona Wildcats host the Texas Tech Red Raiders for a three-game Big 12 series at Hi Corbett Field.

• All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ featuring play-by-play from Brody Dryden.

• Arizona and Texas Tech have played 18 times previously, with the Wildcats holding an 11-7 advantage in the all-time series.

• Texas Tech won two of three games against Arizona in Lubbock last season.

• Arizona is 4-4 in their last eight contests, with two of those losses coming by one run.

• After starting 1-8 this season, Arizona has gone 6-5 over their last 11 games and have made significant improvements offensively over that stretch.

• The Wildcats have scored 6.7 runs per game while recording 9.9 hits per contest over their last 11 games, after averaging 3.1 runs and 7.5 hits over their first nine games.

• Redshirt-freshmen Nate Novitske and Tony Lira continue to lead the way offensively for Arizona, with Novitske batting .370 and Lira hitting .345.

• True freshman Caleb Danzeisen leads the team in on-base percentage (.448).

• Maddox Mihalakis has found his rhythm at the plate as of late, and he enters the weekend on an eight-game hit streak, while batting .400 over that stretch.

• Arizona's pitching staff ranks third in the Big 12 in strikeouts with 210, and Owen Kramkowski is sixth in the conference in strikeouts (32), while Smith Bailey is ninth (29).

SOME WEEKEND THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats and Texas Tech Red Raiders meet for a three-game series this weekend at Hi Corbett Field in Arizona's first home Big 12 series of the year…All three games this weekend will be available to subscribers on ESPN+ featuring play-by-play from Brody Dryden…Arizona and Texas Tech have faced off 18 times throughout history, with the Wildcats owning an 11-7 advantage in the series…Arizona and Texas Tech played a three-game series in Lubbock last season, and the Red Raiders won two of three three games…After a slow start to the season, Arizona has gone 6-5 over their past 11 games, with victories over Vanderbilt, UC Irvine, Fresno State (3x), and Utah…The Wildcats opened Big 12 play on the road last weekend, going 1-2 at Utah; however, Arizona was walked off Saturday and Sunday, as they lost each game by one run…Arizona's pitching staff has been outstanding this season, with Owen Kramkowski, Smith Bailey, and Luc Fladda set to start on the mound again this weekend…Kramkowski is sixth in the Big 12 in strikeouts (32) and he was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week last week (3/9) after a superb performance against Fresno State in which he tossed 6.0 scoreless innings while striking out 12 and issuing no walks…Smith Bailey has been outstanding this season, as he ranks seventh in the Big 12 in ERA (2.76)...Fladda has also been stellar for the Wildcats, as he is currently 10th in the conference with a 3.00 ERA, and he has 23 strikeouts to only one walk…Arizona is 32nd in the country in total strikeouts (210) and 38th in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5)...Relief pitchers Maclain Roberts and Garrett Hicks have been tremendous for Arizona this season. Roberts has allowed just five hits and zero runs in 12.2 innings, while Hicks is 2-0 with one save and has a 2.16 ERA across 8.1 innings…Nate Novitske has led the way for Arizona at the plate, as he is batting a team-high .370 and has had eight multi-hit games in 17 contests…Tony Lita has also been impressive at the plate, and he leads the team in hits (29) while holding an average of .345…True freshman Caleb Danzeisen has excelled both offensively and defensively for the Wildcats, and he leads the team in on-base percentage (.448), and has reached base in 15 of 17 contests, including reaching base two or more times in nine contests…After getting off to a slow start, Maddox Mihalakis has found his rhythm at the plate, as he is tied for first on the team in RBI (140), extra-base hits (8), and the senior is batting .400 over Arizona's last eight games…Texas Tech enters the weekend with an overall record of 13-7 and a mark of 2-1 in Big 12 play…The Red Raiders are led by 14-year head coach Tim Tadlock who boasts a record of 486-283 at the helm of the program…Texas Tech has been one of the premier offensive teams in the nation this season, as they rank first in the Big 12 and second in the country in batting average (.367)...The Red Raiders also lead the conference while ranking top-five in the nation in on-base percentage (.475), slugging percentage (.620), hits (253), runs scored (226), and doubles (59).

NOVITSKE AND LIRA SETTING THE TONE: After struggling at the plate to start the season, Arizona has significantly elevated their offensive play, and Redshirt Freshmen Nate Novitske and Tony Lira have led the way. Over the past 11 games, Arizona has hit .285 as a team, while averaging 19.9 hits and 6.7 runs per game. Novitske leads the team and ranks 17th in the Big 12 with a .370 batting average. Novitske has eight multi-hit games this season, including five games with three hits. He has recorded at least one hit in 14 of 17 contests. Lira has also been outstanding for the Wildcats, as he ranks first on the team in hits (29), tied for first in extra-base hits (8), while ranking second in batting average (.345) and on-base percentage (.415). Lira had his third career home run last Sunday at Utah, launching a 477-foot shot to center field. Lira has started all 20 games for the Wildcats this season and has recorded a hit in 14 of 20 contests, including posting two or more hits in 11 games.

MIHALAKIS HITTING HIS STRIDE: Senior Maddox Mihalakis entered the season with high expectations after starting 60 games for last year's College World Series team. After struggling at the plate to start the season, Mihalakis has found his stride offensively as of late. Over Arizona's last eight games, the senior is batting .400 with a team-high 14 hits, five doubles, and 11 RBI. Throughout the weekend series at Utah to open Big 12 play, Mihalakis went 5-14 with three RBI, two doubles, and two runs scored. He had another double on Tuesday against New Mexico, as he has hit a double in three of the past four games. Mihalakis leads the team with 14 RBI this season and is tied for first in extra-base hits (8).

DANZEISEN GETTING IT DONE AT THE PLATE: True freshman Caleb Danzeisen was thrust into a starting role early in the season due to injuries and has been exceptional during his first collegiate campaign, particularly at the plate. Danzeisen leads the team in on-base percentage (.448) and is tied for first in walks (14), while ranking third in batting average (.288), and fourth in hits (15).  He has reached base in 15 of 17 contests, including reaching base two or more times in nine contests. He delivered a critical three-run home run, the first of his career, last Friday against Utah with one out in the top of the ninth inning to tie the contest, and Arizona went on to win in extra innings. 

ROBERTS AND HICKS DOMINATING OUT OF THE PEN: Arizona has had a multitude of relief pitchers make contributions this season, but none more noteworthy than Maclain Roberts and Garrett Hicks. Roberts, a junior from Auckland, New Zealand who did not start playing baseball until 2019, has been sensational for the Wildcats. In five appearances this season, he has tossed 12.2 innings and allowed just five hits and zero runs, while striking out 17 and issuing just two walks. Roberts is holding opposing hitters to a .119 average at the plate. He pitched 3.2 scoreless innings against Utah last Saturday and allowed just one hit. Hicks has also had an exceptional season, as he has thrown 8.1 innings in six appearances and holds an ERA of 2.16. Hicks is 2-0 with his second win coming this past Friday night after he tossed 3.0 scoreless innings and did not allow a hit. He also has one save and is limiting opposing batters to a .233 average at the plate.

FRESHMEN SHOWING OUT: Arizona has had five different freshmen start at least seven games apiece this season, including three that have started at least 16 games, and they have continued to make a notable impact. In addition to Redshirt freshmen Nate Novitske and Tony Lira, and true freshman Caleb Danzeisen, Jackson Forbes and Cash Brennan have also had noteworthy starts to their collegiate careers. Brennan, a true freshman and the younger brother of current UCLA starting right-fielder Payton Brennan, has started 11 games and is batting .256 with an on-base percentage of .326. Forbes has pinch-hit twice this season and is 2-2 with a double and a home run. He made the starting lineup twice in the weekend series at Utah and delivered by going 3-9 at the plate with three RBI and a home run. He hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th inning during last Saturday's contest and also had a two RBI single in the top of the ninth on Sunday to give the Wildcats the lead. Forbes is batting .300 on the season with 10 RBI, and he has played left field, second base, and short stop in the field and is yet to make an error.

STARTING ROTATION ON LOCK: Arizona brought back a large portion of its pitching from the 2025 season, as six of 11 pitchers who threw at least 18 innings last season returned for the 2026 campaign, highlighted by returning starters Owen Kramkowski and Smith Bailey. Kramkowski has been the Friday night starter so far, while Bailey has served as the Saturday starter. Both pitchers were ranked in D1 Baseball's Preseason Top-200 Starting Pitcher rankings. Bailey led the way coming in at #16, while Kramkowski landed at #39. Kramkowski is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after starting 18 games and posting a record of 9-6 throughout the season. He compiled an ERA of 5.48 across a team-high 92.0 innings of work and recorded 90 strikeouts to just 18 walks. The Sahuarita, Arizona native garnered All-Big 12 Preseason honors and was tabbed a Preseason Third Team All-American by Perfect Game. Kramkowski did not have a great start to the season; however, he had a tremendous performance against Fresno State two weeks ago in which he struck out a career-high 12 batters in six innings to help lead Arizona to a shutout victory over Fresno State this past Friday. It was the first time all season that Fresno State had been shutout, and Kramkowski was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week following the superb performance. Overall, this season he is 1-2 with a 5.87 ERA across 23.0 innings. Kramkowski leads the team and ranks sixth in the Big 12 in strikeouts. Bailey enters his sophomore season after an exceptional freshman campaign in which he was named a First Team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball, a Second Team Freshman All-American by Baseball America and Perfect Game and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. During the 2025 season, Bailey started 18 games on the mound, compiling a record of 3-3. He recorded an ERA of 3.94 across 89.0 innings of work and struck out 80 batters. Bailey also limited opposing hitters to just a .267 average at the plate. Bailey has been tremendous for the Wildcats this season, as he is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA and an opposing batting average of .198 in five starts. Earlier this season against Fresno State, he threw a career best 7.0 innings and allowed just four hits and no runs, while striking out a career-high nine batters to help propel Arizona to a victory. Bailey is seventh in the Big 12 in ERA (2.76), ninth in strikeouts (29), and 10th in opposing batting average (.202). Senior transfer Luc Fladda has emerged as the Sunday starter for the Wildcats and has been exceptional this season. The Tulane transfer started 30 games across two seasons for the Green Wave the past two years, before joining Arizona ahead of the 2026 campaign for his final collegiate season. Fladda has tossed 27.0 innings this year and has issued just one walk while recording 23 strikeouts. Fladda has an ERA of 3.00 which ranks second on the team and 10th in the Big 12. He is holding opposing hitters to a .225 average at the plate. Fladda had one of the best performances of his career against UC Irvine (3/1), as he pitched 7.0 innings and allowed no runs on four hits and no walks, while matching a career-high with nine strikeouts.