TUCSON, Ariz. - The University of Arizona baseball team (8-15) will close out a five-game home stretch on Tuesday night at Hi Corbett Field against Grand Canyon (8-17). 

Tuesday night's game is slated for 6 p.m. and tickets are available for purchase and can be secured HERE.

LEADING OFF:

• The Arizona Wildcats face the Grand Canyon Antelopes in a midweek matchup at Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday.

• Tuesday night's game will be broadcast for subscribers on ESPN+ featuring play-by-play from Chris Harris.

• Arizona and Grand Canyon have faced off 104 times previously, with the Wildcats holding a 71-33 advantage in the series.

• Grand Canyon won the first of three matchups between the teams earlier this season, claiming a 705 victory over the Wildcats.

• Arizona is coming off a weekend in which they scored a combined 29 runs and recorded 44 hits across three games against Texas Tech.

• After getting off to a 1-8 start, Arizona is 7-7 over its past 14 games.

• Over the same stretch, the Wildcats are hitting .304 as a team and scoring 7.4 runs per game.

• Nate Novitske and Tony Lira continue to set the tone offensively for Arizona, as Novitske is batting a team-high .382 while Lira is hitting .368.

• Caleb Danzeisen leads the team in on-base percentage (.464) and he has reached base in 18 of 20 games this season, including reaching base two or more times in 12 contests.

• Andrew Cain has elevated his play at the plate as of late, and he is coming off a weekend series where he went 7-13 at the plate (.538) two walks to reach base nine times. 

SOME GAME THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats and Grand Canyon Antelopes meet for the second time this season at Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday night…Tuesday night's contest will be available for viewing on ESPN+ featuring play-by-play from Chris Harris…The Lopes won the last matchup between the two teams, collecting a 7-5 victory over the Wildcats three weeks ago…Arizona is coming off a 1-2 weekend against Texas Tech…The Wildcats fell on Friday night, before responding on Saturday with a 14-6 win in which they set a new season-high in hits with 17 and matched their highest run total in a game this season…Arizona narrowly fell on Sunday 12-10, and they recorded 17 hits for the second consecutive day…After a 1-8 start to the season, Arizona is 7-7 over their past 14 games…Despite owning a record of 8-15 this season, the Wildcats have a run differential of -7, and they have an average margin of defeat of 3.2 runs per loss…Across the first nine games of the season, Arizona had a batting average of .218 and scored 3.1 runs per game; however, over the past 14 games, the Wildcats are hitting .304 and have scored 7.4 runs per contest…Nate Novitske continues to lead the way offensively for Arizona, as he ranks first on the team and 14th in the Big 12 in batting average (.382), and he is coming off a weekend where he went 7-16 at the plate (.438) with five runs and three RBI…Tony Lira has also been superb offensively for Arizona, and he ranks first on the team in hits (35) and extra-base hits (10), while ranking third in RBI (16)...Lira is coming off a stellar weekend, going 6-11 (.545) with four walks, five RBI, four runs and one home run…Andrew Cain has continued to elevate his play for the Wildcats and he had a tremendous series against Texas Tech, as he went 7-13 (.538) with two walks, while recording three RBI and two runs scored…True freshman Caleb Danzeisen has been exceptional in his debut season for Arizona and he leads the team in on-base percentage (.464) and has reached base at least once in 18 of 20 games this season…Redshirt freshman Jackson Forbes has recently solidified his spot in the starting lineup and has been tremendous both offensively and defensively…Offensively, Forbes is batting .326 this season and ranks second on the team in RBI with 17 in 43 at-bats, as he has consistently delivered hits in critical situations…Defensively, Forbes has played a multitude of positions including second base, left field, and short stop and he is yet to make an error this season while recording 21 assists and nine putouts…Maddox Mihalakis got off to a tough start this season and was hitting .081 through the first nine games; but, he has found his rhythm at the plate and is leading the team in RBI this year with 19 and is batting .360 over the past 11 games

NOVITSKE AND LIRA SETTING THE PACE: 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 helped initiate the offense. Over the past 14 games, Arizona has hit .304 as a team, while averaging 10.9 hits and 7.4 runs per game. Novitske leads the team and ranks tied for 14th in the Big 12 with a .382 batting average. Novitske has ten multi-hit games this season, including seven games with three or more hits. He has recorded at least one hit in 16 of 20 contests. Lira has also been outstanding for the Wildcats, as he ranks first on the team in hits (35) and extra-base hits (10), while ranking second in batting average (.368) and on-base percentage (.455). Lira had his fourth career home run Sunday and he is tied for first on the team in that category. Lira has started all 23 games for the Wildcats this season and has recorded a hit in 17 of 23 contests, including posting two or more hits in 14 games.

MIHALAKIS AND CAIN FINDING THEIR RHYTHM: Senior Maddox Mihalakis and junior Andrew Cain entered the season with high expectations after each player started over 65% of games for last year's College World Series team. After struggling at the plate to start the season, Mihalakis and Cain have both hit their stride offensively as of late. Over Arizona's last 11 games, Mihalakis is batting .360 with a team-high six doubles, and 16 RBI. Over the same stretch, Cain is hitting .351 with seven RBI and he has walked four times to post an on-base percentage of .500. Over the weekend against Texas Tech, Cain was 7-13 with two walks, one double, one triple, and three RBI. Mihalakis delivered five RBI over the weekend and he leads the team in RBI this season with 19.

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 (.464) and is first in walks (18), while ranking third in batting average (.308), and fifth in hits (20).  He has reached base in 18 of 20 contests, including reaching base two or more times in 12 contests. He delivered a critical three-run home run, the first of his career, in the Big 12 opener 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. Throughout the weekend series against Texas Tech, Danzeisen was 5-13 and walked four times, while scoring six runs. 

FORBES FINDING HIS ROLE: Redshirt freshman Jackson Forbes has solidified his spot in the starting lineup as of late, and has been highly impressive both offensively and defensively for the Wildcats. Forbes is hitting .326 this season and he ranks second on the team in RBI with 17 in just 12 games. He has produced 14 hits, six of which were extra-base hits, including three home runs. In the field, he has played second base, left field, right field, and short stop and is yet to make an error this season. All three of his home runs this year have come on the first pitch of the at-bat.