The University of Arizona baseball team (44-19) is heading back to Omaha, Neb., for the 19th time in program history. 

The Wildcats took two of three games from the No. 1 overall seed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Chapel Hill Super Regional from June 6-8. Arizona overcame a lopsided defeat in game one with back-to-back comeback victories, punching its ticket to the College World Series for the first time since 2021.

Sunday’s decisive victory marked Arizona’s 19th all-time trip to the CWS and the program’s first under head coach Chip Hale, who won a national title with the Wildcats as a player in 1986.

Game 1: North Carolina 18 – Arizona 2

North Carolina’s offense overwhelmed the Wildcats in Friday’s opener on June 6, scoring early and often in an 18-2 rout — the most runs ever scored by the Tar Heels in a Super Regional game.

Arizona struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but UNC responded with a 5 run bottom half, capped by a 3-run home run from Hunter Stokley. The Tar Heels added 3 more in the second and kept the momentum rolling, finishing with 4 home runs and 17 hits overall.

Catcher Adonys Guzman went 4-for-4 with a double and RBI to lead Arizona’s offense, while six Wildcat pitchers combined to allow 18 runs — 11 of them over the final three innings. Right-hander Michael Hilker Jr., was a lone bright spot, logging 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Game 2: Arizona 10 – North Carolina 8

In one of the most dramatic games of Arizona’s season, the Wildcats outlasted North Carolina in a back-and-forth slugfest on Saturday, June 7, winning 10-8 to even the series, forcing a winner-take-all game three.

The game featured six lead changes, with Arizona using a 4-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead for good. Maddox Mihalakis delivered the decisive blow, lining a first-pitch, 2 run single up the middle to put the Wildcats ahead 10-8.

Arizona pounded out 16 hits, going 10-for-24 with runners on base and 7-for-15 with two outs. Eight of the nine Wildcat starters collected hits, including multi-hit efforts from Tommy Splaine, Mihalakis, Brendan Summerhill, Aaron Walton, and Mason White.

On the mound, the bullpen carried the day. After starter Raul Garayzar was pulled in the second, Garrett Hicks, Casey Hintz and Tony Pluta combined to limit UNC over the final seven innings. 

The Tarheels scored 4 runs at the top of the seventh to lead 8-4, however, the Wildcats responded with an identical performance, recording 4 runs themselves, regaining the 10-8 advantage. 

Pluta (3-0) shut the door with 2.1 scoreless frames, striking out two and earning the win. The victory marked Arizona’s fourth win this season when trailing in the seventh inning or later.

Game 3: Arizona 4 – North Carolina 3

The Wildcats completed the comeback with a 4-3 win on Sunday, June 8, riding a late rally and a strong bullpen performance to secure the program’s 19th College World Series appearance.

Trailing 3-1 after a 3-run homer by Jackson Van De Brake in the third inning, Arizona chipped away late. Andrew Cain led off the eighth with a single, then scored on an error following an Easton Breyfogle bunt. With the bases loaded and one out, White delivered the biggest hit of the season — a 2 run single up the middle to give Arizona the 4-3 lead. 

Freshman Smith Bailey pitched six strong innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. Julian Tonghini (5-2) picked up the win with a scoreless seventh, Hintz locked down the eighth and Pluta slammed the door with a clean ninth for his 14th save — a new single-season school record.

Arizona and UNC each managed just 5 hits in a tense finale. Garen Caulfield hit a solo home run in the second, and Cain finished 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. The win gave Arizona its first Super Regional victory on the road since 2016.

Looking ahead

Arizona now shifts its focus to Omaha, Neb., where the Wildcats head to compete in the Men’s College World Series beginning on Friday, June 13 and lasting until June 23.

Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X