The University of Arizona baseball team had a tough showing at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, dropping all three of its games over the weekend at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Wildcats opened with a narrow 2-1 loss to the University of Mississippi on Feb. 14 followed by a 16-5 defeat at the hands of No. 8 Clemson University on Feb. 15. The Wildcats concluded the tournament with a mercy rule 13-1 loss to the University of  Louisville on Feb. 16 wrapping up the weekend with an unimpressive 0-3 result.

Game 1: Arizona vs. Ole Miss – Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.

Ole Miss baseball opened their season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Arizona on Friday evening at Globe Life Field. The Rebels marked their fifth consecutive season opening with a victory and 14 of their last 15. For Arizona, this was its first season-opening loss under head coach Chip Hale. 

Ole Miss left-hander Hunter Elliott made his long-awaited return to the mound, delivering a dominant performance in his first start since April 2023. The junior tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three on his way to earning the win—his first since the 2023 season opener against Delaware.

Arizona’s pitching staff put forth a strong effort, limiting Ole Miss to just two runs on six hits. Right-hander Collin McKinney, making his Wildcats debut, worked four-plus innings and allowed just one run while striking out three. Casey Hintz followed with 3.2 innings of relief, surrendering just one run and fanning four.

The Rebels broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning when Brayden Randle worked a leadoff walk and stole second base. Campbell Smithwick moved him to third with a fly ball and Luke Hill brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right base. Moments later, Issac Humphrey launched a 414.5-foot solo home run, extending the 2-0 lead.

Ole Miss’ bullpen preserved the lead, with Mason Morris pitching two scoreless innings before surrendering a home run to Arizona’s Mason White in the eighth. White’s blast, his 30th career home run, tied him for 11th most in Wildcats program history.

Closer Connor Spencer then entered the game, securing the final four outs to earn his eighth career save and lock down the Rebels’ first win of the season.

Arizona’s offense was held in check, mustering just five hits. White led the way, going 1-for-2 with a home run and a walk, while second baseman Garen Caulfield added a pair of hits in five at-bats.

Game 2: Arizona vs. Clemson – Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.

The Arizona Wildcats fell behind early and couldn’t recover in a 16-5 loss to the No. 8 Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Globe Life Field in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown.

Clemson stormed out to a commanding lead with a seven-run first inning, scoring eight hits against Arizona starter Owen Kramkowski, who was tagged with his first loss of the year. The Tigers’ early offensive explosion was highlighted by Josh Paino’s two-run single, Collin Priest’s run-scoring double in his first plate appearance as a Tiger, and Tristan Bissetta’s RBI double.

Arizona relievers Tony Pluta, Raul Garayzar, Garrett Hicks, and Eric Orloff combined to work the middle innings effectively, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out 10 batters and issuing no walks. Garayzar’s 3.0 innings matched his career-high, a feat he accomplished twice last season.

The Wildcats broke through with a run in the fifth inning before Brendan Summerhill powered the offense with a three-run home run in the seventh. Summerhill finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Easton Breyfogle went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. Mathis Meurant chipped in with an RBI single.

Despite Arizona’s late push, Clemson put the game out of reach with eight insurance runs in the ninth inning, punctuated by Cam Cannarella’s third double of the game, tying a school record. 

Clemson starter Ethan Darden (1-0) tossed 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out six. Drew Titsworth followed with 2.0 innings of relief to earn the win.

Game 3:  Arizona vs. Louisville – Feb. 16 at 9:30 a.m.

The Wildcats wrapped up their weekend at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown with a tough 13-1 loss to the Louisville Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. The game ended in eight innings due to the mercy rule, as Louisville exploded for 13 unanswered runs.

Freshman right-hander Smith Bailey made his collegiate debut for Arizona and impressed early, spinning four scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five. However, he did not factor into the decision. The Wildcats’ lone offensive highlight came in the first inning when shortstop Mason White launched his second home run of the weekend and the 31st of his career, tying him for tenth in program history.

Louisville’s offense, which had been quiet through the first four innings, erupted in the fifth. Tague Davis kickstarted the rally with a one-out walk, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on an errant throw following a Kamau Neighbors single. Lucas Moore then broke the 1-1 tie with an RBI single, igniting a stretch of six consecutive hits. Matt Klein, Jake Munroe, and Garret Pike delivered run-scoring singles on three straight pitches before Eddie King Jr. blasted a two-run triple off the right-centerfield wall. Alex Alicea capped the eight-run inning with a bases-loaded walk, as the Cardinals sent 14 batters to the plate and recorded seven hits in the frame.

Louisville tacked on five more runs in the eighth inning to bring the mercy rule into effect. Klein, Munroe, Pike, and King Jr. once again delivered consecutive RBI hits before George Baker would seal the game with an RBI. 

King Jr. led the Cardinals’ 17-hit barrage with three RBIs, while Klein, Munroe, and Pike all chipped in multiple hits. On the mound, Peter Michael impressed in his Louisville debut, allowing just one hit and one run over 4.2 innings while striking out five. Colton Hartman, Brennyn Cutts, and Wyatt Danilowicz combined for 3.1 no-hit innings to close out the game.

Looking Ahead

The Wildcats look to get their first win of the season in their first home matchup against the University of New Mexico on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. Arizona’s 0-3 start is the worst in Chip Hale’s time at the program.

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