The Arizona baseball team took on Kansas State in their season opener in Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 18. Sophomore TJ Nichols got the start for the Wildcats’ on the mound.

Arizona struck first in the top of the second inning with a two-out home run from sophomore Noah Turley to put the Wildcats’ up 1-0. Pitching for Kansas State was Blake Adams. The Arizona baseball team would tack on two more runs in the top of the third inning with an RBI double to centerfield from Mac Bingham to drive in Blake Paugh and make it 2-0. Bingham would score from third in the same inning after an RBI single to left field from catcher Daniel Susac to make the score 3-0.

Kansas State responded in the bottom of the third. Kaelen Culpepper scored after a double to left field from outfielder Dominic Johnson making the score 3-1. Nichols was in command allowing only five hits and 1 run in the four innings he pitched. George Arias Jr. would replace Nichols in the fifth and throw a shutout inning before being replaced by Anthony Susac.

The Wildcats’ struck again in the sixth inning with a home run from junior Tanner O’Tremba to extend the lead to 4-1. Following this, Adams would be taken out of the game but the Wildcats kept tacking on runs after Wesley Moore came in to pitch and only lasted two-thirds of an inning thanks to a two-run double hit by Susac to left field to bring home Nik McClaughry and Paugh to make the score 6-1.

The Arizona baseball team would add two more runs in the top of the eighth after a McClaughry triple to bring in Turley. Bingham would steal second causing McClaughry to score from third making the score 8-1. After the eighth inning, Kansas State had 11 hits and Arizona had nine.

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Kansas State would show some life with a two-run single to right field from Orlando Salinas Jr. scoring Dylan Phillips and Nick Goodwin to make the score 8-3 Arizona. Trevor Long would replace Susac only to hit Kaelen Culpepper with the bases loaded to make the score 8-4. Long walked another batter with the bases loaded to make the score 8-5. Lefty Holden Christian would replace Long. Kansas State scored again on a sacrifice fly from Cole Johnson to cut the lead to 8-6.

Christian would close out the game with a scoreless ninth inning and the Arizona baseball team would go on to win by the score of 8-6. George Arias Jr. secured the win with Christian recording the save.

The Arizona Wildcats now start to prepare for their game on Saturday at 6 p.m. MST against the University of Oklahoma.

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