TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats (37-23) kick off their 2022 NCAA Tournament run with a postseason rematch against the Ole Miss Rebels on Friday night in Coral Gables, Florida.
Friday’s game from Alex Rodriguez Park will be televised on ESPNU and broadcast on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM. Fans can also follow along with the action on Twitter by following @ArizonaBaseball.
Arizona’s opener against Ole Miss will be a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Tucson Super Regional, which the Wildcats won two games to one to advance to the College World Series.
A complete game preview can be found below.
| Date | Opponent | Time (MST) | Arizona Pitcher | Opponent Pitcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 3 | Ole Miss | 4:00 PM | LHP Garrett Irvin (5-4, 3.22) | RHP Dylan DeLucia (5-2, 4.57) |
Leading Off…
- The Arizona Wildcats travel east to participate in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional this weekend, hosted by the Miami Hurricanes. All games in Coral Gables will be televised on the ESPN family of networks with Roy Philpott (PxP) and Jon Jay (Analyst) on the call. Arizona games will also be broadcast on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from Brian Jeffries.
- Arizona’s participation in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional marks the programs 41st NCAA Tournament appearance, the sixth most among all Division I programs.
- The Wildcats are led by first year head coach Chip Hale, a star player at Arizona from 1984-87. During his time in a Wildcat uniform Hale played in 16 NCAA Tournament games and won the 1986 College World Series.
- 15 regular contributors to this year’s Arizona squad were also members of the 2021 Wildcat team that advanced to the program’s 18th College World Series.
- Catcher Daniel Susac, outfielder Tanner O’Tremba, and right-handed pitcher Quinn Flanagan were all selected to the Pac-12 All-Conference team last week. Left-handed pitcher Garrett Irvin and outfielder Chase Davis were tabbed to the Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention team.
- The Wildcats defense currently leads the Pac-12 and rank tied for eighth nationally with 52 double plays turned. Shortstop Nik McClaughry, who leads the conference in defensive assists with 180, has been part of 36 of Arizona’s 52 double plays.
- Catcher Daniel Susac leads the Pac-12 and ranks t-5th among all Division I players with 94 hits.
SOME SERIES THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats open their 41st NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend at the NCAA Coral Gables Regional against host Miami, Ole Miss, and Canisius…All games in Coral Gables will be televised on the ESPN family of networks with Roy Philpott (PxP) and Jon Jay (Analyst) on the call..Arizona games will also be broadcast on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from Brian Jeffries…The Wildcats 41 NCAA Tournament appearances are the sixth most among all Division I programs…Arizona has deep and recent postseason ties with two of the programs in the Coral Gables Regional…The Wildcats and Hurricanes have played six times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in the opening game of the 2016 College World Series (Arizona won, 5-1)…Arizona and Miami also faced off in the 2008 Coral Gables Super Regional (Miami won series, 2-1), the 1986 College World Series (Miami won, 4-2), and the 1979 College World Series (Arizona won, 5-1)…The history between Arizona and Ole Miss is even more recent, with the two teams squaring off in the 2021 Tucson Super Regional, a series won by the Wildcats 2-1…Since the NCAA Tournament adopted the Super Regional format in 1999 Arizona has made 12 Regional appearances and advanced to a Super Regional five times…Three of those Regional Championships since 1999 came on the road: 2004 South Bend Regional, 2008 Ann Arbor Regional, 2016 Lafayette Regional.
POSTSEASON POINTS:
- Arizona is participating in their 41st NCAA Tournament in 2022, the sixth most in Division I history.
- The Wildcats sport an all-time winning record of 73-46 (.613) in the Regional/District round of the NCAA Baseball Championship, with 20 Regional/District championships (last: 2021).
- Since the NCAA Baseball Championship format change in 1999, Arizona has advanced to five Super Regional competitions.
- Arizona’s current roster features a combined 142 at-bats and 41.2 innings of NCAA Tournament experience.
STREAKONOMICS: Outfielder Tanner O’Tremba has reached base safely in 36 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the team this year and the longest on-base streak of his career. Over the course of his 36-game streak, O’Tremba has posted a .315 batting average (46-for-146) and a .415 on-base percentage. In the last 36 games he has logged 12 multi-hit performances and reached base multiple times on 21 occasions. His streak is three games longer than Arizona’s next-longest on-base streak this year, which belongs to fellow outfielder Mac Bingham who earned his way on base in 33 straight games from March 8–May 3. Infielder Garen Caulfield currently rides the team’s longest hit streak at 14 games. In his last 14 games Caulfield has hit .439 (18-for-41) and raised his season batting average from .268 to .300. Catcher Daniel Susac also sports an extended hit streak, at 10 games; over his streak Susac has hit .390 with 10 runs and 13 RBI.
FIVE CATS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS: Five Arizona Baseball standouts earned Pac-12 All-Conference recognition, the league announced last week. Catcher Daniel Susac, outfielder Tanner O’Tremba, and right-handed pitcher Quinn Flanagan were all selected to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team. Additionally, left-handed pitcher Garrett Irvin and outfielder Chase Davis were honored with spots on the Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention squad.
Pac-12 All-Conference Selections (career)
Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention Selections (career)
PLAYING ONLY THE HITS: Catcher Daniel Susac and outfielder Tanner O’Tremba have both been among the most consistent hitters in America this season. Susac’s 94 hits lead the conference and rank tied for fifth among all Division I players, while O’Tremba’s 85 base knocks are fourth in the Pac-12 and tied for 35th in the country. Three weekends ago against Oregon State, Susac surpassed his career-best mark of 81 hits, set during his historical freshman campaign in 2021. Both Susac (31) and O’Tremba (24) collect hits in bunches, having combined for 55 multi-hit performances this year. Susac has more multi-hit games (31) than he does zero- or one-hit performances (29).
DOUBLE TROUBLE: The Wildcats defense has excelled at twin killings this season, having turned a conference-best 52 doubles plays in 60 games. In addition to leading the Pac-12 (tied: Oregon), Arizona’s 52 doubles plays are currently tied for the eighth most among all 293 Division I programs. Shortstop Nik McClaughry has played a large part in the Wildcats double-play prowess and currently leads the Pac-12 with 180 defensive assists this season. McClaughry played a part in 36-of-52 double plays turned by the Arizona defense this year, the seventh-best individual mark in the Pac-12 and just ahead of teammate and second baseman Garen Caulfield (34).
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: With a healthy roster and everyone playing in their natural positions, the Arizona defense has improved as of late. The Wildcats have strung together two extended errorless streaks in recent weeks, the first a five-game coming April 12–18 and the second an eight-game streak from May 1–15. Arizona’s recent eight-game error-free streak was the longest recorded by the program as far as game-by-game error records exist (since 1998). Outfielder Tanner O’Tremba has been a steady defensive hand for the Wildcats, starting 55 games in the outfield and posting a near-perfect .991 fielding percentage on 106 chances. Freshman Tommy Splaine, who has started 41 games between first base (34 games) and catcher (7 games), has also logged a sparkling .991 fielding percentage on 344 chances. Daniel Susac, Arizona’s everyday starting catcher, leads the team with 424 defensive chances this year and has posted a .986 fielding percentage.
MILESTONE MEN: Catcher Daniel Susac and outfielder Chase Davis currently find themselves nearing historic territory at the plate this season. Below is a list of where their accomplishments this season currently sit in the Arizona record books.
Daniel Susac (C, Soph.)
- Single-Season Hits (94): 3 shy of breaking into Top 10
- Single-Season Multi-Hit Games (31): Tied for seventh all-time
Chase Davis (OF, Soph.)
- Single-Season Home Runs (16): T-11th, 1 shy of breaking into Top 10
