No. 11 Arizona Hosts UCLA at Hi Corbett this Weekend

TUCSON, Ariz. — The No. 11 Arizona Wildcats (16-5, 5-1) play host to the UCLA Bruins (13-7, 1-2) this weekend at Hi Corbett Field. 

Arizona will look to defend their top spot in the Pac-12 standings in a crucial matchup against UCLA, who they will look to beat in a three-game series for the first time since 2018.

The Wildcats last home weekend was a sparkling success, with Arizona sweeping a three-game series against the previously No. 12 ranked Stanford Cardinal. The Cats have gone 10-3 at home this weekend with the backing of the best fans on the West Coast, and will look to build on that success this weekend against UCLA.

Promotions this weekend include The Office Night on Friday, a Jason Donald bobblehead giveaway on Saturday, Bark at the Park on Sunday, and much more. Complete promo schedule and details can be found HERE. Tickets to all three games are still available for purchase and can be secured by clicking HERE. 

For more, a complete weekend preview is below.
 

Leading Off...

• The Arizona Wildcats and UCLA Bruins square off in a Pac-12 Conference matchup this weekend at Hi Corbett Field. All three games will be live streamed on ArizonaWildcats.com.
• UCLA leads the all-time series between the two programs, 133-124-1. In their most recent meeting for a three-game series in Los Angeles in 2021, the Bruins took 2-of-3 games from the Wildcats. 
• Arizona's last series win over UCLA came in 2018, a three-game sweep at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson.
• Arizona has scored at least one run in 193 consecutive games, the longest active scoring streak in the Power Five and the second-longest in program history. They are 39 games away from tying the longest streak in school history.
• The Wildcats lead the Pac-12 with 86 extra-base hits this season. Since moving to Hi Corbett Field in 2012, Arizona has swatted 1,747 XBH, nearly 200 more than the next closest team over that decade-plus stretch.
• Arizona's has dominated the seventh and eighth innings this year, outscoring opponents 65-24 and hitting .380 (70x184) with 18 extra-base hits across those frames.
• Wildcats outfielder Chase Davis has hit eight home runs this year, tying him with Oregon State's Jacob Melton for first in the Pac-12. His eight homers also rank tied for 19th among all Division I players.
• Arizona remains ranked in every major national poll, topping out with a No. 9 placement from the NCBWA and USA Today Coaches Poll.

SOME SERIES THEMES: The No. 11 Arizona Wildcats and UCLA Bruins square off for a highly-anticipated Pac-12 Conference matchup this weekend at Hi Corbett Field...The Bruins leads the all-time series between the two programs, 133-124-1...UCLA took 2-of-3 games in their most recent meeting, a series hosted in Los Angeles in 2021...Arizona last won a series against UCLA in 2018, a three-game series sweep at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson in 2018...The Wildcats have scored at least one run in 193 consecutive games, the longest active scoring streak in the Power 5 and the second-longest streak in program history...Arizona outfielder Tanner O'Tremba enters the weekend leading the Pac-12 with a .446 batting average, while his .538 on-base percentage ranks second...Fellow Wildcat outfielder Chase Davis has swatted eight home runs this year, tied for the Pac-12 lead and tied for 19th nationally...Arizona remains ranked in every major national poll, with a high point of a No. 9 placement from the NCBWA and the USA Today Coaches Poll...UCLA paces the conference and ranks tied for 16th in the nation with 43 stolen bases this season.

STREAKONOMICS: Outfielder Tanner O'Tremba currently dominates the Wildcats streaks, holding their longest active hit streak at 14 games and their longest active on-base streak at 21 games. During the course of his 14-game hit streak, O'Tremba has posted a .453 batting average (24x53) with 11 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, 15 RBI, nine walks, a .585 slugging percentage, and a .544 on-base percentage. He has reached base safely in every one of Arizona's games this year, and as such currently leads the Pac-12 in batting average and ranks second on the circuit in OBP. Freshman Tommy Splaine has hit safely in seven straight games, the second-longest active streak. Daniel Susac, Mac Bingham, and Splaine have all reached base safely in their last nine games.

RUNNING WILD: Arizona has scored at least one run in 193 straight games — they have not suffered a shutout loss since falling 1-0 at Washington on March 17, 2018. The Wildcats 193-game scoring streak is the longest active streak in the Pac-12 and 84 more games than the next closest team, Oregon (109 games). It is also the longest active streak among all Power Five programs, and the third-longest streak in program history. Over the course of their 193-game scoring stretch, Arizona has been held to three runs or fewer just 32 times. On the flip side, during the streak they have scored five or more runs 110 times. Arizona and Oregon are the only programs in the Power Five with scoring streaks longer than 100 games.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since Arizona Baseball moved to Hi Corbett Field for the 2012 season, the Wildcats have enjoyed a tremendous home field advantage. Over those 10+ seasons, Arizona has posted a record of 236-98, winning games at a .707 clip. Their home winning percentage over that stretch is the second best mark in the conference.

POLL POSITION: The Wildcats remain ranked in the Top 25 by every major national outlet, led by a No. 9 ranking from the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Arizona is also ranked No. 10 from Collegiate Baseball, No. 11 from D1Baseball, and No. 12 from Baseball America. Arizona opened the season ranked in every poll, marking the sixth consecutive year they earned a preseason ranking from Collegiate Baseball and the ninth time they were selected to the USA Today Coaches Poll (since 2004). The only other Pac-12 programs currently ranked in the D1Baseball poll is No. 6 Oregon State.

CATS COACHES: The Wildcats are led into the 2022 season by first-year head coach Chip Hale — he was hired by Arizona Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke on July 5, 2021. Hale, the Wildcats all-time leader in games played, hits, and total bases during his time in Tucson from 1984-87, brings nearly two decades of professional coaching experience to Arizona. During his collegiate career Hale helped steer the 1986 Arizona Wildcats to their third NCAA National Championship. His professional coaching career was highlighted by a stint as the manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-16) and a World Series championship with the Washington Nationals in 2019. Hale is assisted by associate head coach Dave Lawn, in his seventh season with the Wildcats, and first-year assistant coaches Trip Couch and Toby DeMello. Lawn has made four College World Series appearances with three different Pac-12 programs, sent 23 players to the Major Leagues, and won five conference championships. Couch, one of the nation's top recruiting coordinators, joins the Wildcats in the same role after splitting the last 11 years between Houston and South Carolina. Across his decades of collegiate coaching experience, Couch has made 11 NCAA postseason appearances, developed 12 All-Americans, and directly coached 37 MLB Draft selections. DeMello, the Wildcats volunteer assistant, will work with Arizona's hitters and catchers after serving in a similar role at Sacramento State, where he helped guide the Hornets to an NCAA Regional appearance in 2019. Arizona's staff is rounded out by director of baseball operations Will Gaines, director of player development Tyler Coolbaugh, and undergraduate assistant Brian Anderson.

WATCH LIST WATCH: Sophomore catcher Daniel Susac and senior left-handed pitcher Holden Christian have both earned watch list recognition from an array of national awards. Susac has been tabbed to the watch lists for both the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player, and the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, given annually to the nation's top Division I catcher. Christian was honored with a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given annually to the nation's top relief pitcher. This is the first time on all three watch lists for both players, though Susac worked his way into the semifinalist list for the Buster Posey Award midway through his outstanding freshman campaign in 2021.

EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: Through just 21 games, the Arizona offense has combined to swat an astounding 86 extra-base hits, the best mark in the Pac-12. The Wildcats are currently averaging 4.1 extra-base hits per game, with catcher Daniel Susac and outfielder Tanner O'Tremba leading the way with 15 and 13 XBH, respectively. Arizona has taken advantage of the large dimensions at Hi Corbett Field since moving there in 2012 — in the decade-plus since the move the Wildcats lead the Pac-12 with 1,747 extra-base hits (second: Stanford, 1,567). During that stretch Arizona has paced the conference in doubles six times and triples five times.