No. 22 Arizona Baseball 2025 College Top 25 Preview

Image credit: Brendan Summerhill (Photo courtesy Marison Bilagody/Arizona Athletics)

Last season: 36-23 (20-10 Pac-12; now in Big 12); eliminated in Tucson Regional
Final 2024 ranking: No. 21
Coach (record at school): Chip Hale (108-74, 4th season)

You can find our complete 2025 preseason Top 25 ranking here.

The Good News

Picked to finish ninth in the final preseason Pac-12 coach’s poll, Arizona exceeded expectations in head coach Chip Hale’s third season at the helm. The Wildcats won the conference’s regular-season and tournament titles, which secured it top-16 seeding and regional host status for the first time since 2021, which was now-LSU skipper Jay Johnson’s final year with the program. Arizona ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring and returned all of the key contributors from that group for its first season in the Big-12, including first baseman Tommy Splaine, second baseman Garen Caulfield, third baseman Maddox Mihalakis, shortstop Mason White, outfielders Easton Breyfogle and Brendan Summerhill and designated hitter Andrew Cain. The Wildcats also brought in Samford transfer outfielder Aaron Walton, who slashed .286/.396/.492 with nine home runs and 15 stolen bases. Another year of maturity should suit the Wildcats well at the plate as they aim to extend their program-record four-year postseason streak and host a regional in back-to-back years for the first time ever.

The Bad News

A sizable portion of Arizona’s 2024 success was the byproduct of a herculean effort from its rotation, which was made up of Clark Candiotti, Jackson Kent and Cam Walty, who combined to make 45 starts, pitch 272 innings and maintain a 3.57 ERA, making them one of the top weekend trios in the nation. The Wildcats won’t have any of them this year, though, after all were selected in last year’s draft, leaving a gargantuan hole for the program’s coaching staff to fill. Baylor transfer Collin McKinney, Wisconsin-Whitewater transfer Michael Hilker, Rutgers transfer Christian Coppola, Tacoma CC transfer Jack Berg and freshmen Mason Russell and Smith Bailey are all options to assume rotation spots. Among the aforementioned NCAA-level transfers, only Hilker, who comes from Division III, posted an ERA below 6.70. The Wildcats will need multiple emergent performances early on in the season to maintain their winning ways from the last three years.

Player To Know

After showing flashes of his potential in 2023 as a true freshman while receiving limited reps, Summerhill put together an explosive sophomore season, hitting .324/.399/.550 with 32 extra-base hits and 59 RBIs in 58 games. A first-round hopeful, Summerhill, who is now viewed as one of the Big 12’s best players, started 58 of Arizona’s 59 games in center last season and is expected to return to the position in 2025.

Path To Omaha

So much hinges on whether or not the Wildcats can quickly settle into a rhythm on the mound this year. They were incredibly efficient in the category a year ago but didn’t return any of that production, putting the pressure on newcomers to step up. The Wildcats’ offense should be able to do enough damage to keep this team in games but a trip to Omaha requires excellence on the mound, too.

Projected 2025 Lineup

Pos	Player	Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	HR	RBI	Note
C	Adonys Guzman	Jr.	.265	.384	.324	136	1	17
1B	Tommy Splaine	Sr.	.230	.304	.361	183	5	23
2B	Garen Caulfield	Sr.	.310	.391	.469	59	5	42
3B	Maddox Mihalakis	Jr.	.259	.312	.386	166	3	32
SS	Mason White	Jr.	.305	.392	.603	239	19	65
OF	Easton Breyfogle	So.	.252	.366	.381	139	1	14
OF	Brendan Summerhill	Jr.	.324	.399	.550	238	8	59
OF	Aaron Walton*	Jr.	.286	.396	.492	189	9	36	Samford
DH	Andrew Cain	So.	.290	.357	.520	100	5	23
Pos	Player	Year	GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	SO	BB	Note
SP	Collin McKinney*	So.	14	49.2	6.70	1.75	60	35	Baylor
SP	Michael Hilker*	Jr.	13	87.1	2.06	0.87	116	18	Wisconsin-Whitewater
SP	Mason Russell	Fr.							Casteel HS – Queen Creek, Ariz.
RP	Casey Hintz	Jr.	0	32.2	4.13	1.84	24	12
RP	Christian Coppola*	Jr.	12	43.2	7.63	1.76	47	33	Rutgers