Had it won either of its games at the College World Series, Arizona would have been reunited with an old Pac-12 foe in Omaha. That reunion will instead happen next February outside of Phoenix.
The Wildcats will open the 2026 season in a tournament at Surprise Stadium and face Oregon State as well as former Pac-12 rival Stanford along with Michigan.
THE DESERT JUST GOT HOTTER
4️⃣ top college baseball teams are heading to Surprise, AZ for a weekend of games at Surprise Stadium – Spring Training Home of the @Rangers and @Royals!
Upgrade your weekend with Home Plate Reserved⬇️
️: https://t.co/4l0R0YaFFo pic.twitter.com/obzdSgth9Z— College Baseball Series – Surprise (@CBS_Surprise) June 30, 2025
The event is part of the College Baseball Series put on by REVEntertainment, the same outfit that hosted Arizona in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas in February. REVEntertainment also runs the Big 12 Tournament, which is moving from Globe Life to Surprise Stadium in 2026.
Arizona and Oregon State were on the same side of the CWS bracket but did not meet. The Wildcats went 0-2, losing to Coastal Carolina and Louisville, while the Beavers were 1-2.
OSU is heading into the second year as an independent in baseball before moving back into the newly formed Pac-12 in 2027. Stanford is currently in the ACC.
The UA is 44-46 all-time against the Beavers, their most recent meeting in the final regular season Pac-12 game in 2024 when Brendan Summerhill’s 2-run double gave the Wildcats the conference title. Arizona is 88-121 against Stanford and 47-12 against Michigan, which is coached by former ASU head coach Tracy Smith.
Arizona is also set to play a tournament in Las Vegas next season.
Pluta nabs academic All-American honor
He’s not just the best reliever in the college baseball, he’s also pretty darn smart.
Arizona junior Tony Pluta has been named a First Team CSC Academic All-American, adding to his long list of accolades for his performance on and off the field.
Pluta, the Big 12 Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a unanimous All-American, is the UA’s first pitcher to get First Team academic AA honors since Bob Chaulk in 1976. Overall he’s the program’s 14th First Team selection, first since outfielder Tanner O’Tremba in 2022.
An aerospace engineering major who is set to graduate in May 2026, Pluta has a 3.919 GPA. On the field he was the Wildcats’ closer, going 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA and a school-record 14 saves in 30 appearances this season. Prior to the College World Series he was named NCBWA Stopper of the Year, an award given to college baseball’s top relief pitcher.
Pluta has also been named to the All-American team of every major college baseball outlet, the first unanimous selection in program history.