Arizona has won four college baseball national championships (1976, 1980, 1986 and 2012), the first three under Jerry Kindall and the most recent under Andy Lopez. The team has appeared in the College World Series Championship Game or Series on four other occasions (1956, 1959, 1963, and 2016). The Wildcats have appeared in 43 NCAA baseball tournaments in their rich history. Arizona ranks ninth in all-time wins and eight in all-time win percentage, with an all-time record of 3,024–1,653–22 (.646) as of the 2024 season. Arizona fielded its first team in 1905.
The former home of Arizona baseball is Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium. The park is located on the campus of the University of Arizona, adjacent to the McKale Center, home of the UA athletics department. Arizona played its games at the Kindall Field from prior to the 1967 season through the end of the 2011 season. Modernization of the facility was completed for the 1975 season. Originally called Wildcat Field, the park was officially dedicated Frank Sancet Field on April 19, 1986, in honor of Arizona's longtime head coach. Sancet, who coached from 1950 to 1972, posted an 831–283–8 (.744) mark at the helm of the Cats.
Relocation to Hi Corbett Field
In an effort to have the Wildcat baseball program compete in the best possible facilities, in August 2011, the UA signed an agreement with the city of Tucson for Arizona baseball to play its home games at city-owned Hi Corbett Field, located about three miles southeast of campus, for the 2012 season (beginning with a five-year lease with an option to renew for an additional five years). The UA spent about $350,000 to make several upgrades to the former spring training facility (used as such by the Cleveland Indians and the Colorado Rockies), where the Wildcats previously played selected games in the 1960s and '70s.[3][4] Through the first three-game series of the 2012 season against North Dakota State, the attendance at the stadium was a total of 8,870, which was nearly 1/4th of the total home attendance for the Wildcats' previous season at Sancet Stadium.
In 2012, the Wildcats posted a 38–17 regular season record (20–10 in Pac-12 conference play), capturing a share of the Pac-12 baseball championship, the school's first league title since 1992. As a result, Hi Corbett Field hosted both an NCAA Regional and Super Regional tournament, and Arizona won both of those to advance to the 2012 College World Series (the program's first postseason appearance in Omaha since 2004)[5] where the team won its fourth national championship. In the 2012 season, the team brought in almost $350,000 in ticket revenue (not including revenue for tickets sold during the NCAA Regional or Super Regional); this is compared to the 2011 season, when Arizona baseball brought in $69,000 worth of ticket revenue in its final season at Sancet Stadium. The relocation of the Wildcat baseball program to Hi Corbett Field has been noted as a major factor in the team's successful 2012 season.[6]
In March 2017, the university signed a 25-year lease on Hi Corbett Field, taking over the day-to-day management of the baseball stadium from the City of Tucson.[7]
Arizona's main rival is Arizona State. Although they are famously known for their rivalry in football and basketball as well as softball, both schools have had a rich baseball tradition in their history. The Wildcats lead the Sun Devils in all time baseball series 260–227–1 as of May 2023 and both teams have had several players drafted into MLB.
In recent years, Arizona has had an edge over Arizona State in college baseball success. In 2010 ASU won the Pac-10 and also advanced to the College World Series, capping the end of a dominating run of 4 straight Pac-10 conference championships and 3 CWS appearances in 4 years (missed CWS in 2008). Later, the NCAA would vacate the 2007 Pac-10 Championship and 2007 CWS appearance from ASU's record.
Since then Arizona has won the CWS (2012), was the CWS runner-up (2016) and won two Pac-12 Championships (2021 & 2024). In contrast to Arizona's recent success, ASU has not won the Pac-10/12 Conference since 2010, has not been the CWS runner up since 1988 and has not won an NCAA Championship since 1981. Arizona has won 2 NCAA championships since 1981. While ASU still has a more robust historical record (5x NCAA Champs, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1981 and 21x CWS appearances), Arizona has narrowed that gap in the last 10 years.
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