College World Series Preview: 3 things to know about the Arizona Wildcats

USA Today

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College World Series Preview: 3 things to know about the Arizona Wildcats
The College World Series returns this week for the 75th anniversary of the CWS in Omaha. LSU baseball is headed to Omaha for the 20th time in program history. The Tigers will be joined by seven other programs looking to make a run at the national title.
Just about every pocket of the country is represented in the field of eight. There's a heavy West Coast presence with Arizona, Oregon State, and UCLA. LSU and Arkansas represent the boot, while Murray State and Louisville represent Kentucky. From the Southeast, we have Coastal Carolina.
We have a fresh field as none of these teams were in Omaha last year.
A few schools are chasing their first national championship while programs like LSU and Arizona look to add to a large trophy case.
Ahead of the CWS, we'll examine all eight teams. With only two SEC teams in the field, LSU fans are likely unfamiliar with most of these squads.
Here are three things to know about the Arizona Wildcats.
1. Starting pitching is a question mark
Owen Kramkowski and Smith Bailey are the two constants in Arizona's starting rotation, but results are a mixed bag.
Kramkowski pitched seven innings of one-run baseball in his regional start, but surrendered eight earned runs in just 1.1 innings vs. UNC in the super regional. Bailey's numbers aren't great either, with 4.01 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 83 innings.
They've been good enough to get Arizona this far, but it's fair to wonder if they'll hold up against elite lineups in Omaha.
2. Elite options in the bullpen
While the starting pitching is questionable, the bullpen should be one of the best in Omaha.
Reliever Tony Pluta was All-Big 12 Second Team in 2025 and owns a 1.26 ERA and 0.81 WHIP across 35.2 innings. Pluta is listed at 5-foot-9, but he doesn't pitch like it. For two years, he's been one of the best bullpen arms in the country.
Look out for Raul Garayzar, who's made 21 appearances in 2025, seven of them being starts. Garayzar has a 2.81 ERA in 57.2 innings.
3. Don't expect many home runs
With 41 homers on the year, Arizona ranks last in the Big 12.
Mason White is one of the nation's top sluggers with 19, and Aaron Walton has 14, but those are the only two Wildcats with double-digit homers.
Just because it doesn't rely on homers doesn't mean Arizona can't slug, though. The Wildcats rank fourth in the Big 12 with a .486 slugging percentage. Arizona's 36 triples led the conference, too.