Arizona Wildcats baseball
The Arizona Wildcats baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. They compete in the Pac-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The baseball team had its first season in 1904. The baseball team has captured four national championship titles in 1976, 1980, 1986 and 2012, with the first three coached by Jerry Kindall and the most recent by Andy Lopez. The team has appeared in the NCAA National Championship title series eight times. They have appeared in 34 baseball tournaments in their rich history. Arizona is ranked seventh in all-time regular season game wins with 2,347.
Venues
Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium
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 1950–72, posted an 831–283–8 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. The UA spent about $350,000 to make several upgrades to the former spring training facility, where the Wildcats previously played selected games in the 1960s and '70s. 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, 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 where the team won its fourth national championship. In the 2012 season, the team brought in almost $350,000 in ticket revenue ; 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.
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.
Individual honors
Notable alumni
- Brian Anderson – World Series Champion
- Steven Ballard – current Chancellor at East Carolina University
- Jett Bandy – catcher, Milwaukee Brewers
- Shelley Duncan – manager of the Hillsboro Hops
- Scott Erickson – All-Star selection, World Series champion.
- Terry Francona – 2x World Series champion
- Chip Hale – former manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and current 3B coach of the Oakland Athletics
- Ron Hassey – World Series Champion: 1989, only catcher to catch two perfect games.
- Rich Hinton
- Jack Howell
- Nick Hundley – current catcher of the San Francisco Giants
- Jerry Kindall – member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
- Scott Kingery – Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies
- Don Lee – spent 9 years in the majors with 6 different teams.
- Hank Leiber – 1-time All-Star spent 10 years in the majors for the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
- Mike Paul
- Dan Schneider
- Ed Vosberg – World Series Champion
- Eddie Leon
- Kenny Lofton – 6-time All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove Award.
- Trevor Hoffman – 2nd all-time Major League saves holder with 601 total saves, 7x All-Star, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, 2017.
- J. T. Snow – 6x Gold Glove Award winner
- Joe Magrane – led the NL in ERA in 1988 with 2.18.
- Dave Stegman
- Craig Lefferts – ranks 76th on the MLB All-Time Games Pitched List.
- Brad Mills – 2x World Series Champion
- Dan Meyer
- Mark Melancon- current pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
- Ryan Perry
- Kevin Long – current hitting coach of the Washington Nationals
- Rob Refsnyder – utility player for the Texas Rangers. 2012 College World Series champion and Most Outstanding Player.
Retired jerseys