Chip Hale Discusses Expectations for Arizona Baseball

Making it all the way to the College World Series in Omaha is what college baseball teams dream of, and it sets high expectations for the following season.

The No. 24-ranked Arizona Wildcats are facing that situation after making a run to Omaha last season. However, unlike many teams that raise their expectations by getting to Omaha, the Wildcats are a very different team, seeing 21 players depart from last season's roster, putting more caution on the expectations for 2026.

arizona expectation — Jun 15, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arizona Wildcats pitcher Tony Pluta (37) throws against the Louisville Cardinals during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

"If you want to talk about expectations, I think last year's team was the hard deal because there were a lot of expectations because so many people were back, especially on the offensive side," head coach Chip Hale told the media this week. "... I don't think the expectations are as high for this group. We have a lot to prove in the first month, [and] I would even say the first weekend."

Among those departing players that Arizona will need to replace this season are five of its top six hitters from last season. Usually, there's time to experiment with different lineups and figure out who takes over and fits in the lineup, and Hale still plans to implement that strategy when he can, but the Wildcats go straight into the gauntlet from the get-go.

"Some guys have emerged as starters, but there's a bunch of young kids that are hungry and fighting for jobs," Hale said. "We're going to play the guys who have given us reason to play them. They've earned the right to get some at-bats, so they're going to get their chances, and I think within the first couple of weeks, we'll have a good idea of who our 11 or 12 hitters are going to be."

Arizona's Opening Schedule and Adjustments

The Wildcats throw themselves into the fire as the season opens this weekend, playing three games against Stanford, No. 12 Oregon State, and Michigan in the 2026 College Baseball Series in Surprise, Ariz. But that's just the beginning. In the nonconference schedule, Arizona also takes on solid programs like Nebraska-Omaha, UConn, Grand Canyon, Fresno State, and another tournament in Las Vegas against Oregon, UC-Irvine, and No. 23 Vanderbilt.

Fans can also expect a bit of a change in strategy from Hale and company this season as they continue to adjust to the playing style in the Big 12. The Wildcats don't have as much power hitting in their lineup, so they're implementing a more tactical, "small-ball" approach, partially influenced by losses to Louisville and Coastal Carolina in Omaha.

"We saw the pressure they were able to exert on us," Hale added. "At this level, after three or four years of being here, it's something we need to be proficient at. We need to be better at it. We don't have to be perfect, but we need to be able to get a bunt down every now and then, and we need to be able to hit and run."

Both those teams are among the top eight in the preseason rankings, and Coastal Carolina made it to the final. If it worked for them, it may just work for Arizona. But with so many changes around the program, expectations must remain level, even after last year's success.

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