Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast: Arizona Baseball on Top

Arizona baseball has made the postseason every year under head coach Chip Hale and a trip to the CWS. Meanwhile, things have been different up north.

Jun 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Arizona head coach Chip Hale and infielder Garen Caulfield (1) interview with the media after a Super Regionals game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Welcome! To another edition of the Arizona Wildcats Insider Podcast featuring your host Troy Hutchison, who will be delivering a daily podcast discussing everything happening surrounding Arizona athletics giving you an inside look at all the programs on campus.

Hutchison has been covering Arizona for the last seven years with his coverage spanning all-across UA’s campus from football and men’s basketball to Title IX sports. Plus, with so many former Wildcats playing at the next level in their prospective sports there will be moments where he will take a deep dive into the Cats execling outside of Tucson.

To watch today's episode, view below.

During the 2021 offseason, Arizona was looking for a head baseball coach when Jay Johnso left Tucson for LSU and after a coaching search the Wildcats and then-A.D. Dave Heeke hired former UA star Chip Hale to be the sixth coach in the modern era of the program.

In four seasons as the head coach, Hale has made the postseason every single season and has posted a record of 152-95 that includes two conference tournament titles, one super regional appearance and a trip to the College World Series.

Despite ending the regular season by losing five out of its last eight games, the Wildcats were able to get hot and make a run to the College World Series with the season coming to a close after going 0-2 against Coastal Carolina and Louisville.

During the run, Arizona’s offense was able to keep the team in games helping them advance to the next round. The Wildcats averaged 6.5 runs throughout 11 postseason games and scored 10-plus runs four times and twice in the Eugene Regional.

Leading the offensive charge for Arizona was shortstop Mason White, who posted a team-high 20 home runs while driving in 73 runs and batting .327 on the season. During the NCAA postseason, White hit four home runs, drove in seven RBI and racked up eight hits.

With that success, Arizona has seen nine players get drafted in the recent MLB Draft, which featured outfielder Brendan Summerhill going in the first round, Aaron Walton going in the second and infielder Mason White selected in the fourth.

When Hale was hired, in-state rival ASU made a similar move by hiring alumni Willie Bloomquist in order to get the program back on track.

This past season, the Sun Devils made it to the NCAA postseason for the first time under Bloomquist and saw nine players taken in the MLB Draft.

Although ASU has one more title than Arizona, Hutchison will go over how that is a thing of the past and the fact that the Wildcats are the premier program in the state.

Please be sure to enjoy the podcast and let us know your thoughts on the episode. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.