The Arizona baseball team completed its first sweep of the season with a 14-4 run-rule victory over Fresno State on Sunday at Hi Corbett Field.
The Wildcats (6-9) take a three-game winning streak — their longest of the season — into Tuesday’s nonconference game at ASU. They open Big 12 play Saturday at Utah.
Arizona has won five of six after starting 1-8.
“Every day we've gotten better,” said senior third baseman Maddox Mihalakis, who went 2 for 5 with three RBIs. “Every day we feel like we're going to have success. It's nice to see that shine through a little bit this weekend.”
Arizona’s 14 runs were its most this season and marked the second straight game in which the Wildcats achieved a season high.
Arizona also had a season-high 14 hits, its fifth consecutive game with 10 or more. The Wildcats had two games with double-digit hits in their first 10 contests.
Left-hander Luc Fladda delivered the Wildcats’ fifth straight quality start by a weekend starter. Fladda allowed three earned runs (four total) in six innings with six strikeouts and zero walks. The transfer from Tulane has yet to walk a batter in 20 innings this season.
Arizona's Andrew Cain celebrates his two-run home run in the sixth inning against Fresno State on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Hi Corbett Field.
The top four hitters in the order Sunday — Nate Novitske, Tony Lira, Andrew Cain and Mihalakis — had multiple hits. They combined to go 11 for 18 with nine runs scored and seven RBIs.
Novitske, a redshirt freshman, hit his first career home run leading off the bottom of the sixth inning. Two batters later, junior Andrew Cain hit a two-run shot, his first of the season, to push Arizona’s lead to 11-4.
Jackson Forbes drove in a run with a walk in the bottom of the eighth to make it 12-4. Carson McEntire’s single up the middle plated two more runs and ended the game.
Forbes had three RBIs and McEntire had four. Both are career-high marks.
“We’re taking steps forward,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “The young guys are starting to get some experience.”
Inside pitch
– Junior outfielder Easton Breyfogle had surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season. Breyfogle banged up his shoulder during the preseason and reinjured it in a collision on Feb. 19. He appeared in two games.
Arizona third baseman Nate Novitske (47) stabs a screamer down the line by Fresno State batter Ryan de la Maza (12) that ended up the last Bulldog out in their half of the seventh inning, Tucson, Ariz., March 6, 2026.
– Novitske has an eight-game hitting streak and has raised his season batting average to .440.
– Lira went 11 for 18 on the four-game homestand and is hitting .381.
– Left-hander Maclain Roberts threw two scoreless innings. He has yet to allow a run in nine frames.
– Freshman shortstop Cash Brennan was pulled from the starting lineup after breaking a team rule, Hale said.
