When redshirt freshman Jackson Forbes stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning Tuesday, he became the seventh Arizona baseball player to make his collegiate debut in four games.
Forbes delivered an RBI double, providing the lone run in the Wildcats’ 3-1 loss to Omaha in their home opener at Hi Corbett Field. Arizona is 0-4 for the first time in program history.
Arizona coach Chip Hale surveys the field during the final day of the College Baseball Series at Surprise Stadium in Surprise on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
The other freshmen have had their ups and downs, which was to be expected. What’s come as a surprise is how much some of the veterans have struggled so far.
Senior third baseman Maddox Mihalakis is 1 for 17 with 10 strikeouts. He went 0 for 5 with five strikeouts vs. the Mavericks. He had never struck out more than three times in a game in his first three seasons.
Junior outfielder Andrew Cain is batting .235 with six strikeouts in 17 at-bats. He went 0 for 4 vs. Omaha and left four runners on base.
Arizona third baseman Maddox Mihalakis (33) fields the generous hop on Central Arizona's Brett Rozman’s grounder during the seventh inning, Oct. 25, 2025, at Hi Corbett Field.
“We’ve got a lot of new guys playing,” said UA coach Chip Hale, whose team begins a four-game series vs. UConn on Thursday. “And then we have guys who have been role players — who have not had to be ‘the guy’ — that I think are putting way too much pressure on themselves right now.”
Mihalakis has batted second in each of Arizona’s first four games. He hit in the top four only 10 times last season, typically batting fifth, which he did 45 times. In most of those instances, Brendan Summerhill, Aaron Walton, Mason White and Adonys Guzman were batting in front of him. All were MLB Draft picks in July.
“Just trust it,” Hale said of his advice for Mihalakis. “He's obviously just not right right now. It's like in pro ball. You look at a guy's baseball card, you see what his numbers are. That's not Maddox, five strikeouts. That's just not who he is. He's just pressing too hard.
“We trust him. He'll be in the lineup on Thursday, and I'm sure he'll be productive.”
Cain has batted third twice, fourth once and fifth once. Last year he batted in the top five only five times. He hit sixth or seventh 36 times.
Arizona's Andrew Cain (3) strikes out beside Coastal Carolina's Caden Bodine (17) during the sixth inning in Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 13, 2025.
After scoring 13 runs in the first two games, Arizona managed just two in the past two. The Wildcats have struck out 57 times while drawing only 12 walks.
Asked what his message is for the team heading into the UConn series, Hale said:
“It's to relax and play baseball and trust each other. I think a lot of times, especially with the social media that goes around, people start to doubt people. We just gotta trust our circle, stay within our circle.
“We've had (a) rough go. We've had some injuries, and I think some guys are, like I said, they’re pressing a little bit. Whether they're new guys or old guys, they're all kind of pressing. Get a win in the win column, and maybe they can relax and play more like who they are.”
Martinez back, thriving
Four pitchers combined for 6⅔ innings of one-hit, zero-run relief work Tuesday. One of them was senior right-hander Matthew Martinez, who didn’t think he’d be back for another year with the Wildcats.
Arizona relief pitcher Matthew Martinez is greeted by his teammates in the dugout on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at Hi Corbett Field. Martinez pitched 2⅔ scoreless innings vs. Omaha.
Because of changes to the eligibility rules for junior-college transfers, Martinez was granted another season after spending two years at South Mountain Community College and two at Arizona.
“Chip actually came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, I don't know if you heard, you were given another year,’” Martinez said. “I was like, ‘No way. I didn't even know that. That's awesome.’ And he's like, ‘We'd love to have you back.’ And I was like, ‘Heck, yeah. I'm down.’
“I was super excited to come back.”
Martinez is off to a spectacular start. He has allowed just one hit in 5⅔ innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Known for his changeup, Martinez has improved the effectiveness of his slider this season after changing the grip on that pitch.
“I've been able to command it a lot better this year,” he said. “I feel like I'm more locked in out there than I've ever been in my career.”
Martinez has used a slightly different pitch mix and has had a different role under new pitching coach Sean Kenny. Martinez threw 2⅔ innings vs. Omaha and three innings in the season opener vs. Stanford. He never pitched more than two innings in a game in his first two seasons at Arizona.
“I always want the ball,” Martinez said.
Regarding his relationship with Kenny, who arrived in late December, Martinez said: “We get along well. He trusts me. I trust him. And I just go out there and do my thing.”
Inside pitch
– Martinez on Arizona’s slow start: “We saw it last year. It was the same way. We went 0-3. Kind of got our teeth kicked in early on. You just have to flush it. That's all we can do. We have a good team. We got good pitching, got a good lineup, and things haven't been going our way. But it just takes one game to get things going, and I think that's what's gonna happen with this club.”
– Hale on Forbes’ clutch hit: “He did a great job. He deserves it. He's been busting his butt and playing great in practice. As you guys are seeing, we're not scoring many runs. So guys come in and do something like that ... you’re gonna get more of a chance.”
– Sophomore left-hander Mason Russell struck out all five Omaha hitters he faced in his 2026 debut, throwing a curveball they could barely touch. “Beautiful,” Hale said. “The breaking ball was really good. Located the heater. I thought all the pitchers did a really nice job.”
Arizona pitcher Mason Russell, right, gets a glove tap from catcher Beau Sylvester during the Wildcats' home opener vs. Omaha on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at Hi Corbett Field.
– Junior Easton Breyfogle went 2 for 4 in his 2026 debut after missing the first three games because of an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. After playing DH vs. Omaha, Breyfogle is expected to return to the outfield sometime during the UConn series.
– Second baseman Tyler Bickers did not play vs. Omaha because of a sore left shoulder, but could be back as soon as Thursday, Hale said.
– Hale declined to say who would start on the mound Thursday. More likely than not, it’ll be veteran left-hander Luc Fladda. Weekend starters Owen Kramkowski, Smith Bailey and Collin McKinney will throw on normal rest.
– UConn is also 0-4. The Huskies got swept in the MLB Desert Invitational before losing at ASU on Tuesday. They have allowed 48 runs in four games.
