SURPRISE — Pitching was supposed to be the strength of the 2026 Arizona baseball team. Small ball was a big point of emphasis, too.
So of course the Wildcats’ season opener was a slugfest.
No. 24 Arizona lost to Stanford 10-7 in Game 2 of the College Baseball Series at Surprise Stadium on Friday night.
The Wildcats fell to 3-2 in openers under Chip Hale. This one was nothing like last year’s 2-1 pitchers’ duel vs. Ole Miss.
UA pitchers walked seven Stanford batters. The Wildcats yielded six stolen bases without throwing anyone out. They lost while scoring seven-plus runs for the first time since April 30, 2024 — a streak of 28 consecutive games.
“Every year we go, ‘Oh, our offense is gonna carry us. Oh, our pitching is gonna carry us.’ And then it’s just like the flip-flop,” Hale said. “Last year we thought our hitters are just gonna score a ton of runs in Globe, and we couldn't score any.”
Arizona lost its first three games last year at Globe Life Field by a combined score of 31-7. The Wildcats eventually made it to the College World Series.
Arizona's Owen Kramkowski delivers a pitch during the season opener vs. Stanford in the College Baseball Series at Surprise Stadium in Surprise on Feb. 13, 2026.
“This is a whole new team, and we're trying to get an identity,” Hale said. “Smith (Bailey) going out tomorrow against an Oregon State team that we know is really good will be a really good test for us.”
No. 12 Oregon State lost the College Baseball Series opener 5-3 to Michigan. Bailey will face the Beavers for the first time.
The sophomore and junior Owen Kramkowski were among a handful of key returners from last year’s CWS squad. Kramkowski got the nod against Stanford. Coming off a breakout sophomore season, the Walden Grove High School product struggled in his 2026 debut. Kramkowski allowed five runs (four earned) in 3⅓ innings.
Kramkowski couldn’t find the plate with his usual pinpoint precision. He issued a career-high three walks and threw only 62.2% of his pitches (46 of 74) for strikes. Kramkowski tied for 18th nationally last season with a 69.9% strike rate.
“He just didn't have it,” Hale said. “He threw way too many pitches in the first couple innings. They're a very contact-oriented team. There were probably, what, four balls that were literally squibbers. It just adds up.”
Arizona's Carson McEntire, right, slaps hands with Nate Novitske during the season opener vs. Stanford in the College Baseball Series at Surprise Stadium in Surprise on Feb. 13, 2026.
Two of Stanford’s six hits off Kramkowski were weakly hit infield singles. Two were ropes to right field.
The first of those was a solo home run by ballyhooed Stanford sophomore Rintaro Sasaki, who drilled an 0-1 pitch over the visiting bullpen in the top of the third inning. With about a dozen Japanese media chronicling his every move, Sasaki began his second season with the Cardinal by going 2 for 4 with a home run, a double and a walk.
The second shot to right ended Kramkowski’s night. Charlie Bates’ two-run triple just over the glove of Andrew Cain gave Stanford a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth.
Down 5-2 entering the bottom half of the inning, the Wildcats rallied. Carson McEntire singled to center to drive in Beau Sylvester, who had led off with a double. McEntire advanced to third on Nate Novitske’s double, and both scored on Tyler Bickers’ single to left. None of those players played in a game for Arizona last season.
The tie didn’t last long. After Evan Brandt threw a scoreless fifth, fellow newcomer Nolan Straniero got tagged for four runs in the top of the sixth. The last of those came in on Luke Lavin’s two-run homer to right off another transfer pitcher, Patrick Morris.
Arizona second baseman Tyler Bickers tries to turn a double play during the season opener vs. Stanford in the College Baseball Series at Surprise Stadium in Surprise on Feb. 13, 2026.
Back-to-back solo home runs by Roman Meyers and McEntire in the bottom of the sixth trimmed Arizona’s deficit to 10-7.
Matthew Martinez provided three innings of scoreless relief, striking out seven of the 10 Stanford batters he faced. But Arizona never got the tying run to the plate in the final three innings despite putting the leadoff batter on base in two of them.
Inside pitch
– Stanford stole six bases in six tries after going just 21 of 45 last season. Meyers got a throw off on only three of those attempts. “Those are things we gotta take care of,” Hale said. “We talked about it after the game. We gotta be more accountable of that. ... Roman throws as well as anybody in the country. You just have to give him a chance. They know that now.”
– UA pitcher Tony Pluta wasn’t expected to make the trip after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery Friday. But Pluta traveled to Surprise anyway to begin his tenure as an unofficial coach. He had a large wrap and brace on his right arm.
– OSU will start junior left-hander Ethan Kleinschmit, who went 8-5 with a 3.56 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 91 innings last season. He’s considered a top-70 prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. Bailey was 3-3 with a 3.94 ERA in 2025.
– The announced attendance for the day was 5,683. The stadium was packed with orange-clad OSU fans for the opener. The Beavers are opening their season in Surprise for the 12th straight year. “The Beavs come out and show this place out every year,” said McEntire, who made his college debut with Oregon State at Surprise Stadium last year. “This is a thing for them, and it's awesome to see their fans. I expect a lot of Beavs fans, and it'll be fun.”
– Former UA players spotted in the crowd before the game included Emilio Corona, Dawson Netz and Aaron Walton. Corona played for two independent pro teams last season. Netz is with the Chicago Cubs organization. Walton is entering his second year in the Cleveland Guardians system.
