If there's any college baseball program that knows a bad start isn't paralyzing, it should be Arizona.
The Wildcats, who were 0-5 through Thursday, the worst start in program history, overcame their three previous historic early-season stumbles.
Arizona first baseman Tony Lira (36) gloves a hopper up the line from UConn batter Maddix Dalena (43) to throw him out in the fourth inning of their game, Feb. 19, 2026, in Tucson.
In 1919, the Wildcats opened 0-3, but loss No. 3 was to the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs, who came to Tucson to play the Wildcats on a spring tour. The Daily Star reported that UA "showed no evidence of stage fright."
The UA went 0-3 to open the 1979 season, swept by No. 3 Cal-Fullerton, then a baseball giant which won 55 games and reached the College World Series. Amazingly, Arizona restocked and went to the CWS behind Terry Francona, Brad Mills, Ed Vosberg and Wes Clements.
And, of course, Arizona opened 0-3 last season but again wound up in Omaha at the College World Series. So perhaps, of all things, history suggests a bad start by the UA baseball team is a good omen.
