Arizona Set for Highway Take a look at at No. 11 Kansas

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats are set to tackle the No. 11 Kansas Jayhawks on the highway this weekend, marking the primary three-game sequence between the 2 packages all through historical past.

All three video games can be accessible for viewing on ESPN+, with Friday’s recreation slated to start at 4 p.m. (MST), whereas Saturday’s contest is scheduled for 12 p.m. (MST), and the sequence finale will start on Sunday at 10 a.m. (MST).

LEADING OFF: 

• The Arizona Wildcats and the No. 11 Kansas Jayhawks are set to play a three-game sequence for the primary time all through historical past.

• The Wildcats and Jayhawks have met only one time beforehand, with Arizona incomes a 5-0 victory over Kansas in Tucson final season.

• Beau Sylvester prolonged his hitting streak to 14 consecutive video games on Tuesday evening, and he’s batting .393 with an on-base proportion of .443 over the stretch.

• Luc Fladda was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday after tossing 6.2 scoreless innings final Thursday, and permitting six hits whereas recording a career-high 11 strikeouts to assist lead Arizona to a 6-0 shutout win over BYU.

• Sophomore right-hander Smith Bailey was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week final week after tossing 6.0 innings of one-hit ball whereas placing out a career-high 15 batters in opposition to Kansas State.

• Tony Lira continues to tempo the Arizona offense, as he leads the staff in batting common (.360), hits (63), doubles (14), slugging proportion (.537), and on-base proportion (.443), and he’s coming off a 3-for-4 efficiency with a single, double, and a triple at Grand Canyon on Tuesday evening.

• True freshman Caleb Danzeisen leads the staff with 32 walks this season, whereas rating second in on-base proportion (.411), and he has reached base in 31 of 33 video games began this season. 

• Senior Mathis Meurant is a mixed 4-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI over Arizona’s final two video games, and over his previous seven video games he’s batting .346 with 9 hits.

SOME WEEKEND THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks meet for a three-game sequence for the primary time all through historical past…Arizona and Kansas have performed one another only one time beforehand, with the Wildcats gathering a 5-0 shutout win over the Jayhawks in a midweek matchup in Tucson final season…Arizona is coming off a tough loss at Grand Canyon on Tuesday through which the Wildcats held an 8-4 lead getting into the underside of the ninth body, earlier than surrendering 5 runs as they have been walked off…Last weekend, Arizona received the opening contest in opposition to BYU, earlier than dropping the following two in opposition to the Cougars, as they misplaced the sequence…The Wildcats received their final Big 12 highway sequence, profitable two of three video games at TCU three weeks in the past…Senior pitcher Luc Fladda was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday after tossing 6.2 scoreless innings, whereas placing out a career-high 11 batters in opposition to BYU final Thursday…After Fladda’s recognition, all three weekend starters for Arizona have now been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week this season…Senior catcher Beau Sylvester enters the weekend on a 14-game hitting streak, and his batting common has ascended to .325, good for the second greatest mark on the staff, whereas he ranks third in on-base proportion (.386)…In addition to the 14-game hitting streak, Sylvester has reached base in 27 of 30 video games began this season…Senior shortstop Mathis Meurant has posted back-to-back multi-hit performances, first going 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI in opposition to BYU final Saturday, earlier than going 2-for-4 with a run scored at Grand Canyon on Tuesday evening…Tony Lira continues to have an distinctive redshirt-freshman marketing campaign for the Wildcats, and he leads the staff in batting common (.360), hits (63), OPS (.980), slugging proportion (.537), on-base proportion (.443), runs (27), doubles (14), and extra-base hits (20)…Lira is coming off a 3-for-4 evening at Grand Canyon and he has recorded successful in 33 of 43 video games, together with 22 multi-hit performances…True freshman Caleb Danzeisen ranks first on the staff in walks (32) and second in on-base proportion (.411), and he has reached base in 30 of 33 video games began this season, together with reaching base a number of instances in 21 video games…Arizona ranks second the Big 12 in walks to strikeout ratio (2.57), and Luc Fladda ranks first within the convention (0.77), whereas Owen Kramkowski ranks second (1.49)…The Wildcats additionally rank second within the Big 12 in base-on-balls proportion (15.6%), whereas Fladda (4.1%), and Kramkowski (6.6%) rank first and second within the league, respectively…Arizona can also be first within the Big 12 in least quantity of house runs allowed (33)…Arizona faces a potent Kansas staff that’s ranked No. 11 within the nation and at present sits in first place within the Big 12 standings…The Jayhawks are led by fourth-year head coach Dan Fitzgerald who owns a document of 133-83 on the helm of this system…Kansas has received 18 of their final 19 video games, together with seven straight victories getting into the weekend…The Jayhawks personal an ideal document of 9-0 at house in Big 12 play.

FLADDA AND BAILEY GO BACK-TO-BACK: Luc Fladda and Smith Bailey collected Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks, with Fladda incomes the award on Monday, whereas Bailey was honored with the award final Monday. Fladda had  an outstanding efficiency through which he was dominant from begin to end, limiting BYU to no runs and simply six hits, whereas fanning 11 batters and issuing zero walks, as he helped lead Arizona to a powerful 6-0 shutout victory over the Cougars. Fladda retired 11 consecutive batters with six strikeouts throughout a stretch from the third to seventh innings. Bailey had arguably the most effective efficiency of his profession final Saturday evening in opposition to Kansas State. The right-hander tossed 6.0 scoreless innings, permitting only one hit, whereas placing out 15 batters. He grew to become the primary Arizona pitcher to document 15 strikeouts in over 15 years and he was only one strikeout shy of matching this system document for many strikeouts in a convention recreation. Bailey garnered a mess of recognition for his efficiency, as he was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, and was named to Baseball America’s National Team of the Week.

LIRA LEADING THE WAY: Just as he has carried out all season lengthy, redshirt-freshman Tony Lira continues to prepared the ground for Arizona offensively. Lira leads the Wildcats in a mess of offensive classes, together with OPS (.980), batting common (.360), hits (63), doubles (14), on-base proportion (.443), slugging proportion (.537), extra-base hits (20), and runs (27). Lira has recorded successful in 27 of the previous 32 video games, and he has collected not less than one hit in 33 of 43 contests this season. He has put collectively 212multi-hit performances, and he’s batting an distinctive .455 with runners in scoring place this season (15-33). In addition to his stellar play on the plate, Lira has additionally been a significant piece defensively for Arizona, beginning all 43 video games at first base for the Wildcats. He is coming off a 3-for-4 outing in opposition to Grand Canyon through which he recorded a single, double, and a triple.

FABULOUS FRESHMEN: Arizona has had 5 separate freshmen begin 19 or extra video games this season, they usually have continued to make a noteworthy impression. Redshirt freshmen Tony Lira and Nate Novitske and true freshmen Caleb Danzeisen have led Arizona offensively all season. Lira has been great, whereas Novitske ranks third on the staff in batting common (.312) and second in hits (54). Danzeisen is second on the squad in on-base proportion (.411), and has reached base in 30 of the 33 video games that he has began this season. Redshirt freshman Jackson Forbes has began 25 video games and he’s fifth on the staff in RBI (21). True freshman Cash Brennan is coming off a weekend sequence in opposition to BYU through which he began the primary two video games and went a mixed 2-6 on the plate with three runs scored.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION: Senior shortstop Mathis Meurant has performed his greatest baseball of the season as of late, and he has recorded consecutive multi-hit performances. Over his previous seven video games, relationship again to the sequence at TCU, Meurant is hitting .346 with 9 hits. Meurant hails from Vaires-sur-Marne, France, and got here to Arizona by means of Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona the place he was a 2023 NJCAA First Team All-ACCAC performer. He is former teammates with Kansas beginning pitcher and fellow French born participant Mathis Nayral.

SYLVESTER STREAKING: Senior Beau Sylvester has continued to raise his play because the season has gone on, and he’s enjoying arguably the most effective baseball of his profession as of late. Sylvester enters the weekend sequence on a 14-game hitting streak, marking the longest streak by an Arizona participant this season. Sylvester has reached base safely in 27 of 30 video games that he has began this season, and he has recorded successful in 26 of 30 contests for the Wildcats. Sylvester’s batting common has ascended to the second greatest mark on the staff (.325), and he’s additionally third in on-base proportion (.386), and tied for third in doubles (8). Over his present 14-game hitting streak, he’s batting .443 with three doubles, a triple, and a house run. In Big 12 play, Sylvester leads Arizona in hitting, batting an distinctive .382 throughout 17 video games began in convention play.

STARTING ROTATION ON LOCK: Arizona introduced again a big portion of its pitching from the 2025 season, as six of 11 pitchers who threw not less than 18 innings final season returned for the 2026 marketing campaign, highlighted by returning starters Owen Kramkowski and Smith Bailey. Kramkowski has been the Friday evening starter thus far, whereas Bailey has served because the Saturday starter. Both pitchers have been ranked in D1 Baseball’s Preseason Top-200 Starting Pitcher rankings. Bailey led the best way coming in at #16, whereas Kramkowski landed at #39. Kramkowski is coming off a breakout sophomore marketing campaign through which he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after beginning 18 video games and posting a document of 9-6 all through the season. He compiled an ERA of 5.48 throughout a team-high 92.0 innings of labor and recorded 90 strikeouts to only 18 walks. The Sahuarita, Arizona native garnered All-Big 12 Preseason honors and was tabbed a Preseason Third Team All-American by Perfect Game. Kramkowski didn’t have an incredible begin to the season; nevertheless, he had an incredible efficiency in opposition to Fresno State (3/6) to get again into type, through which he struck out a career-high 12 batters in six innings to assist lead Arizona to a shutout victory over Fresno State (3/6). Kramkowski was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week following the very good efficiency. He had back-to-back excellent performances in opposition to TCU and Kansas State, tossing a mixed 14.0 innings and placing out 15. Kramkowski is second on the staff and eleventh within the Big 12 in strikeouts (60), and he has pitched not less than 5.0 innings in every of his final eight begins. He additionally ranks third within the convention in strikeout to stroll ratio (6.00), second in base-on-balls proportion (6.6%), and second in walks per 9 innings (1.49). Bailey is in his sophomore season after an distinctive freshman marketing campaign through which he was named a First Team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball, a Second Team Freshman All-American by Baseball America and Perfect Game and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. During the 2025 season, Bailey began 18 video games on the mound, compiling a document of 3-3. He recorded an ERA of three.94 throughout 89.0 innings of labor and struck out 80 batters. This season, he’s 3-4 with a 4.68 ERA and an opposing batting common of .259 in 10 begins. He had the most effective efficiency of his profession two weeks in the past in opposition to Kansas State, through which he threw 6.0 innings and allowed only one hit and no runs, whereas placing out a career-high 15 batters. Bailey is first on the staff and sixth within the convention in strikeouts this season (64). Senior switch Luc Fladda emerged because the Sunday starter for the Wildcats and has been distinctive this season. The Tulane switch began 30 video games throughout two seasons for the Green Wave the previous two years, earlier than becoming a member of Arizona forward of the 2026 marketing campaign for his last collegiate season. Fladda has tossed 58.2 innings this yr and has issued simply 5 walks whereas recording 49 strikeouts, and he leads the Big 12 in strikeout/stroll ratio (10.40). Fladda is coming off an excellent efficiency the place he tossed 6.2 scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters, incomes Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week honors for his efficiency. He has pitched 6.0 innings or extra in six of his 10 begins.