Two teams remained in the Eugene Regional as the Cal Poly Mustangs (43-19, 23-7 Big West) took on the No. 21-ranked Arizona Wildcats (42-18, 18-12 Big 12) on Sunday for a chance to move on to the Super Regional.
In the bottom of the sixth, Arizona was in the driver's seat up 8-0 but looking for more after an error got a baserunner on. With two outs, junior center fielder Aaron Walton was up to bat but behind in the count 1-2. He paid no mind and on the fourth pitch blasted one deep to left-center field and over the wall. It made it a double-digit lead for the Wildcats, and this was Walton’s third homer of the game. This makes Walton the tenth Arizona player in history to hit for a homer hat trick, a day after junior shortstop Mason White became the ninth. The offense didn’t stop after Walton’s third bomb as Arizona would take the victory 14-4.
“Obviously overwhelmed with emotion to get out of this regional,” Arizona head coach Chip Hale said. “We knew coming here was going to be difficult. We don’t have a lot of history winning here in the Pac-12, so the guys just showed up and played their tails off and I’m super proud of them. It’s never easy to win these. We saw it last year at our own home regional when we lost two games and were out, so we’re very proud to win this one, but I think the group wants more.
Leading the way for the Wildcat offense was, of course, Walton, who was 4-for-5 with three homers and six RBIs.
Arizona was coming off another blowout win the day before against Utah Valley, where it hit a program record eight home runs in the 14-4 rout.
Cal Poly was coming off an extra-innings walk-off thriller an hour before the first pitch of the championship game. Senior first baseman Zach Daudet was the hero in that game as he smacked the walk-off solo homer in the 11th inning to secure the 7-6 win.
Getting the start for the Wildcats was freshman right-handed starter Bailey Smith.
On the Mustang side, sophomore right-handed pitcher Ethan Marmie got the nod.
Walton got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when he bombed a two-run homer after a lead-off walk. White would then come around to score from third due to a wild pitch after he got plunked and advanced to third on a single. Back-to-back singles and a wild pitch put runners back on second and third before a fielder’s choice allowed junior third baseman Maddox Mihalakis to fly home. The fifth and final run of the first came to score thanks to a single from senior first baseman Tommy Splaine that scored the runner from third.
A lead-off single in the bottom of the second prompted a pitching change for Cal Poly. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Josh Morano stepped in for Marmie.
Marmie’s final line: 1.0 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K and 30 TP.
The pitching change wouldn’t help, though, as Walton got involved again, smashing another two-run homer. Mihalakis joined Walton in the home run party later in the inning with a solo shot over the right field wall.
Things would go quiet until the bottom of the sixth when the headline of the day, Walton, did it again with his third two-run tater of the game. The crowd stood in disbelief as they continued to be awed at the high power Arizona has displayed all weekend.
“I think we’ve hit the ball hard all season. This is a very hitter-friendly park,” Walton said. “Just continuing to have good at-bats and putting good swings on the ball is what matters. I think we did a good job this weekend driving the ball and swinging at the right pitches.”
Bailey’s excellent day for the Wildcats would come to an end in the top of the seventh when junior right-handed reliever Hunter Alberini took the bump.
Bailey’s final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks and 91 TPs.
Cal Poly also made a pitching change in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman left-handed reliever Luke Kalfsbeek took the hill for Morano.
Morano’s final line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks and 86 TP.
A new member of the two-run homer club was introduced in that same frame when Splaine hammered a 2-0 pitch to dead center. The onslaught continued as the Mustangs sat down a dozen going into the eighth.
Senior right-handed reliever Julian Tonghini checked in for Alberini to pitch the top of the eighth for Arizona.
Alberini’s final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K and 11 TP.
Cal Poly made a move for itself on the offensive end when freshman pinch hitter Jake Downing grabbed a bat for freshman left fielder Dante Vachini. Downing then slid to left field in the bottom of the inning as freshman catcher Vinnie Van Der Wel subbed in at catcher for junior catcher Jack Collins.
A fresh hurler for Cal Poly came in for the eighth when junior right-handed reliever Tanner Sagouspe took the ball from Kalfsbeek.
Kalfbeek’s final line: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 Ks and 21 TP.
Sagouspe stayed consistent with his pitcher teammates on the day by giving up a two-run homer to Mihalakis for his second of the day. This made it two touchdowns for Arizona as it was up 14-0.
Eating the final inning in the blowout affair for the Wildcats was senior right-handed reliever Matthew Martinez, as he took over for Tonghini.
Tonghini’s final line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks and 11 TP.
Martinez gave up a single, but the Mustangs would need a lot more than that. Senior designated hitter Cam Hoiland would be the final out of the season for Cal Poly as he struck out. Arizona stormed the field from the dugout and celebrated as it advanced to the Super Regional and hoisted its first regional championship since 2021.
Chipping in for the Arizona offense in the blowout was Mihalakis, who was 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs.
The Wildcats now play the waiting game as the Chapel Hill regional wraps up. They will play the winner of the Oklahoma Sooners vs. North Carolina Tar Heels matchup, which will take place Monday, Jun. 2 at 3:00 p.m.
“Obviously, if North Carolina wins, we will go to Chapel Hill. If Oklahoma wins, the committee makes a choice,” Hale said. “There’s a lot of things that go into it. I think the bids are looked at, the venues, the weather. All those things will go into it. We’ll be ready to go. We’ll get back to Tucson tomorrow. We’ll take a couple flights back, then practice Tuesday and maybe we’ll be staying in Tucson. Who knows?”