Arizona baseball picked to finish 2nd in Big 12

New year, same prediction.

Arizona has been picked by the Big 12 coaches to finish second in the conference in 2026, the same spot they projected the Wildcats to end up in last season.

The UA got one first-place vote, presumably from TCU since coaches couldn’t vote for their own school, while the Horned Frogs got the other 13. West Virginia, which won the regular season title in 2025, was picked third and ASU fourth.

Arizona tied for 4^th place in its debut season in the Big 12 but then went on to win the conference tournament en route to a 19^th trip to the College World Series.

Pitchers Owen Kramkowski and Tony Pluta are the Wildcats’ representatives on the preseason all-conference team. Kramkowski is Arizona’s highest-ranked player in 2026 MLB Draft projections, while Pluta is the reigning NCBWA Stopper of the Year.

The UA opens the season Feb. 13 against Stanford at Surprise Stadium, home of the 2026 Big 12 Tournament. The Wildcats will also face Oregon State and Michigan in that tournament before coming home to host Omaha on Feb. 17 in their Hi Corbett Field opener.