In his first year coaching his alma mater, Chip Hale was forced to lean heavily on the veterans he inherited. His second Arizona team will also be an experienced squad, but not just with college baseball.
“I’ve had one whole year with this group,” Hale said Tuesday at Arizona’s preseason press conference. “You feel like you know the team a lot better for sure.”
Arizona opens the 2023 season on Friday in Scottsdale against Tennessee, the No. 2 team in D1Baseball’s preseason poll. The game is part of the MLB Desert Invitational, a 4-day tournament that will also see the Wildcats face Fresno State, Michigan State and UC San Diego.