2025 Big 12 Tournament Day 4 Recap, Championship Game

Championship Game: (4) Arizona Wildcats v (3) TCU Horned Frogs

The grand finale of the Big 12 Tournament would be the four-seed Arizona Wildcats taking on the three-seed TCU Horned Frogs.

Freshman Smith Bailey would take the mound for the Wildcats making his fifteenth start of the season, to this point he’s thrown to a 4.52 ERA in 65.2 innings pitched with 62 strikeouts holding opposing hitters to a .280 average. Flashing extremely projectable stuff all season long with a full arsenal, with a sinker/slider/changeup/curveball combo.

Another freshman would take the ball for the Horned Frogs in Nate Stern, who made his first career start on one of the largest stages imaginable. Coming into the day, Stern made 14 appearances totaling 17.2 innings pitched, striking out a staggering 28 hitters and holding a .177 batting average against. 

TCU Head Coach Kirk Saarloos would be keyed in on holding down an explosive Arizona offense headlined by Mason White, who came into the game six-for-seven with three home runs, seven RBI, and five extra-base hits. “We may give him the Barry Bonds treatment,” Saarloos discussed in the press conference after defeating Kansas in the semifinal, the ultimate display of respect.

With Arizona and TCU having burned very few arms, this would shake out to be the perfect championship, both teams at full strength in a heavyweight bout with both clubs having nearly every arm available. 

The aggressive Horned Frogs offense took advantage early with a Cole Cramer double that would lead to an RBI-fielder’s choice from freshman Noah Franco as they would go up 1-0 in the first. From there, we settled into a pitchers duel until the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out in the third.

Nate Stern would see his day come to a close going two ⅓ innings, as Coach Saarloos would pass the rock to left-handed pitcher, Gianluca Shinn. Shinn would get Mason White to pop out in foul territory, then get Adonys Guzman to strike out on a curveball in the dirt to end the Wildcats’ threat.

From there, Gianluca Shinn would steal the show, collecting his next seven outs by way of strikeout, setting a new season high, beating his previous of four. Shinn would finish his day with two ⅔ innings pitched, striking out seven, allowing just two hits as the Frogs would go back to the bullpen to left-handed pitcher Braeden Sloan.

Arizona would threaten again in the sixth on a TCU defensive miscue and hit-by-pitch as Maddox Mihalakis would sac-bunt Mason White and Adonys Guzman into scoring position knowing that runs were at a premium. Yet again, the TCU pitching staff would stymie the Wildcats threat stranding both runners, the story for Arizona as they would leave seven runners in scoring position (0-7) through eight innings of play.

“They prayed on our aggressiveness, and threw some offspeed stuff that was really well located. So I want to give them (TCU) credit for that, and it’ll only help us be better next time in that situation to step back a little bit as hitters and look to put the ball in play the other way and look to get the ball up,” Head Coach Chip Hale said when asked about the approach changes through the game and navigating the early struggles with runners in scoring position.

Smith Bailey for Arizona would go toe-to-toe with one of the most explosive offenses in the country and remain one of my favorite arms in the 2027 class, finishing his day with five ⅓ innings pitched, scattering four hits, and punching out five.

With more innings of a pitcher’s duel, and a few web gems along the way with Andrew Cain stealing extra bases from Anthony Silva.

Moving into the eighth, a walk and single from Mason White would leave the Wildcats with yet again, first and second and no outs. An Adonys Guzman sac-bunt later, the Wildcats would be looking to cash in for the first time today in an eerily similar situation they had been in during the sixth inning.

Braeden Sloan would get Maddox Mihalakis to strikeout, and a beautiful play by Anthony Silva at shortstop would send Globe Life Field and the TCU faithful into a frenzy as they yet again shut down the Arizona threat.

As the game moved into the ninth, Sloan would return back to the mound. Andrew Cain would lead off the inning, and despite the struggles of the Arizona offense to this point, he’d get off the biggest swing of the season on a changeup left up in the zone and send it into the right field bleachers. The Wildcat faithful would erupt in Globe Life Field as the game would be tied at one.

Tony Pluta would take the mound in the ninth for the Wildcats, who has been as automatic as anybody in college baseball having not allowed an earned run since April first, and he’d keep the trend alive after putting Sawyer Strosnider on, then retiring three consecutive Horned Frogs.

Is there anything better than free baseball on Championship Saturday? Nothing.

Into the tenth inning as Sloan would take the ball again for his fifth inning of work at 66 pitches. He would retire the lead off man in Aaron Walton, then hit Mason White and give up a laced single to Adonys Guzman that would leave runners on the corners. Maddox Mihalakis would deliver the sole hit with runners in scoring position for Arizona, breaking the deadlock with a bloop single that dropped in front of the right fielder.

“He’s done it all year. We were a little depleted down there (in the bullpen) today, Sloan has been in that position more than anybody on our roster. We felt like he navigated a lot of different situations and pitched out of those situations. For me, with Braeden Sloan, I’m fine with the way it went and he has nothing to hang his head about,” Head Coach Kirk Saarloos said after the game on letting Sloan return for the tenth.

Tony Pluta would do what he does best, roll a zero in the tenth to secure a Big 12 Championship for the Arizona Wildcats, getting their first in their first season in the conference. 

“What an honor. First year in the Conference, the kids just battled their tails off. Super proud of them. There were situations all night to score runs, and we just couldn’t get a ball moving forward. So it’s not easy, when it keeps coming up and all of a sudden you put a little too much pressure on yourself. So, I was really proud of them to come through later. But it was only made possible by great pitching. So just honored to be Big 12 Champions.” Said Coach Chip Hale after winning back-to-back conference Championships (Pac 12, Big 12).

Now these teams wait for Selection Monday to see where they will end up in Regionals as we close the book on the 2025 Big 12 Conference Tournament.