Jun 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Arizona catcher Tommy Splaine (20) celebrates a home run during the third inning of the Super Regionals game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Arizona Baseball Gets a Boost With Additions to its 2026 Roster

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The 2025 college baseball season is well over and Arizona’s success getting to the College World Series, which featured a Super Regional 2-1 series win over No. 5 seed North Carolina is a massive stepping stone and tone setter for the program moving forward under head coach Chip Hale.

Like we have talked about before, Hale has done a great job of keeping the talent on the roster following the trip to the CWS. Outside of graduating players and players taking the next step to the MLB draft, Arizona will have key players returning, making for an interesting 2026 season.

The starting rotation will have talent coming back in Smith Bailey and Owen Kramkowski set to take on bigger roles after ending the season on a high note with the two combining for 11 innings of work in the CWS and struck out 11 batters while giving up just five runs.

Even with things going in the right direction, that hasn’t stopped Hale from looking across the country and seeing what players the Wildcats can snag in the portal to improve the 2026 roster.

The players that Arizona has added are pitchers RHP JT Drake (Texas Tech), LHP Luc Fladda (Tulane), RHP Corey Kling (South Florida), LHP Patrick Morris (Western Kentucky). RHP Nolan Straniero (Elon)

Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Off the mound, the Wildcats have added three position players in INF Tyler Bickers (Milwaukee), C Beau Sylvester (Oklahoma State) and OF Carson McEntire (Oregon State).

Now, the Wildcats will be adding two players to its 2026 roster with Hale being able to pull two WIldcats out of the portal and place them back on the roster.

The two WIldcats returning to the roster are outfielder TJ Adams and first baseman Tony Lira, who originally entered the portal following the end of the 2025 season.

This past season, Adams played in 32 games where he made 16 starts totaling 60 at-bats where he hit .167 while driving in seven RBI. For his career, he has hit .245 and has hit one home run and driven in 10 RBI in two seasons.

In the infield, freshman Lira wasn’t able to get any playing time given he was behind Tommy Splaine, who was a veteran on the team and played in 62 games and started 61 of those games.

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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