If Antigua can hold down shortstop, Arizona conceivably could put rising sophomore Cash Brennan at third base, where he played well late in his freshman year. Nate Novitske, who split time between third and second base as a redshirt freshman, could slot in at second.
Antigua said the coaching staff hasn’t placed any expectations on him just yet.
“Nothing’s really promised,” he said. “You go out there and you compete. You compete for your spot.
“They just want me to be myself, be a leader, bring that savvy that I have. Not everybody here is like me, so kind of change the culture a little bit.”
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) makes the tag as Catalina Foothills’ Ethan McQuade (6) tries to lunge to the plate to score the winning run on a series of Dorado errors in the 10th inning of their 5A Sonoran game at CFHS in Tucson on April 21, 2026.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star
Comings and goings
Antigua is the only full-time position player Arizona has added from the portal. The Wildcats’ transfer haul took a hit in the MLB Draft.
Three pitchers who had committed to Arizona — Garrett Ahern, Collin Cobb and McCarty English — were drafted and signed by MLB clubs.
Ahern (Grand Canyon) signed with the New York Yankees for $150,000. English (Southern Mississippi) got the same amount from the Tampa Bay Rays. Cobb (Williston State College) got a $177,500 signing bonus from the Texas Rangers.
Arizona also lost one of its high school signees, Canyon del Oro catcher Francisco Rivero Jr. Rivero signed with the Washington Nationals for $250,000 after being drafted in the 15th round.
One other UA prep signee, right-hander Jack Byers, was drafted but did not sign a pro contract by Monday’s deadline.
The losses to the draft sent Arizona back into the transfer market, where it added three more players: right-handers Randy Guzman (Winthrop) and Nolan Foster (Abilene Christian) and two-way player Gunnar Penzkover (Grand Canyon).