Michael Lev
| Arizona Daily Star
Here’s what you need to know about the University of Arizona
UA was established in 1885, and its main campus is in Tucson. The Wildcats once had a live bobcat named Rufus as a mascot.
The Republic
The Arizona baseball team needed a spark.
The Wildcats had lost five of six games. They’d gone from being potential NCAA Tournament hosts to encroaching on the tourney bubble.
Third-year outfielder TJ Adams was talking about the team’s plight with his father, Mike. Mike Adams was TJ’s coach on a travel-ball team called the Arizona Rebels.
“Remember what we used to do with the Hot Wheels?” Mike asked his son.
Before every game, Mike would reveal a toy car that would go to the player of the game.
“It could have been the stupidest little car you’ve ever seen, or it could be this really cool Hot Wheel,” TJ Adams said. “It didn’t matter what he pulled out. It was just a way for us to rally around something … and inject the fun back into things.”
TJ initially poo-poohed his father’s suggestion. But before the middle game of a three-game series at Houston, fate intervened.
“I’m getting my electrolytes at this CVS, getting some water for the game,” Adams said. “I’m about to check out, and there’s these Hot Wheels. I’m like, ‘Oh, man. This is a sign.’
“So I grab a little Lamborghini. I’m like, ‘All right, if this works, we’re going to Omaha.’”
During the pregame huddle, with the players gathered in a circle around him, Adams unveiled the Lamborghini. His UA teammates reacted just like his travel-ball buddies back in the day.
“They absolutely lost their mind,” Adams said. “And, knock on wood, we haven’t lost since.”
The second game of the Houston series on May 16 began an eight-game winning streak. Arizona is set to face North Carolina in a best-of-three NCAA Tournament Super Regional starting Friday in Chapel Hill after sweeping through the Big 12 Tournament and the Eugene Regional.
Revealing a toy car, truck or boat has become a pregame ritual for Adams. Is it the main reason the Wildcats have turned their season around? Probably not. But the effect it’s had on the team is undeniable.
“We had a little bit of a slump there,” said senior reliever Julian Tonghini, one of the judges who determines who gets the prize. “When we brought the cars into it, it was a reminder: ‘Hey, we’re having fun. We’re just kids playing this game.’”
“It’s like a switch,” said junior shortstop Mason White, Adams’ roommate on the road. “It turns the team into game mode. … It’s almost like your brain creating a new moment in time, because the day before, it was something different.
“Whatever it is, it ignites a fire. Everyone’s like, ‘OK, that’s the new goal.’”
White stressed that the recipient of the toy vehicle isn’t necessarily the player who had the best stats (although White justifiably got a fire truck after blasting three home runs vs. Utah Valley last Saturday in Eugene). Rather, he said, “it’s about how well did you contribute to winning the baseball game?”
The first winner was third baseman Maddox Mihalakis. Mihalakis had only one hit in five at-bats in that May 16 game at Houston. But he made several strong defensive plays, and he rooted on his teammates.
“He had an at-bat, and he struck out,” Adams said. “He comes back into the dugout, and the first thing he says after he puts his helmet down is, ‘Hey, let’s go, Garen. Come on, baby.’”
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Garen is second baseman Garen Caulfield. He hits after Mihalakis in the order.
“He just started cheering for Garen, forgot about his at-bat,” Adams said. “It was on to the team.”
Tonghini noticed Mihalakis’ gesture and told Adams.
“See,” Adams told him, “that’s what the car is all about.”
Adams, with help from White, took it to the next level in Eugene. They started coming up with themes and introductory stories.
Before the Utah Valley game, Adams told the group: “We’re on fire.” Then he pulled out the fire truck.
Before the Eugene Regional final against Cal Poly, White said: “Guys, we’re going to fly out of here.” The prize? A helicopter.
“You don’t know what you’re going to see in that circle,” White said.
Whether it’s a sports car or a fire truck, the pregame unveiling relieves a bit of anxiety. It takes the Wildcats back to a simpler time. It reminds them of why they started playing baseball in the first place.
“It just gives us extra motivation, and it’s fun,” junior outfielder Brendan Summerhill said. “It just keeps us loose. … I remember when I was 8 years old. If I played good, I’d get a donut or a toy car. It keeps us young. It takes a lot of stress and pressure off.”
Pluta a finalist
UA closer Tony Pluta is one of 13 finalists for the National College Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in the country.
Pluta has a school-record-tying 13 saves in 14 opportunities. He has a 1.39 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP and has limited opposing hitters to a .185 batting average.
The junior right-hander previously was named the Big 12 Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Pluta is one of three players from the conference to make the list of finalists, joining Baylor’s Gabe Craig and Houston’s Antoine Jean.
Carolina connections
A handful of Wildcats have played or coached at North Carolina before.
Tonghini pitched there twice in 2023 while with Boston College. He allowed one run in two innings and recorded a save.
“Really great environment to pitch in,” Tonghini said. “It’s a lot of fun, great atmosphere, great stadium. They’re a great team. So excited to get down there.”
UA catcher Adonys Guzman spent his freshman year at BC. He went 1 for 5 in one appearance at UNC, driving in the go-ahead run in the series finale.
UA pitching coach Kevin Vance was the Golden Eagles’ pitching coach from 2022-23. BC swept that three-game series in Chapel Hill — its first ACC sweep in six years.
Additionally, White was teammates with UNC center fielder and leadoff hitter Kane Kepley with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League last summer.