Arizona’s sweep of a tournament in Texas over the weekend made for an impressive start to the Chip Hale era. Tuesday was an indication that it won’t always be that easy.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats were crushed 19-3 by Grand Canyon in their home opener on Tuesday night. The crowd of 2,766 fans at Hi Corbett Field saw Arizona lose its first home opener since 2003 and allow the most runs at home in nearly three years as it struggled in all facets of the game, each of which looked solid in wins over Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown.