Surprise Stadium, Surprise, Arizona, February 13, 2026
The 2026 College Baseball Series will take place at Surprise Stadium in Arizona, featuring teams such as Arizona, Michigan, Stanford, and host Oregon State. With Arizona ranked #24 and having a strong pitching lineup returning, this event promises competitive action as teams prepare for a thrilling tournament. All games will be streamed, providing accessibility to fans. The economic impact of the series is significant, highlighting the tradition of college baseball in the region.
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Here’s a summary of the key facts I will use:
* Event: 2026 College Baseball Series
* Location: Surprise Stadium, Surprise, Arizona
* Dates: February 13-15, 2026, with an additional game on February 16
* Participating Teams: Arizona, Michigan, Stanford, and Oregon State (host university)
* Host: Oregon State
* Arizona’s Ranking: #24 preseason ranking
* Oregon State’s Ranking: #12 preseason ranking
* Arizona’s 2025 Performance: 44-21 record, won Big 12 Tournament Title, reached College World Series
* Arizona’s Pitching: Returns a large portion from 2025, including starters Owen Kramkowski, Smith Bailey, and Collin McKinney. Kramkowski, Bailey, and McKinney are ranked in D1 Baseball’s Preseason Top-200 Starting Pitcher rankings.
* Arizona’s Position Players: Returns just three position players who competed in 75% or more of contests last year.
* Key Arizona Players (Pitching): Owen Kramkowski (starts Friday), Smith Bailey (starts Saturday), Collin McKinney (starts Sunday).
* Closer: Garrett Hicks will be the top closer, replacing Tony Pluta (out for season due to Tommy John surgery).
* Streaming: All games streamed on FloCollege.
* Economic Impact/Local Relevance: Surprise Stadium, partnership with City of Surprise and REV Entertainment, host of Big 12 Baseball Championship in May 2026, strong tradition of college baseball since 2003. Oregon State has played in Surprise since 2014, with over 182,000 fans.
* Arizona’s Historical NCAA Tournament Trend: Has reached the Men’s College World Series 19 times, recently continuing a trend of making it to Omaha every fourth NCAA Tournament.
* Head Coach: Chip Hale, entering his fifth season.
* Arizona’s All-Time Series Records: vs. Michigan (47-12 advantage), vs. Stanford (88-121 deficit), vs. Oregon State (44-46 deficit).
* Arizona’s 2026 Recruiting Class: 15 total prospects, 13 high school, 2 JUCO. Highly rated signees include Ayden Deome and Dusty Dunwoody. These signees will play in the 2027 season, not 2026. (This information is less relevant for “what to watch for in 2026 season-opening tournament” but could be included in a broader context section.)
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