Arizona Wildcats sophomore pitcher Smith Bailey put together some great outings during fall exhibition baseball.
He had a 1.04 ERA, a 0.69 WHIP, and allowed an expected opposing batting average of .126 during his time on the mound in the fall.
Bailey is looking to break out with a great sophomore season in 2026 and could very much be a staple in Arizona’s starting rotation.
The incoming sophomore was named a first-team freshman All-American in 2025 by D1 Baseball. He was also a part of the Big 12’s All-Freshman team last season.
Both Perfect Game and Baseball America nominated him for second-team freshman All-American honors as well.
In 89 innings and 18 starts, he had a 3.94 ERA and 80 strikeouts.
During five separate appearances last season, Bailey reached a season-high total of six strikeouts. These came in games against the Tennessee Volunteers, Utah Utes, BYU Cougars, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Pepperdine Waves.
Last season, the Arizona Wildcats finished the year 44-21 overall and were 18-12 in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats won the Big 12 Tournament championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
During the win in the Big 12 championship game against the TCU Horned Frogs, Bailey pitched 5 1/3 innings. He had five strikeouts and allowed just one earned run during that stretch.
Arizona went on to win the Eugene and Chapel Hill regions during the 2025 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the College World Series.
In two NCAA Tournament regional and super regional games against Cal Poly and North Carolina, Bailey threw a combined nine strikeouts in 12 innings of work.
In both of those games against Cal Poly and North Carolina, Arizona won. Thus, he played a major role in leading the Wildcats to the College World Series.
He also pitched in the College World Series in a game against the Louisville Cardinals. Despite Arizona losing the game, Bailey threw four strikeouts in six innings of work.
NCAA News: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Arizona Head Coach Chip Hale during an NCAA College World Series baseball game on June 13, 2025 in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Cory Eads)
