TUCSON — The Arizona Wildcats baseball program rolled out the red carpet at Hi Corbett Field Saturday night to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the team's 1986 College World Series title.
Fans packed the stadium to cheer on generations of Wildcats as the 1986 National Championship squad took the field ahead of Arizona's matchup against Kansas State.
The alumni shook hands with the current roster, hoping to pass along some championship wisdom to a team currently sitting at 14-23 on the season.
The reunion served as a full-circle moment for current Arizona head coach Chip Hale. The man now wearing the headset to lead the Wildcats was the captain of that legendary 1986 championship team.
Several heroes from the title-winning squad were in attendance, including former Wildcat and Major League Baseball pitcher Gil Heredia. During that magical 1986 season, Heredia set a school record with 16 wins.
To kick off the night's festivities, Heredia threw out the first pitch to catcher Steve Strong. Heredia shared high praise for his former captain-turned-head coach.
Unfortunately, that championship magic did not rub off on the current Wildcats. Arizona fell to Kansas State 11-1, losing the series.
