Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball posted to X on Sunday that Arizona assistant coach Toby DeMello will not return to the Wildcats in 2027. Rogers noted DeMello "helped lead the way with the offense and catchers" for the Arizona baseball program.
DeMello has been an assistant coach with Arizona since 2022. Arizona finished the 2026 season with 19 wins and 34 losses. It was the first losing season for Arizona since they had 22 wins and 33 losses in 2014. In the four previous seasons with DeMello on the staff, Arizona earned NCAA Tournament berths.
Arizona struggled offensively at times in Big XII games in 2026. The Wildcats were 12th out of 16 teams with a .267 batting average, eighth with 188 runs scored and 33 home runs, seventh with a .446 slugging percentage and 11th with a .353 on-base percentage.
Arizona was hindered by injuries. Outfielder Easton Breyfogle missed all but two games in 2026. Breyfogle hit .244 with five HRs, 44 runs batted in, a .419 slugging percentage and a .320 on-base percentage in 2025 as Arizona won the Big 12 Tournament and advanced to the College World Series.
Sources: @ArizonaBaseball assistant Toby DeMello will not return to the program in 2027, I’m told. DeMello spent the last five seasons with the program and helped lead the way with the offense and catchers. #Big12 pic.twitter.com/2dpzVRhJ6V
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) May 17, 2026
Coaching the catchers
In 2025, catcher Adonys Guzman led Arizona with a .328 batting average, had a .907 on-base plus slugging percentage, a .496 slugging percentage and a .411 on-base percentage. Guzman had a .987 fielding percentage in 2025 and threw out 31.0 percent of base stealers.
Beau Sylvester, the primary catcher for Arizona in 2026, hit .329 with three HRs and 29 RBIs. Jackson Forbes, second in at-bats among Arizona catchers in 2026, hit .248 with four HRs and 22 RBIs and Roman Myers hit .214 with three HRs and 17 RBIs.
Arizona allowed 81 stolen bases in 94 attempts in 2026 with 12 passed balls. Forbes and Myers have eligibility remaining beyond 2026. Sylvester was a senior in 2026. Hale and the remaining staff have roster decisions to make for 2027 and now an assistant coaching opening to fill.
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