Arizona's hopes of pulling off a series upset against the Big 12's top team took an early hit on Saturday, as standout pitcher Smith Bailey exited prematurely in what became a 7-2 loss at No. 11 Kansas.

The sophomore right-hander lasted just two innings, throwing 37 pitches before being pulled for precautionary reasons, according to head coach Chip Hale.

"Smith wasn't feeling great," Hale explained during the ESPN Plus broadcast, declining to specify whether the issue was injury or illness. "Get him out of there, check him out back in Tucson, make sure everything's okay, be very careful."

Bailey, who earned Big 12 and NCBWA Pitcher of the Week honors just two weeks ago after striking out a career-high 15 batters over six one-hit innings against Kansas State, allowed one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. The early exit was especially costly given his recent dominance—though that first-inning run continued a troubling trend. Bailey's ERA in the opening frame now sits at 13.50 in Big 12 play, compared to a much more manageable 4.55 after the first inning.

Without their ace on the mound, the Wildcats struggled to contain Kansas's explosive offense. The Jayhawks (36-11, 19-4 Big 12) broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning against reliever Patrick Morris, opening the frame with three straight doubles followed by a home run. They tacked on two more runs in the eighth to seal the victory.

Arizona (16-29, 7-16) managed just two runs on the day, scoring on a double play groundout in the sixth and an RBI double from Caleb Danzeisen in the ninth. Danzeisen was a bright spot, collecting two of the Wildcats' six hits. However, the team's offensive struggles continued, going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position—and 0-for-19 in that situation for the entire weekend series. The loss extends Arizona's losing streak to five games.