‘They played their hearts out’: Wildcats fall to Rebels in NCAA Tournament, ending 2022 season

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — As the Arizona Wildcats trudged off the field at Alex Rodriguez Park, Daniel Susac hugged each and every one of them.

The star catcher had exited Arizona’s season-ending 22-6 loss to Ole Miss on Monday after the sixth inning. He had shed his jersey by game’s end, leaving a red undershirt. He had a towel around his neck to absorb sweat and wipe away tears.

The finality of it all hit Susac and the rest of the Wildcats when the Rebels recorded the last out of the NCAA Tournament’s Coral Gables Regional. A season that started so promisingly — including a No. 10 national ranking at one point — was over.

Arizona ran out of viable, fresh arms, and Ole Miss showed no mercy in front of a sparse crowd that waited out multiple weather delays lasting more than four hours.

“I just want to congratulate Ole Miss for a great tournament,” first-year UA coach Chip Hale said. “They came out and got us the first night. Going through that loser’s bracket is tough — very tough.

“Our guys, I’m so proud of this club. All year, they played their hearts out and stuck together through some tough times. And they left it out there. That’s all we asked these last couple of days. Just do the best you can.

Wildcats baseball players gather on the field after losing against Ole Miss on Monday in the season finale at the Coral Gables Regional.
Sam Navarro, Special to the Arizona Daily Star

“Those pitchers, they battled best they could today and just couldn’t get it done. But all you can ask for is effort when you’re in my position.”

Ole Miss — whom Arizona ousted last season to advance to the College World Series — heads to Hattiesburg to face Southern Miss in the Super Regional round. The Wildcats head home having pulled off an incredible comeback to get to Monday — but also showing the toll it took to get that done.

Arizona, which came to South Florida as the No. 2 seed in the regional, finished the season 39-25. Monday’s ouster was a disappointing — though not entirely unexpected — outcome for a program that made it to Omaha last year but faced a challenging transition in the offseason after Jay Johnson’s departure for LSU. (The Tigers lost to the Golden Eagles on Monday in the Hattiesburg Regional final.)

The Wildcats extended their season with a thrilling ninth-inning rally against host and No. 6 overall seed Miami on Sunday night. Arizona trailed 3-2 entering the frame and was down to its last out. Tanner O’Tremba then hit a two-RBI double to put the Wildcats ahead. Quinn Flanagan closed it out to set up a rematch with Ole Miss, which had defeated Arizona on Saturday night.

That comeback epitomized the 2022 Wildcats, outfielder Chase Davis said. They rallied to twice in the Pac-12 Tournament and kept on fighting no matter the obstacles in the NCAA Tournament.

“It just gave me a reflection of who we are as a team and as a family,” Davis said. “It makes me think back to the beginning of the season and all the times that we had to go through, which were hard. Whether we got through them or not, it just showed me who we are. Just being able to do that yesterday, it showed a lot of heart; it showed a lot of fight.”

Wildcats infielder Nik McClaughry throws to first base during the fifth inning Monday. UA’s season ended with a 22-6 loss to Ole Miss in the Coral Gables Regional.
Sam Navarro, Special to the Arizona Daily Star

Earlier Sunday — much earlier — the UA defeated Canisius. Ole Miss then upset Miami, allowing the Rebels to take the rest of the day off. That proved to be a significant factor Monday.

Arizona’s pitching options were limited. The Wildcats used at least four pitchers in each of their first three regional games. Their pitching depth was a concern entering the weekend.

The UA turned to right-hander Chandler Murphy to start, hoping he could match or exceed Dawson Netz’s performance from the previous night. Netz allowed one run on one hit in four innings. Murphy allowed four runs in 1 1/3 frames.

Arizona ended up using eight pitchers Monday as Hale and pitching coach Dave Lawn desperately searched for someone who could slow down the Rebels. All eight gave up at least one run.

“It does show you — and it’s something that we need to work on in the offseason — we need to get deeper in our bullpen,” Hale said. “We need guys that are going to be able to handle these situations.”

Regional MVP Tim Elko hit three home runs against three UA hurlers. Ole Miss smacked five homers in all.

The Wildcats traded blows with the Rebels through four innings. Blake Paugh’s second home run of the game, a two-run shot, tied the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth.

Wildcats infielder Tony Bullard dives in an attempt to reach a ground ball in the fifth inning against Ole Miss on Monday.
Sam Navarro, Special to the Arizona Daily Star

Then the onslaught came. Ole Miss scored five runs in the fifth, including a grand slam by Kemp Alderman, and eight runs in the sixth — on only four hits. The inning included three walks, two wild pitches and one hit batsman.

Ole Miss’ 22 runs were the most scored against Arizona this season. The Rebels’ 18 hits tied for the second most.

Ole Miss was the last at-large team to make the NCAA Tournament field. The Rebels were at one point ranked No. 1 in the nation before enduring a midseason slump. Now they’re bound for their third Super Regional in the past three seasons in which the NCAA Tournament was held.

Susac, a second-team All-American, likely played his last game as a Wildcat. A draft-eligible sophomore, he is expected to be selected in the first round of next month’s MLB draft.

He was asked what his fondest memory was of his time at Arizona.

“When I look back on it, I think just being out there with the guys on the team stands out more than anything,” Susac said, his eyes red and puffy. “Not the memories themselves but just who you share it with.”