It was a shock to the system — even for a 20-year coaching veteran like Jay Johnson.
Johnson’s Arizona Wildcats lost the opener of their three-game series at Washington State last Friday 21-2. It was by far the largest margin of defeat in Johnson’s five-plus seasons at the helm of the UA program.
“I honestly don’t ever remember being a part of a game like that,” Johnson said. “Credit Washington State. They have a good offense, the second-best offense in the Pac-12 next to us statistically. We just kind of got ambushed.
“In terms of responding, we called it what it was on the field. We really just went back to work.”
Homework, that is. Johnson implemented a teamwide study hall Friday night for about 2½ hours.
“My thought was, we didn’t accomplish much on the baseball field today, so let’s get something positive out of the day,” he said.
The Wildcats then arrived at Pullman’s Bailey-Brayton Field about an hour earlier than normal Saturday to get in some extra practice time.
The team was able to lock in and bounce back. No. 13 Arizona won the next two games to claim its fourth consecutive Pac-12 series victory.
“We just took it as an opportunity: ‘Hey, we have to get better. The game’s telling us that,’ ” Johnson said. “The players made a good choice just to refocus and get back to it. Very little drama.”
Johnson was especially proud of the Wildcats’ response to the first real adversity they had faced this season. The 21-2 loss Friday gave Arizona its first three-game losing streak of 2021. The Wildcats (23-11, 9-6 Pac-12) also are battling injuries and other ailments.
“It’s just kind of that point in the season right now,” Johnson said. “I’m very pleased with coming out of there winning another series when we’re not 100% healthy right now.”
Arizona’s recent itinerary made it that much harder. The Wildcats remained in Phoenix after playing Grand Canyon last Tuesday. They practiced at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Wednesday before flying to Spokane. They returned to Phoenix on Monday morning and bused home to Tucson. The UA hosts New Mexico State on Tuesday night.
Injury updates
Arizona was missing at least three key players and one coach at WSU.
Reliever Preston Price — arguably the team’s most valuable player — was rested against the Cougars after experiencing arm soreness.
“I don’t think it’s anything serious,” Johnson said. “It’s nothing structural. ... But he needed some rest, so we gave it to him.”
Price, a fifth-year senior, has three saves and a 2.55 ERA. He has struck out 32 batters in 17 2/3 innings.
Shortstop Jacob Blas missed the entire week because of an upper-body injury. Blas took batting practice twice in Pullman and should return soon.
“When you look at the depth that we have, if somebody’s not 100%, we don’t have to play them because there’s other good options,” Johnson said. “I think if he had to play, he probably could have.”
Nik McClaughry shifted from third base to shortstop and played well, especially in the field. He had 17 defensive chances and made only one error.
Right-hander TJ Nichols, Arizona’s No. 3 starter, and hitting coach Marc Wanaka didn’t make the trip to Washington because they weren’t feeling well. Johnson said neither was “COVID-related,” but the team is being extra cautious amid the pandemic whenever anyone gets sick.
Nichols was able to throw over the weekend and conceivably could started against NMSU, Johnson said.
Inside pitch
The largest previous margin of defeat under Johnson was 12 runs. It happened twice: a 13-1 loss to Texas Tech on March 7, 2017, and a 15-3 setback against Oregon State on April 20, 2019. Arizona gave up the same number of runs in a 21-10 loss to Utah on March 15, 2019.
The Wildcats and Cougars combined to score 66 runs in the three-game series. The weather was warm in Pullman, the wind was blowing out and WSU’s all-turf field played fast. “That is the fastest turf field that I know of,” Johnson said. “The weather was amazing. ... It played very offensive.”
Arizona compiled 33 hits, 27 runs and seven home runs in the final two games of the series. Freshmen Daniel Susac and Jacob Berry each had two-homer games. Susac notched a career-high seven RBIs Saturday. Berry’s two-homer effort Sunday came a day after his 17-game hitting streak was snapped.
Donta’ Williams also had two home runs in the final two games, plus six RBIs. He has a four-game hitting streak and has raised his average to .286.
Ryan Holgate had the other home run. He went 5 for 9 over the final two games with five RBIs and four runs. Kobe Kato also scored four runs while going 6 for 9 in the two wins.
Although they allowed eight runs in each of the two victories, the Wildcats received some strong efforts from their relievers. Gil Luna, who finished the opener, Quinn Flanagan and Chandler Murphy each pitched multiple innings without giving up an earned run. Vince Vannelle pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings Sunday to earn his team-leading fifth save.
Arizona remained at No. 13 in Baseball America’s Top 25. The Wildcats dropped two spots, from 16th to 18th, in D1Baseball.com’s ranking. The UA is No. 8 in RPI.
The NMSU game is the first of eight straight at home. Sahuarita High School product Ian Mejia, who began his college career at Arizona, is slated to start for the Aggies (11-21). The UA hosts USC (17-13, 6-6) Friday-Sunday.
