The Arizona baseball team faces a critical midweek game Wednesday night.
The Wildcats host No. 18 Arizona State at 6 p.m. at Hi Corbett Field. It's a non-conference game but one the Wildcats need to win for a variety of reasons.
First off, resurgent ASU swept Arizona when the teams met in Phoenix March 24-26. That was part of a 10-game Pac-12 losing streak that has seriously jeopardized the Wildcats' chances of making the postseason.
Arizona currently sits at 18-15, 6-12 in the Pac-12. The Wildcats are in ninth place in the league — the last qualifying spot for the Pac-12 Tournament, which could be their best route to the NCAA Tournament. It's highly unlikely they'd make it as an at-large team with a sub-.500 conference record. Arizona would have to go 9-3 the rest of the way to finish at .500, and the Wildcats still have road series against No. 19 Oregon State and No. 11 Stanford.
Pitching has been Arizona's biggest issue, and the problems started against ASU. The Wildcats allowed 23 runs in that three-game series, and their ERA in Pac-12 games is an unsightly 7.13.
Although his overall numbers, including a 6.39 ERA, don't show it, Wednesday's scheduled starter, Cam Walty, has been a bright spot of late. The transfer from Nevada missed the start of the season because of arm issues. But the right-hander is starting to round into form. He threw five scoreless innings against New Mexico State last week, surrendering only one hit and one walk while striking out seven batters.
ASU (25-10, 11-3) is in first place in the Pac-12, a half-game ahead of Stanford. The Sun Devils lead the league with a .314 team batting average — one percentage point ahead of the Wildcats.
ASU's Ryan Campos, a one-time UA commit, leads the league with a .413 average. Arizona's Kiko Romero has a conference-best 48 RBIs. Romero is tied for third in home runs with 11. Teammate Chase Davis is second with 12.
Arizona baseball coach Chip Hale discusses his own involvement in decisions made around the Wildcats' pitching staff. Hale spoke on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Video by Air Koslow/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
