They share first names and unexpectedly prominent roles out of the Arizona Wildcats’ bullpen.
Neither Zach Sherman nor Zach Stone appeared in any of Arizona’s first 11 games. A little over a month later, they have become critical cogs for a team that has put itself back in the postseason mix.
Sherman is 2-0 and has yet to allow an earned run in 10 1/3 innings. Stone has a 2.40 ERA across 15 innings and 10 appearances, including three spot starts.
The right-handed relievers “have jumped to the forefront, where they weren’t necessarily at the beginning,” said UA coach Jay Johnson, whose team hosts No. 3 Stanford in a three-game series starting Friday. “It’s a good success story and a big part of our current rise.”
They share names, roles and 2018 achievements. That’s where the similarities between Sherman and Stone end.
Sherman is a redshirt freshman who came to Arizona as a walk-on and potential two-way player. Stone is a graduate transfer who set the career saves record at UC Davis.
Sherman (6-2, 179) is still growing into his body. Stone (6-1, 228) is a grown man.
Upon completing his fourth season at UC Davis — including a redshirt year in 2016, when he was rehabbing an injured shoulder — Stone sought a new opportunity. He sent Johnson an email. Johnson called Stone a couple of days later.
“He remembered me from his time at Nevada playing against Davis,” Stone said. “He remembered liking the way I threw. It all kind of came together.”
It did … and yet it didn’t. At least not at first. Neither Stone nor Sherman emerged from fall ball among the relievers Johnson and pitching coach Dave Lawn trusted at the start of the season.
Stone made his first appearance in Game 13, throwing the final inning of a 13-3 win over North Dakota State. But the more he pitched, the more that sense of trust grew. Stone knew his time would come.
“I knew that I was good enough,” he said. “I’ve had four years of being able to get Division I hitters out. That’s something I brought with me.
“I didn’t have as much success in the fall as I had hoped. It’s tough at that point to not get down on yourself or question, ‘Do I really belong here?’ I just tried to stay positive and remind myself that I was good enough and that I could get it done.”
Through six appearances covering 6 2/3 innings, Stone did not surrender a run. Johnson then turned to the veteran when Arizona needed a starter who could throw 2-3 innings in midweek or Sunday scenarios.
Stone allowed two runs in two innings at New Mexico on April 2 — an effective performance on a night when the wind was blowing out at 26 mph. (The Wildcats defeated the Lobos 16-6.)
Stone started the past two Sundays, yielding two runs in 5 1/3 innings in series-clinching victories over Oregon State and USC.
At no point did Stone get frustrated with his playing time, or lack thereof. He handled everything like a pro.
“I played four years of college baseball,” Stone said. “I knew it was a long season. Guys get hurt. Guys go into slumps. There’s going to be opportunities for everyone.
“As a freshman, I probably would have let that get to me a little bit more than I did.”
Sherman didn’t have that experience to fall back on. What he did have was unwavering belief in himself and a handful of mentors to help keep him upbeat and focused.
Sherman came to Arizona from the San Diego suburbs — Ramona is at the opposite end of California from Stone’s hometown of Eureka — despite having no assurances that he’d ever receive any athletic scholarship money.
“I had other opportunities,” Sherman said. “This just seemed like the best fit. I felt like if I proved myself or played well, I would be able to get a scholarship.”
Sherman’s UA career started slowly. The coaching staff elected to redshirt him last season.
Instead of viewing that as a setback, Sherman turned it into an opportunity. He spoke to other players who had redshirted and benefited from that experience, including outfielder Jared Oliva. Oliva eventually developed into a pro prospect whom the Pittsburgh Pirates selected in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB draft.
“They said that it’s a really good opportunity to get better and work on things,” said Sherman, who also has leaned on veteran relievers Robby Medel and Tylor Megill for advice. “I took that and ran with it.”
Sherman got stronger, worked on his mechanics and fortified the mental side of his game.
“Zach has really evolved,” Johnson said. “You can make an argument that he’s one of our top two or three pitchers right now. That’s a great revelation for us.
“I’ve gotta hand it to him — that’s a guy that didn’t get into the first (11) games of the season. Stuck with it. Was doing some things with his pitching repertoire. And just kind of put his head down and worked.”
In his first career appearance, against San Diego State on March 6, Sherman walked two batters and surrendered an unearned run in one inning of work. He hasn’t allowed a run or walk since.
“The first time I pitched, it didn’t go that great,” Sherman said. “Now there’s really no looking back.
“I have more confidence than I’ve probably ever had. I think you can create confidence for yourself even if you haven’t been out there. But having success builds it even more.”
Honoring Kindall
Arizona will honor Hall of Fame coach Jerry Kindall in a pregame ceremony starting at 6:40 p.m. Saturday.
Participants include Johnson, former UA coaches Andy Lopez and Jerry Stitt, and former Kindall assistant Jim Wing. Kindall’s grandson, Eric, will throw out the first pitch. His brother, Wayne, will sing the national anthem.
Kindall, who led the Wildcats to three College World Series championships, died Dec. 24 at the age of 82.
One of Johnson’s fondest memories during his first two-plus seasons at Arizona came when Kindall called to wish him good luck before the 2016 Super Regional at Mississippi State.
“He was a Hall of Fame person,” Johnson said. “It’s really important to me that on the field, off the field, our players and our program are doing things that honor his legacy.”
Inside pitch
- Junior right-handers Cody Deason (4-2, 1.94 ERA) and Michael Flynn (5-2, 4.70) are scheduled to start the first two games vs. Stanford. Sunday’s starter is TBA.
- The Cardinal is expected to start right-hander Tristan Beck (4-2, 3.11) and lefties Kris Bubic (5-0, 2.40) and Erik Miller (2-2, 4.35).
- Stanford (27-5, 9-3) leads the Pac-12 in ERA (2.75) and opponents’ batting average (.211) ahead of Friday’s series opener. The Cardinal ranks fifth nationally in ERA and first in WHIP (1.06). Arizona (23-12, 6-6) ranks third in the conference and ninth in the country with a 2.92 ERA.
- Stanford is No. 2 in RPI. Arizona is No. 31 — an improvement of 82 spots since March 25.
