Arizona already had defeated the second- and third-seeded teams in the 2012 College World Series. To advance to the CWS Finals, the Wildcats would have to beat one of them again.
The UA’s next opponent in Omaha turned out to be the same as the first: No. 3 seed Florida State, which eliminated No. 2 seed UCLA 4-1 on June 19.
The Wildcats had defeated the Seminoles 4-3 in 12 innings four days earlier. FSU rebounded with a 12-2 triumph over Stony Brook before bouncing the Bruins.
As we continue to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Arizona’s 2012 CWS championship, we’ll revisit Round 2 between the Wildcats and Seminoles. Throughout the week we’re recapping each of the Wildcats’ five victories in Omaha. Come Saturday, we’ll catch up with some of the key participants.
Date: June 21
Opponent: Florida State
Final score: Arizona 10, FSU 3
What went down: The Wildcats jumped on the mistake-prone Seminoles, blitzing them with six runs in the first inning and four more in the fourth en route to a runaway victory.
Arizona eliminated FSU and advanced to the CWS Finals to face the winner of the other side of the bracket — either Arkansas or South Carolina.
Florida State committed three errors in the opening frame. The UA took full advantage, chasing starter Brandon Leibrandt, who was charged with six runs — two earned — in one-third of an inning.
The Wildcats totaled 15 hits. Every starting position player besides catcher Riley Moore had at least one. Six players had two or more hits, led by right fielder Robert Refsnyder, who went 3 for 5 with a home run, two runs, an RBI and a walk. DH Bobby Brown went 2 for 2 with a homer, two runs, two RBIs and three walks.
FSU’s miscues and Arizona’s opportunistic offense made for a relatively easy outing for starter Kurt Heyer, who allowed two runs on nine hits in 7 1/3 innings to up his record to 13-2.
Arizona’s Joe Maggi is greeted at the dugout after scoring in the Wildcats’ runaway win over Florida State.
By the numbers: Heyer became the third pitcher in UA history to throw 150-plus innings in a season, joining Scott Erickson (172 2/3, 1989) and Gil Heredia (165 1/3, 1986). Heyer’s 13 victories tied for eighth best in program annals and were the most by a Wildcat since Joe Magrane had 13 wins in 1985.
They said it: “They obviously helped us a little bit in that first inning, which was very uncharacteristic of a Florida State team. It’s just a reminder that it’s a game played by young people, and we caught some breaks today.” – UA coach Andy Lopez
“We’ve had the mentality coming in here: We’re slowing things down, being real confident. I don’t know if it’s necessarily easy, but we’re a good team.” – Brown
We wrote it: Kurt Heyer was working fast, pumping strikes and sweating hard Thursday when Alex Mejia chirped from the shortstop position.
“Come on! Let’s go! One-run game!” he said.
Except it wasn’t. And there haven’t been many close games lately.
The Arizona Wildcats scored six runs in the first inning, Robert Refsnyder and Bobby Brown ripped home runs during a four-run fourth, and the UA blasted Florida State 10-3 Thursday to advance to the College World Series Finals. ...
Thursday’s win in front of 20,596 fans marked another dominant performance by college baseball’s hottest team. The Wildcats (46-17) have won nine straight games, including eight in a row in the postseason. Six of their victories have come by three or more runs. They have scored double-digit runs four times during the playoffs and are outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 79-26.
The UA has made college baseball’s toughest task — winning, and doing it on the biggest stage — look practically easy.
Florida State coach Mike Martin, left, and Arizona coach Andy Lopez exchange pleasantries following the Wildcats’ June 21, 2012 win over the Seminoles.
Where are they now? Mejia has developed into a star in the Mexican League for Acereros de Monclova. Mejia is batting .344 — his highest average as a professional — with three home runs and 32 RBIs in 45 games. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Mejia in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB draft. He spent seven years in the organization and appeared in 29 games for the big-league club in 2017.
Up next: Arizona (46-17) vs. South Carolina (49-18), June 24
