The Arizona baseball season ended in disappointment, but the members of the 2021 Wildcats will always have this:
They finished the campaign as a consensus top-10 team.
Five outlets ranked Arizona between sixth and ninth in their final polls released Thursday. The Wildcats’ highest ranking came from the USA Today coaches’ poll (No. 6); their lowest ranking came from Baseball America (No. 9).
Arizona finished with a 45-18 record. The UA reached the College World Series but lost its first game to eventual runner-up Vanderbilt 7-6 in 12 innings. Stanford eliminated Arizona two days later.
By the end of the week, Jay Johnson had left the program to become the coach at LSU. On Thursday, Johnson was named the American Baseball Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year. He also earned the honor in 2016, when he led Arizona to the CWS finals.
One of Johnson’s key aides, volunteer assistant/hitting instructor Marc Wanaka, is expected to join him in Baton Rouge.
Arizona’s search for Johnson’s successor, led by Athletic Director Dave Heeke, continued Thursday, which also marked the deadline for student-athletes to place their names in the NCAA transfer portal to ensure eligibility next season.
Pitchers Garrett Irvin and George Arias Jr. are the latest UA players to enter the portal, according to D1Baseball.com.
