LAFAYETTE, La. – Arizona will pitch ace Nathan Bannister on two days’ rest in its must-win NCAA regional game against Louisiana Lafayette.
Bannister threw 96 pitches in the UA’s 7-3 victory over Sam Houston State on Friday. After exhausting most of his options while playing two games Sunday, Wildcats coach Jay Johnson is turning to Bannister, whose markedly improved conditioning has contributed to a breakout senior season.
Bannister is 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA. He has thrown a career-high 119 2/3 innings to date.
The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated the Wildcats 10-3 in the early game Sunday. Arizona rebounded and remained alive with a 6-5 victory over Sam Houston State later in the day.
Today’s game is slated to start at 11 a.m., Tucson time. It can be viewed on ESPN3 (streaming). Here is the rest of Arizona’s lineup:
- 2B Cody Ramer
- RF Zach Gibbons
- LF Alfonso Rivas III
- 1B Ryan Aguilar
- DH JJ Matijevic
- 3B Bobby Dalbec.
- C Cesar Salazar
- CF Jared Oliva
- SS Louis Boyd
For in-game updates, follow Michael Lev on Twitter: @MichaelJLev
