OMAHA, Neb. β Sometime soon, Arizona coach Jay Johnson will turn his attention to next seasonβs Wildcats. Heβll have his work cut out trying to replace the production of the juniors and seniors who will play their final games Thursday.
The UA will lose its top three batters: right fielder Zach Gibbons, second baseman Cody Ramer and first baseman Ryan Aguilar. Arizona also will lose its No. 1 pitcher, Nathan Bannister.
All four turned themselves into pro prospects with stellar senior seasons.
Entering Wednesdayβs postponed College World Series finale against Coastal Carolina, Gibbons was batting .391. He also had a nation-high 107 hits.
Gibbons entered this season with a .316 career average but hit only .287 in 2015. He boosted that mark by more than 100 points, and the Los Angeles Angels selected him in the 17th round of the MLB draft.
Ramer, who typically preceded Gibbons atop the UA lineup, will join him in the Angels organization.
The Angels drafted Ramer in the 19th round. Heβs batting .343 with a team-high eight triples. Ramer entered this season with a .218 career average.
Aguilar, who often hit third behind Ramer and Gibbons, is batting .307 with a team-leading eight home runs and 56 RBIs. Last year, his lone previous season at the UA, Aguilar hit .190 in 42 at-bats with no homers and two RBIs. The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Aguilar in the 31st round.
Bannister developed from a rotation possibility into a top-of-the-rotation ace. He has a 12-2 record and a 2.59 ERA. Opponents are batting just .202 against him.
Bannister had to leave Fridayβs game against Oklahoma State because of a strained right forearm. He pitched a career-high 142β innings this season. The Seattle Mariners selected him in the 28th round.
Two Arizona juniors were drafted, and both are expected to turn pro.
The Boston Red Sox took third baseman/pitcher Bobby Dalbec in the fourth round. Dalbec was scheduled to start Wednesday and had a standout season on the mound.
The Red Sox drafted Dalbec as a position player, and he plans to begin his pro career as a hitter. Dalbec is batting .260 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs. He has an 11-5 record as a pitcher with a 2.65 ERA and a team-high seven saves.
Like Dalbec, right-hander Kevin Ginkel started and relieved for Arizona this season. Ginkel allowed one earned run in seven innings during Arizonaβs 5-4 loss to Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, lowering his season ERA to 2.80. Heβs 5-1 with three saves.
The Diamondbacks took Ginkel in the 22nd round. Itβs the third time the junior-college transfer has been drafted.
Honored and proud
In the hours leading up to Wednesdayβs postponed game, several Arizona players took to social media to express their feelings about the team and the Wildcatsβ unforgettable journey.
Sophomore pitcher Cameron Ming: βOne more game with the best group of guys in the world. Wouldnβt want to suit up with anyone else. Letβs bring it home!β
Senior pitcher Tyler Crawford: βAbout to head to the field for the national championship. Win or lose, I donβt want this season to ever end. Best group of people ever.β
Freshman catcher Cesar Salazar: βGreat day to be alive. Letβs leave everything on the field, hermanos.β
Sophomore pitcher Matt Hartman: βI canβt describe how proud I am to be a part of this family. Pumped to get this show started and leave every ounce of energy out there.β
Theyβll get to wait one more day before having to say goodbye.
Johnson wonβt go to Texas
Johnsonβs name came up in media reports about the opening at Texas. However, the Longhorns went in a different direction Wednesday.
Texas hired Tulane coach David Pierce, who previously coached at Sam Houston State. Pierce succeeds longtime Longhorns coach Augie Garrido, who was reassigned May 30.
Regardless of the developments at Texas, UA athletic director Greg Byrne is expected to sit down with Johnson soon to discuss renegotiating his contract.
Inside pitch
- This year marks the third year in a row the CWS finals will have gone three games. The four championship series before that were sweeps, including Arizonaβs defeat of South Carolina in 2012.
- This yearβs College World Series marks the first time the tournament has required the maximum 17 games.
- Arizona junior left-hander JC Cloneyβs 16 scoreless innings entering Wednesday were the most for a pitcher in a single College World Series. Cloney also became the first pitcher to throw a complete-game shutout in the CWS finals.
- Arizonaβs Ginkel and Coastal Carolinaβs Mike Morrison each had 10 strikeouts Tuesday, equaling the CWS finals record.
