SCOTTSDALE — Sometimes you make all the right moves.
Not even the Chip Hale haters on Twitter could quibble with the Arizona coach’s most important decisions in the Wildcats’ 12-3 win over Arizona State in the opener of the Pac-12 Tournament on Tuesday.
Hale, with input from his staff, elected to push Aiden May’s start from Saturday to Tuesday, saving him for this must-win game. Maybe that seemed obvious, given that Arizona had clinched its spot in the Pac-12 Tournament via Friday’s doubleheader sweep of USC and would be facing ASU regardless. But was it? May had a 7.12 ERA entering Tuesday. He had allowed 14 runs in 6⅔ innings in his previous two outings.
May also struggled in his only previous appearance against the Sun Devils, yielding six runs on nine hits in four innings on March 26.
“He's got tremendous stuff,” Hale said. “He always does. Sometimes it doesn't work out for him. Sometimes he gets too emotional. But he’s still a young kid, just learning how to pitch. ...
“He just keeps getting better and better. He's probably got the best stuff on the staff.”
May came to Arizona via Pima Community College, where he went 6-1 with 50 strikeouts in 46⅔ innings last season. He began this season as the Wildcats’ No. 4 starter before moving into the Sunday role when TJ Nichols struggled and Anthony Susac got hurt.
May validated Hale’s faith in him by allowing only one run on four hits in six innings. Statistically and circumstantially, it was his best performance as a Wildcat.
“Against ASU, I didn't have the best outing last time,” May said. “So I wanted to redeem myself a little bit. Pitch with a little chip on my shoulder. And I feel like I did that really well today.”
May cruised through the first four innings, allowing only one hit — and, critically, no walks. The sizzling UA offense made it easy on him, piling up nine runs in the first four frames.
Arizona’s Nik McClaughry, left, beats the tag of Arizona State catcher Ryan Campos to score a run in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the Pac-12 Tournament on Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium.
But May did have to sit a lot while that was happening, and he developed a calf cramp on a sunny, 99-degree day in Scottsdale.
May’s health was part of the discussion when pitching coach Dave Lawn visited the mound after May loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. May remained in the game and retired the next two batters.
The Sun Devils’ lone run against him came in the sixth when May briefly let his guard down. With two outs, he issued consecutive four-pitch walks followed by a single. He left with a 9-1 lead, having thrown 84 pitches. It was more than enough.
The Wildcats expanded their lead to 12-1 in the top of the seventh, creating the possibility of a run-rule ending. (It’s 10 runs after seven in the Pac-12 Tournament.) Hale clearly had that in mind when he called on Garen Caulfield to put down a safety squeeze with runners on first and third and the score 10-1. Caulfield’s bunt up the first base line was so good that he reached base in addition to plating run No. 11.
Caulfield was not an obvious choice to start at DH. He came into Tuesday batting .229. The starting second baseman when the season began, Caulfield had fallen into a multiplayer DH platoon. Tyler Casagrande and Brendan Summerhill had better numbers and had taken better at-bats lately.
But Hale knew Caulfield had performed well against ASU, including a 3-for-3, three-RBI outburst on March 24. Hale also knew that Caulfield had performed well in this event. He hit the first-ever Pac-12 Tournament home run a year ago and went 5 for 10 in four games.
So maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Caulfield hit a solo homer in his first at-bat Tuesday, bumping Arizona’s lead to 5-0 in the second inning.
“Garen’s had really good at-bats against Arizona State,” Hale said. “Most of their righties, righties hit better. It was a gut feeling. There was also some scientific stuff that we looked at.”
It’s easy to justify decisions when they work. But, in general, blending instincts with analytics makes for a sound thought process. Plus, Caulfield was ready.
“I play on a team that has one of the best offenses in the country,” Caulfield said. “I am very happy to be here. I've not lost confidence at all”
Arizona first baseman Kiko Romero (12) stretches to snatch catcher Tommy Splaine's throw and record the out on Arizona State's Kien Vu (11) in the third inning of Game 1 of the Pac-12 Tournament on Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium.
Hale revealed his next big decision after the game: He’s going with right-hander Cam Walty against Oregon State on Wednesday.
Walty, the transfer from Nevada, emerged as Arizona’s No. 1 starter after missing the beginning of the season because of injury. Having him pitch Tuesday, on three days’ rest, would’ve been too much to ask. He’ll go on four days’ rest vs. the Beavers. The norm in college is six.
Hale and Lawn will have plenty of bullpen options to choose from after tapping No. 2 starter Bradon Zastrow to relieve May. That move didn’t go over well in the Twitterverse when Zastrow struggled in an unfamiliar role. But with the score 12-1, it was a risk worth taking. He allowed two runs. Surging freshman Casey Hintz retired the final four batters to end it.
The way the reconfigured Pac-12 Tournament works, No. 8 seed Arizona has to win Wednesday to advance to the semifinals Friday. Although there’s no precedent for a sub-.500 team Pac-12 team to make the NCAA Tournament, Hale believes the Wildcats will have a chance if they beat the Beavers.
“My feeling is, we need to get into the final four of this thing,” Hale said. “No (Pac-12) team has been in a regional with 12 (league) wins, but that gives us 14, maybe 15. Who knows? We beat a lot of good teams along the way.
“To put it simply, we're in the playoffs right now. This is our regional.”
I don’t necessarily agree with Hale’s assessment. I doubt the selection committee would put a 12-18 Pac-12 team in the field of 64. Arizona most likely has to win the Pac-12 Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are capable of making a run.
But it was about the only thing one could argue with on a day when Hale pushed all the right buttons and kept his team afloat.
Arizona pitcher Aiden May discusses his stellar start in a 12-3 UA win over ASU in the opener of the Pac-12 Tournament at Scottsdale Stadium (video by Michael Lev / Arizona Daily Star)
