Every Arizona Wildcats pitcher besides JC Cloney has worked out of the bullpen this season. Seven of those pitchers have made multiple starts.
That development is partly attributable to Arizona’s coaches spending about two-thirds of the season trying to figure how best to configure the staff. It’s also the way Jay Johnson has rolled in his two seasons as UA coach.
Not locking in specific roles during the regular season can produce a positive side effect in the postseason: Most of Arizona’s pitchers have an array of experiences heading into regional play. They already know how to prepare to start, pitch in long relief or in late relief.
“Versatility is a good deal,” said Johnson, whose team faces Sam Houston State in the second game of the Lubbock Regional on Friday. “Really, truly being one game at a time throughout the season helps you when you get into these experiences.”
It helped the Wildcats immensely a year ago when they advanced to the College World Series finals. They hope to replicate that formula this spring.
Left-hander Cameron Ming, a starter for most of 2016, became Arizona’s closer. Right-hander Bobby Dalbec, who mainly pitched in relief, became an invaluable starter – who also came out of the bullpen at times. Righty Kevin Ginkel also served as a swingman.
“When you get into the best 64 teams in the country, it’s not about roles,” Johnson said Tuesday. “It’s about competing for outs – 27 outs over the course of the game.”
In last year’s regional opener, also against Sam Houston State, Dalbec pitched the final inning to close out a 7-3 victory. Two days later he started, threw six innings and earned the win as the Wildcats eliminated the Bearkats.
Ginkel pitched 1º innings out of the pen in that game. The next day he recorded a save against host Louisiana Lafayette to keep Arizona alive. Three hours later, Ginkel started and helped the Wildcats knock out the Ragin’ Cajuns.
There’s no telling what’s in store in Lubbock, Texas. Last year’s regional was complicated by a rainout that forced Arizona to play four games in two days.
This much is certain: Johnson already is preparing for every contingency. And pitching depth beyond Cloney and Ming – a season-long theme – could determine whether the second-seeded Wildcats emerge from a regional loaded with prolific offenses.
Dalbec and Ginkel are no longer around; both were drafted last June and are playing in the minors. Ming’s season was a mirror image of last year: He began it as Arizona’s closer before becoming a starter. He probably – though not definitely — will start the Wildcats’ second game Saturday.
The pitchers most likely to get the first call out of the bullpen – and/or an emergency start Sunday or Monday if/when Arizona runs out of fresh arms — are Cody Deason, Michael Flynn, Tylor Megill, Rio Gomez and Landon Faulkner.
Deason, a sophomore right-hander, emerged as the Wildcats’ third starter late in the season. But Johnson limited his pitch count in the regular-season finale Sunday in case Deason is needed Friday.
Flynn, also a sophomore right-hander, started three times in March. He is now, arguably, Arizona’s most dependable relief pitcher.
Flynn threw 3ª shutout innings to earn the win in Arizona’s 10-3 victory over Cal last Friday. He allowed just one hit, didn’t issue a walk and struck out five.
The outing dropped Flynn’s ERA to 3.12 — the lowest of any UA pitcher who ended the season as a reliever.
In addition to tweaking his delivery, Flynn has expanded his repertoire. Flynn already had a low-90s fastball and a hard slider. Now he has the confidence and ability to throw his curveball and changeup for strikes.
“He’s always had them, but they weren’t usable,” UA pitching coach Dave Lawn said. “Now they’re usable.”
Johnson said Flynn has become a “different guy” since the early part of the season.
“The athleticism, the clean arm, you could always see them. You could see them the first time he pitched in the fall of 2015,” Johnson said. “I think the confidence, concentration, effort and competitiveness have really elevated all through his time here. We saw flashes of it last year. We saw flashes of it early this year. Now he’s pitching at a really high level. I can’t wait to get him in the game.”
Like the rest of the pitching staff, Flynn has become accustomed to Johnson’s day-by-day approach. Pitchers sometimes don’t find out they’re going to start until the morning of a game. So they have to be ready.
“That’s kind of how it works,” Flynn said earlier this season. “We have … so many guys who can contribute and fit into different roles.”
Aside from Flynn and Deason, consistency has eluded the rest of the pitchers not named Cloney or Ming. Can they find it in the postseason, when the importance of every pitch is magnified?
“If they’re pitching their best, along with JC and Cameron, that’s kind of the same deal as last year,” Lawn said. “They’re still trying to find themselves. To some extent they’ve been a little hot and cold.
“Some guys just rally this time of year. Hopefully they do it. They’ve done it. Just not every time.”
Inside pitch
• Sam Houston State is expected to start ace right-hander Heath Donica (9-1, 1.69) on Friday. Donica also started last year’s regional opener. Johnson wouldn’t commit to Cloney as of Tuesday, although that remains the most likely scenario.
• Arizona senior infielders Louis Boyd and Kyle Lewis were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic first team Tuesday. They are the first Wildcats to earn first-team recognition since 2005. Boyd has a 3.79 GPA, Lewis a 3.88. Flynn (3.33) made honorable mention.
