The 2017 Arizona Wildcats led the Pac-12 in just about every important offensive category. They didn’t have quite enough pitching to advance deep into the postseason.
With several relatively unproven pitchers expected to play critical roles this year, it’s fair to wonder if the 2018 squad is destined for a similar fate.
The early returns suggest this season might be different.
Junior right-handers Cody Deason and Michael Flynn combined to throw 12 1/3 scoreless innings, and Arizona swept a rare opening doubleheader against Bryant University by scores of 4-0 and 5-1 on Saturday at Hi Corbett Field.
Just as significant: Five relievers allowed just one run in 5 2/3 frames against the perennial power from the Northeast Conference.
“It makes me really, really happy,” UA coach Jay Johnson said. “If you ask a basketball coach, they probably want to hold (the opposition) under 70. A football coach probably wants to hold them under 24. For us, if we can keep them under four, I like our chances to win.”
The Wildcats opened last season with a shutout, too — before allowing 13 runs in their second game. The staff never wavered Saturday despite a handful of anxious moments.
“We’ve got a lot of guys, and a lot of guys who can do big things this year,” Flynn said. “And we haven’t even scratched the surface. We’re just getting started.”
Flynn cruised through 5 1/3 innings in Game 2, allowing just three hits and one walk. He struck out five and retired the final six batters he faced before reaching his pitch count.
The offense wasn’t its usual potent self Saturday, but Arizona found ways to score enough runs. The Wildcats plated three in the bottom of the third in Game 2 despite only one hit leaving the infield.
After Cesar Salazar’s deep flyout to right, Travis Moniot got hit by a pitch. Matt Fraizer followed with a bunt single, and Moniot advanced to third on a throwing error.
Cal Stevenson followed with another bunt single, scoring Moniot. Mitchell Morimoto’s single to center scored Fraizer. Morimoto then scored without the benefit of a hit, advancing to second on a wild pitch and coming home after the throw to second skipped into the outfield and past center fielder Nick Angelini.
Arizona finally surrendered a run in top of the sixth on Tyler Panno’s home run to center field off Jason Seever. The Wildcats responded with runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh.
The season was supposed to start Friday night, but a rare UA home rainout pushed the opener to Saturday afternoon. It’s believed to be the first opening-day doubleheader in Arizona history.
Game 1 began under mostly sunny skies, and about a dozen MLB scouts had their radar guns trained on Wildcats starter Deason.
Whether it was their presence, his start being delayed because of the rain or general opening-day jitters, Deason struggled to find his command, which he described afterward as “a little iffy.”
The junior right-hander walked five batters across seven innings. Only once, in the fourth, did he retire the side 1-2-3. That was also the first time Deason got the leadoff batter out. He didn’t record his first strikeout until the fifth.
But Deason persevered, stranding six runners and keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard. His best pitch might have been his last – a 1-2 fastball that overpowered pinch-hitter Nolan Hayward to end the top of the seventh.
“The nerves were definitely going today,” Deason said. “For the first day, I’m OK with that — seven innings, give the team a chance to win.
“It didn’t turn out exactly the way I wanted it, but I wanted a win more than anything.”
Deason came to the ballpark Friday afternoon expecting to pitch. He played catch before finding out that the game had been postponed. Deason did some rehab work, had dinner with his family and began mentally preparing for Saturday.
Deason didn’t blame the schedule change for his command issues. He also said the scouts camped behind the box seats didn’t distract him.
“You kinda notice,” Deason said. “That doesn’t change anything. They’re out here to watch me; I’m not out here to watch them.”
Deason’s counterpart, Steve Theetge, limited Arizona to two hits and one unearned run in seven innings. The 2017 Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year struck out only one but didn’t walk anyone and kept hard contact to a minimum.
Cameron Cannon’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth accounted for the game’s only run entering the bottom of the eighth. When Stevenson came to the plate with the bases loaded against reliever Logan Lessard, more Wildcats had reached via errors (three) than hits (two).
Stevenson changed that with an RBI single to left. Alfonso Rivas III followed with a two-RBI single up the middle, bumping the lead to 4-0.
That made for a relatively stress-free ninth inning for Tylor Megill. That wasn’t the case in the eighth.
Megill entered with two outs and the tying run on first. The senior right-hander struck out Jimmy Titus to end the threat. Three of Megill’s four outs came via strikeout as he recorded his fourth career save.
Inside pitch
- Johnson used three pitchers in the eighth inning of Game 1: Robby Medel, Randy Labaut and Megill. All three recorded strikeouts. Medel earned the save in Game 2.
- Stevenson’s triple in the fifth inning of Game 2 was the first extra-base hit of the day. He added another triple in the seventh and went 5 for 8 on the day.
- Two recent ex-Wildcats served as color analysts for the online broadcast of the doubleheader. Louis Boyd called Game 1. Cameron Ming worked Game 2.
