Moments after the Lubbock Regional was revealed Monday morning, Arizona Wildcats coach Jay Johnson received a text message. It was from counterpart Matt Deggs of Sam Houston State. The gist: “Here we go again.”
The UA will open the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the same school it faced a year ago. The location has changed. So have many of the participants. But it’s still Arizona-Sam Houston State II — the first step in what the Wildcats hope is a slightly superior sequel to last year’s magical postseason run.
“It looks like it is Round 2 with those guys,” Deggs said, per Sam Houston State’s official athletics website. “I thought we matched up and played extremely well against them a year ago but came up short. They made a run to the championship game and probably should have won the whole thing. They will come in hungry.”
The Wildcats and Bearkats played twice last season in Lafayette, Louisiana. This time they will meet in Lubbock, Texas, where Texas Tech is the host and No. 1 seed. Texas Tech faces Delaware in the opener Friday. Arizona (37-19) and Sam Houston State (40-20) will follow.
The Wildcats are the No. 2 seed, the Bearkats the No. 3 — just like last year. Arizona swept Sam Houston State in Lafayette to eliminate the Bearkats.
The Wildcats won the first game with relative ease, 7-3. The rematch two days later — an elimination game for both teams — came down to the last pitch. Arizona escaped with a 6-5 victory.
“I’m expecting Sam Houston to come out with a little vengeance on their mind and want to get the best of us,” said senior left-hander JC Cloney, the Wildcats’ probable starter Friday. “I’m sure they’re going to be feisty, and we’re going to give them some feisty right back. It’ll be a really fun Friday night.”
Cloney did not pitch against the Bearkats last year, but eight current Wildcats played against them. Fourteen members of Sam Houston State’s roster participated in at least one of the games against Arizona. So the familiarity factor is real.
“There are some things mentality-wise, team-wise, that you can take and go, ‘This is what this team and this program is about,’ which is a lot of good things,” Johnson said. “We’ll use those to our advantage. But you’ve got to go blank slate. Look at what they did in the Southland Tournament, the last couple games of the regular season, because that’s where their players are at right now.”
Sam Houston State swept through its conference tournament and has won eight in a row. UA lost its final two regular-season games but won the previous six.
‘Better position’
The Wildcats have played at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park already this season, and it didn’t end well.
Arizona lost to Texas Tech 13-1 on March 7. The Red Raiders — who are the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament — had 14 hits and drew eight walks. It was by far the Wildcats’ most lopsided loss of 2017.
“It wasn’t our best game of the season, obviously,” UA junior center fielder Jared Oliva said. “We’ve got a good team. If we play our best game, I feel like we can beat anybody in the country.”
Although the Wildcats were 10-1 at the time, Johnson believes they’re in a much better place now. That game was Arizona’s fourth in five days, and Johnson took the midweek pitching approach. Many of the staff’s roles have changed since then.
“I just think we’re in a better position with our pitching … to have a chance to be successful,” Johnson said.
Said Cloney: “It’ll be fun to go there again, especially now that the stakes are a little higher. We’re a lot better. I’m sure they’re going to be better.”
Friendly confines
One aspect of Selection Monday was radically different for the Wildcats: the location of their watch party.
Arizona watched the selection show in its locker room at Hi Corbett Field. The players had breakfast waiting for them when they arrived at the park.
Last year the Wildcats watched the show from a sports bar at Denver International Airport, where they had a layover after concluding the regular season at Hawaii.
“Anytime you see your name on that TV show, I don’t care if we’re watching from the North Pole,” Johnson said. “It’s all good.”
Less than Super
Johnson demands that his team approach every game as if it’s the Super Bowl. Friday’s game is Super Bowl 57.
But in something of a startling revelation, Johnson conceded that he was looking ahead during Sunday’s loss to Cal. With Arizona’s spot in the NCAA Tournament already secured, Johnson pulled starter Cody Deason after five innings and rested reliever Michael Flynn.
“(Sunday’s) totally on me,” Johnson said. “I basically played for Friday.”
Johnson suggested that Deason could start vs. Sam Houston State, but it’s much more likely he will be used in relief.
Inside pitch
• Arizona was one of four Pac-12 schools to make the NCAA Tournament but the only one to do it two years in a row. The Wildcats finished fourth with a 16-14 league record — identical to last year’s mark.
• Arizona finished first in the Pac-12 in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, doubles, total bases and walks drawn.
• Junior first baseman JJ Matijevic led the league in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, RBIs, doubles and total bases. Sophomore Alfonso Rivas was first in on-base percentage. Junior Cal Stevenson led in runs and walks.
• Oregon State (49-4) is the No. 1 overall seed.
• Miami (31-27) was left out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1973.
