Cameron Ming has experienced postseason success in two distinct ways.
Ming was a key relief pitcher for the 2016 Arizona Wildcats, who pulled multiple upsets en route to a runner-up finish in the College World Series. He’s currently an undergraduate assistant coach for the UA, which is back in Omaha seeking its fifth national championship.
“This year was a lot less stressful, just because we didn't have to go through the losers’ bracket situation in the regional,” Ming said. “But to counter that point, a little bit more stressful because I don't have any control over the situation. But I’m very confident in our bullpen when I get to run one of those guys out there.”
Ming is part of the connective tissue that binds the 2016 and ’21 Wildcats. He played for Jay Johnson, Dave Lawn and Marc Wanaka then. Ming is their colleague now.
Cameron Ming
Ming, who’s from Phoenix, compiled a 10-5 record with a 3.29 ERA and six saves at Arizona from 2015-17. The left-hander made six appearances in the 2016 CWS, registering a 2.84 ERA and two saves.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Ming in the 14th round of the ’17 draft. He pitched three seasons in their organization before returning to Arizona, where he had a standing offer from Johnson to serve as a coach.
Johnson always admired Ming’s competitiveness. Johnson trusted him in critical game situations, and he trusts him now on the other end of the walkie-talkie when relaying instructions to the bullpen.
Ming is apprenticing under Nate Yeskie and will assess his options once this season is over. In the meantime, Ming is enjoying another trip to Omaha, where Arizona is set to face Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Before the Cats left Tucson, Ming chatted with the Star about the current UA squad, his memories from 2016, working under Yeskie and other topics. The conversation has been lightly edited.
How would you compare the experience of being on the road in 2016 (Lafayette, Louisiana, and Starkville, Mississippi) to making the run this year at Hi Corbett Field?
A: “It was really nice to have the fans here and to do something for the community. Because for so long, nobody's been able to go to a live sporting event where they've been able to just go hang out. To provide that to Tucson, it means a lot. ... It's just great to have a community behind (you), and it just makes everything a lot easier.”
What stands out to you the most about this team?
A: “The fact that everybody's playing for each other. I know that sounds cliché, but it's really hard for guys to do that. We have big roster numbers. We have guys that aren't playing this year that should be starting on some high-caliber D1 teams elsewhere. It's really easy to get selfish in that situation. We have a bunch of guys that have taken a very mature approach and are just really pulling for each other, and that's something that's really special and rare to find in 18- to 22-year-olds.”
You guys were underdogs in 2016. This team was expected to make it to Omaha. Does that create a different sense of pressure?
A: “There's always more pressure when you're a higher seed. One thing I've been promoting these guys to do is to just stay loose. You made it this far because you've been playing loose; there's no reason to play out of character at this point.”
What do you remember most about your experience in Omaha in 2016?
A: “Just the feeling that, ‘Hey, we're on house money.’ We made it here, let's just have some fun and just go for it.
“It felt like you're just a kid at Disneyland, having some fun and trying to make some cool things happen. That's how we went on that run.”
What was the defining characteristic of that team?
A: “The amount of characters we had, unique people brought together. This year does feel like 2016 in the sense that everybody's playing for each other. It's a rare thing to experience.
“When we made it to the national championship game, everybody was crying at the end – not because we didn't win but because we didn't get to suit up together as a team again. It was really that powerful of a connection of guys that wanted to keep playing with each other.”
Coach Jay Johnson "hasn't changed at all" during his time at Arizona, Cameron Ming says. "He was a players' coach when he showed up; he’s still a players' coach now," he said. "He's got these guys’ backs through whatever they're going through."
In what ways, if any, has Coach Johnson changed over the last six years?
A: “He hasn't changed at all. He was a players' coach when he showed up; he’s still a players' coach now. He's got these guys’ backs through whatever they're going through. He's just a good guy, and I've gotten to know him better working with him.
“Just a baseball guy. Nobody works harder than he does. I see that now. As a player, I didn't really get to see the behind-the-scenes work that got put into it. Nobody works harder than this coaching staff, and he's the reason for it.
“He's always watching film. He's always watching pitchers, developing a plan. He’s always at the field.”
How did this opportunity come about for you? Who called whom?
A: “When I was playing pro ball, I'd always come back during the spring to train and hang out with the guys. (Johnson) always told me that when I was done playing, he wanted me back to coach. He's said, ‘I hope you play forever. But when that day comes, we'd love to have you back.’
“So when my days came to an end in pro ball, I just gave him a call. He said, ‘We'd love to have you. We’ve got a locker for you.'”
You work every day with Coach Yeskie. What do you think makes him such an effective coach?
A: “The way he goes about his business is Hall of Fame. The way he shapes boys into men. He expects you to be a man as a freshman. That's why you see some of these freshmen really take some good strides and perform on the field, like TJ Nichols and (Riley) Cooper
“He’s just smart. Knows everything about pitching, everything about the game, watches it very closely. Oftentimes, he'll be sitting next to me in the bullpen telling me, ‘This, this and this is going to happen’ – and that's exactly what happens. He's just really an advanced mind, and I've been blessed to be able to be a part of that and learn from that.”
What’s your sense of the vibe around the team heading into the College World Series?
A: “We're gonna be loose, but we're gonna be focused, just like that 2016 team – ready to put it on whoever we get from Vanderbilt and go from there. We're gonna give it everything we’ve got in Omaha.”
