Are the Arizona Wildcats a better team under first-year coach Chip Hale? Worse? About the same?
Although they’ve completed the preseason portion of their schedule, it’s still probably too soon to tell.
Arizona takes a 10-3 record into the start of Pac-12 play Friday at Cal. The Wildcats have more wins than any other conference club. They have the second-highest RPI rating in the league (14th, per WarrenNolan.com; 9-1 Oregon State is sixth).
Hale believes his team is capable of much more.
“I think we're playing fine,” Hale said after Tuesday’s 12-5 victory over New Mexico. “We can get a lot better.”
As 17th-ranked Arizona preps for a three-game set in Berkeley, here are four ways the Wildcats can improve:
Take better at-bats
Arizona ranks no worse than third in the Pac-12 in the following categories: runs, hits, doubles, triples, extra-base hits, total bases, batting average and slugging percentage.
On the surface, it would appear there’s been little, if any, drop-off from recent UA offensive juggernauts. But the Wildcats have been deficient in certain areas.
They have struck out more than any other Pac-12 squad — 132 times in all, or 10.2 times per game. They’re also a distant third in batting average and fourth in on-base percentage — stats they’ve dominated in recent seasons.
Arizona scored three or fewer runs in three of its four games last week, including consecutive losses to Texas State. (The Bobcats subsequently split two games with No. 1 Texas and sit fifth in RPI.)
The Wildcats showed a different approach against the Lobos. UA hitters grinded with two strikes and produced with runners on base. Arizona struck out only five times, its second-lowest total of the season. The Wildcats also walked more than they struck out for only the second time. It was a good sign heading into Pac-12 play.
“We were more patient,” UA catcher Daniel Susac said. “We were waiting to get our pitch. Against Texas State ... we were just trying to hit everything.”
Get healthier
Arizona is 10-3 despite not having the services of two of its most important players for most of the first three weeks.
Third baseman Tony Bullard, who suffered a shoulder injury before the season-opening series in Arlington, Texas, has played in only one game as a DH. He is expected to be available for DH duty this weekend but hasn’t been able to play in the field yet.
Bullard was penciled into the middle of Arizona’s lineup after hitting six home runs in the final 10 games last season. It remains to be seen when he’ll be back at full health.
Right-hander Chandler Murphy has yet to appear in a game because of an arm injury. He has had several encouraging bullpen sessions, though, and could pitch an inning in Monday's game at Pacific.
Murphy split time between starting and relieving last season and posted a 7-0 record with a 4.29 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 63 innings. If healthy, he almost certainly would have been a weekend starter. Even if he’s only able to contribute in relief at first, it would give the Wildcats another experienced pitching option.
“If Murphy can get healthy, Tony can get healthy, it gives us a lot more depth,” Hale said.
Determine a lineup
In part because of Bullard’s absence, Hale has tinkered with the batting order regularly.
No UA player has hit in the same spot in the lineup in every game. Three players have batted leadoff. Noah Turley has been slotted in everywhere from fourth to eighth.
This is also part of the standard figuring-out-your-team process. Hale’s predecessor, Jay Johnson, went through it too, despite having greater familiarity with his personnel. His lineups at the start of the season seldom were the same as at the end.
Lately, Hale has turned to redshirt freshman Jack Grant at third base, mainly to stabilize Arizona’s infield defense. With Grant at third, Garen Caulfield can play second, which is a more natural position for him. Grant has committed only one error so far and has a .933 fielding percentage.
Grant had to miss Saturday’s game vs. Texas State when a one-hop line drive struck him in the face and broke his nose during pregame drills. Grant returned to the lineup the next day.
“I'm a dirt dog, and I love to play baseball,” he said. “I just want to be out there for the team and help them win. So whatever it takes.
“I put some gauze up there, stopped the bleeding and went out there.”
Grant had a career day at the plate Tuesday, going 3 for 4 with three runs, three RBIs and his first collegiate home run.
Play more consistent defense
Although Grant has helped shore up the infield — and Bullard is considered a plus defender when healthy — Arizona still has at least one problem to solve.
Turley committed five errors, tied for most on the team, while starting the first 12 games at first base. Hale moved him to DH vs. New Mexico and inserted freshman Tommy Splaine at that spot. Splaine misplayed a bunt that led to a three-run inning for New Mexico but otherwise handled himself well.
As a team, Arizona ranks last in the Pac-12 with a .967 fielding percentage. But that figure is skewed by a seven-error performance vs. Grand Canyon. The Wildcats have made one or zero errors in 10 of their 13 games.
Arizona’s pitching staff has been unaffected for the most part. The Wildcats have a 3.51 ERA, which, if it holds up, would be their best mark since 2016 (3.18). Arizona also has lowered its walk rate (3.13 BB/9) for the third consecutive season.
Ten UA pitchers who have thrown at least four innings have ERAs under 4.00.
Inside pitch
• The home runs Tuesday by Susac and Grant ended a four-game homerless streak for the Wildcats. Susac, who’s tied for the national lead with nine doubles, notched his first home run of the season after slugging 12 last year. “He'll hit a bunch this year,” Hale said. “When a guy makes a mistake, he takes care of it.”
• Susac is from Sacramento, and he’s one of several Wildcats with ties to Northern California — including Hale, who grew up as a San Francisco Giants fan. “We'll have a lot of fans at the game, which will help,” Susac said. “But it's gonna be a tough series, and it's a good way to start with the Pac-12. We want to face some good arms, and they have some good arms.”
• Cal (6-6) ranks second in the Pac-12 in strikeout rate (11.35 K/9). Right-hander Josh White (0-0, 1.10 ERA) will start Friday’s opener. He has 31 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings. He’ll face righty TJ Nichols (2-0, 1.08).
• The game at Pacific (5-7) on Monday will be Arizona's only midweek contest before the Pac-12 home opener a week from Saturday vs. No. 2 Stanford.
