While the Arizona baseball program has been busy adding pieces for 2021, the Wildcats appear to have lost a recent key contributor.
Infielder Dayton Dooney is leaving the program, the Star has confirmed. D1Baseball.com first reported the news of Dooney’s departure.
Dooney earned Freshman All-America accolades in 2019, when he batted .323 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 53 RBIs. The switch-hitter was off to a slow start in 2020, batting just .146 in 41-at bats before the season was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dooney, who’s from Poway, California, has been playing summer ball in the San Diego League. His college affiliation is listed as “Central Arizona CC.” That has been the case since Dooney joined his team, the Brewers, who opened their schedule June 15.
However, Dooney had not officially entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal at that time and still hadn’t as of Monday.
Casting aside his slow start this spring, the biggest challenge for Dooney has been finding the right fit in the field. After mostly playing middle infield as a freshman, Dooney started eight times at designated hitter this past season, three times at third base and once at first.
Another player who’s transferring is first baseman/outfielder Blake Klassen, who appeared in three games as a freshman, logging two plate appearances.
After losing only one incoming player (shortstop Nick Yorke) in the shortened MLB draft in June, Arizona has added at least two hitters (first baseman TJ Curd, outfielder Tanner O’Tremba) and one pitcher (right-hander Austin Smith). UA coach Jay Johnson plans to explore multiple options to maximize the competition for playing time on his beefed-up roster, including giving outfielders Mac Bingham and Tyler Casagrande a look at second base.
The Cleveland Indians visited Tucson for spring training each year from 1947 to 1993.
