SCOTTSDALE — Despite a miniscule ERA, Arizona right-hander Quinn Flanagan wasn’t a contender for Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year. He isn’t a starter. He isn’t the Wildcats’ closer either.
UA catcher Daniel Susac believes Flanagan is the best in the conference in one particular area, though.
“The ‘Clutch Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year’ has to be Quinn Flanagan,” Susac said.
Susac uttered those words after Flanagan threw two scoreless innings in Arizona’s 8-6 victory over Oregon in the opener of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium.
Flanagan, a fifth-year junior, lowered his ERA to 1.40. The product of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe did make the Pac-12 All-Conference Team. But no one appreciates him more than his teammates and coaches.
“Quinn's just so composed,” Susac said. “He's so good at finding the zone. You never really see him scuffle. If he has one bad batter, he’s right back to it.”
Flanagan had to escape two jams of his own creation Wednesday. He allowed a pair of singles in each of the innings he pitched, the seventh and eighth.
Flanagan struck out Drew Cowley — who entered Wednesday batting .434 — with the tying run on third base and one out in the seventh. He then got Josh Kasevich out on a grounder to short.
With runners on first and second and one out in the eighth, Flanagan retired the next two batters on flyouts to left field.
“He just tightens up on his pitches,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “That's a really, really good hitter that he struck out with a man on third base and less than two outs. That's a guy we could not get out up there.”
Cowley went 7 for 11 during Oregon’s three-game sweep of Arizona last week in Eugene.
‘He got snubbed’
Susac was among many Wildcats who weren’t happy that shortstop Nik McClaughry was excluded from the Pac-12 season awards.
McClaughry led the league in assists and made only five errors despite playing the majority of his games on what’s considered one of the most difficult infields in the conference. Not only did he not win Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, McClaughry didn’t make the All-Defensive Team either. Only one shortstop makes it, and it was Stanford’s Adam Crampton, who also was named DPOY.
“There's nobody else in the country that fields as good as Nik McClaughry, and I've been around almost everyone,” Susac said. “I don't even back up at first half the time because I know he's there. He's on a tough dirt field every day. And he's doing great. He had the most assists. He got snubbed.”
Bingham’s bouncer
Instant-replay challenges are available to coaches during the Pac-12 Tournament, and umpires can review questionable plays.
But a play that ended up being reversed — and went against Arizona — wasn’t subject to review.
Mac Bingham appeared to hit a ball off his foot leading off the fifth inning. The ball bounded to Cowley at third base. He threw to first just in case.
Since plate umpire Joe Burleson ruled the play to be a foul ball, Bingham didn’t run. But then the umpires gathered and determined that the ball hadn’t hit Bingham’s foot. It became a 5-3 putout.
“It was not reviewable,” Hale said. “I knew it was not reviewable. I went out and asked, and that's what they were talking about when they were out there.”
Coaches can challenge fair/foul calls, but only if the ball were to “first touch the ground or a fielder beyond the initial position of the first- or third-base fielder,” per Pac-12 rules.
Irvin to face Stanford
Arizona will start left-hander Garrett Irvin against No. 1 seed Stanford on Thursday. Irvin had been the Wildcats’ No. 2 starter throughout the season, but he has been more effective than right-hander TJ Nichols. He'll face Stanford righty Alex Williams, the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year.
Irvin has a 2.65 ERA and earned All-Pac-12 honorable-mention recognition. He posted a quality start against the Cardinal on March 20, yielding two earned runs in six innings with six strikeouts. Irvin hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start all season.
“Garrett gives the team confidence,” Susac said. “He's gonna compete all the way through, however long he goes. He's gonna fill up the zone. And even if he has a bad first inning, he's gonna settle in.”
Inside pitch
• Since being swept by Arizona in March, Stanford has gone 29-6. The Cardinal are a lock to host a regional and could be a top-eight national seed.
• By going 3 for 4 Wednesday, Susac raised his career average in the postseason to .324. He has six extra-base hits and nine RBIs in 34 at-bats.
• Chase Davis and Garen Caulfield each had two hits and two RBIs against Oregon.
• Tyler Casagrande, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, singled in the eighth inning — his first hit since April 10.
