After being eliminated in the Coral Gables Regional last season, Arizona will be looking to build off that run in Year 2 under Coach Chip Hale.
The Wildcats lost a lot of production on the mound, at the plate and in the field from last year. But they also brought in a number of new players between the freshman class and the transfer portal — on top of a nucleus of returning veterans — that makes Hale believe this year’s team is even deeper.
The Star spoke to Hale and senior shortstop Nik McClaughry about the upcoming season, which begins three weeks from Friday.
Tennessee opener
Arizona takes on Tennessee at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale on Feb. 17 as part of the MLB Desert Invitational. The game is being televised by MLB Network.
The Volunteers open this year as a top-two team in the country according to many outlets. Baseball America ranks them second behind LSU.
“It is going to be fun,” Hale said. “Just like last year when we went to the tournament in Texas (the State Farm College Baseball Showdown, in which the Wildcats went 3-0), you sort of want to judge where you are and then make some adjustments. We’re playing the No. 1 or 2 team in the country and probably the top-rated pitcher in the country. We’re obviously going to learn real quick what we’re made of.”
It is just one game, and that is always important to remember over the course of a long season. That is the approach McClaughry is taking heading into the season opener.
“It is cool, especially for outside people like the fans to get to see that aspect of it being a big team, but for us it is just a normal game,” McClaughry said. “I think that it is important to start off the season just like any other game. It is the first game of the year so everyone is going to be excited, but it is more important to have that same energy and attitude throughout the season. So in May when we’re playing, or in April, you want to have the same approach.”
Pitching depth
The biggest loss to the pitching staff for Arizona from last season was Garrett Irvin, who had a 3.38 ERA in a team-high 96 innings. The Wildcats return the majority of their other pitchers, while also bringing in some key transfers to go along with a number of talented freshmen.
Hale mentioned Jackson Kent, Trevor Long, Aiden May, Eric Orloff, Anthony Susac, Josh Randall and Brandon Zastrow as candidates to potentially start at some point this season.
“I don’t know if we’ll know who our three starters are in the Pac-12 and if that will even matter if we just have so many guys that we can go three to four innings apiece with,” Hale said.
TJ Nichols possesses the highest ceiling of any pitcher on this Wildcats staff but also dealt with some inconsistency at times pitching on Friday nights throughout Pac-12 play last season. Nichols tied for the team lead last season with six victories but had a 5.50 ERA.
“He has got the stuff to get guys out at any time, but he just has to have those times where he kind of loses it, starts throwing balls and doesn’t locate his fastball,” Hale said. “If he does locate his fastball and he is throwing his breaking ball for a strike, we should see big improvement from him.”
Hale mentioned that “it is not a foregone conclusion” Nichols will start on Friday nights for Arizona this season.
Arizona shortstop Nik McClaughry, shown throwing to first during the Coral Gables Regional last season, is a key part of the Wildcats’ veteran core in 2023.
Lessons from 2022
There is always a learning curve with any new job no matter the field, and that’s what Hale went through last season in his first year coaching Arizona after spending years as an MLB coach and manager.
“I think one thing that was very apparent early on — I mean, I don’t know if it took me all year to figure it out — but in college baseball every game is a must-win,” Hale said. “It’s not like in pro ball where you can kind of punt some games when you’re not playing well and take guys out and rest them.”
Said McClaughry: “I think a lot of guys learned how to handle failure last year, especially the guys that were new to the program,. I think that will help us this year. Being an older team, we’ve dealt with a lot of things in the last few years, and we can help teach that to the younger kids.”
McClaughry knows all about the grind of the college baseball season entering his third season with the Wildcats. He’s part of a veteran core that also includes third baseman Tony Bullard and center fielder Mac Bingham. They will try to guide a roster that features 13 freshmen.
“I think it is important just to make sure the younger guys understand what they have to do and what this college baseball thing really brings,” McClaughry said. “A lot of these guys have never failed in their life. We need to be able to be there and let those guys understand that failure is going to happen and how can you deal with it.”
Inside pitch
Arizona will host its annual “Meet the Team” event on Feb. 11 at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats will hold an intrasquad scrimmage at noon and will sign autographs afterward. Admission is free for season-ticket holders, $5 for the general public.
D1Baseball.com ranked outfielder Chase Davis and Nichols as the fourth- and fifth-best prospects from the Pac-12 for the 2023 MLB draft. The outlet picked Arizona to finish fourth in the conference and pegged the Wildcats as one of four qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament.
Chip Hale becomes the latest head coach of the Arizona Wildcats baseball program, the UA announced on Monday. The former UA standout played under Jerry Kindall and won a national championship in 1986. Hale is Arizona's career record-holder for games played, hits, at-bats and walks.
