It was about 10:30 p.m. when the Arizona baseball team's bus pulled up at Hi Corbett field. A couple hundred fans lined the streets, ready, waiting, cheering for the Wildcats.
When a team does what this team did, with a new coach — a run through Louisiana Lafayette and Mississippi State and the field at the College World Series in Omaha before losing to Coastal Carolina in Thursday's title game — it doesn’t really matter if this is a town best known for its affinity for basketball.
The event was called for 9:45 p.m., many fans arrived much earlier than that. The Wildcats landed at the Tucson Airport at about 9:30, but didn’t depart for Hi Corbett until almost 45 minutes later.
For the fans, it was worth the wait. As all the players, and coach Jay Johnson, poured off the bus, they stopped to take pictures and sign autographs for anyone who asked. Bobby Dalbec, the star pitcher and third baseman, was a popular target. Soon, he’s expected to sign with the Boston Red Sox. But not before he and his teammates were celebrated by the Tucson faithful.
“It’s unreal, man,” UA pitcher Robby Medel said. “Whoever thought a baseball team could create this kind of excitement in Tucson? It’s a basketball town.”
Don’t tell that to Roger Webber.
Around 9 p.m., Webber got ready for bed. About twenty minutes later, he was at Hi Corbett Field, taking pictures on his phone of Wilbur T. Wildcat.
The Wildcats haven’t been back to Hi Corbett in two weeks, just before they departed for Omaha.
“I was at home in bed, just getting ready to go to bed with my wife and I said, you know what, I gotta get out here,” Webber said. “She said ‘you love baseball so much, and the Wildcats, so I had to come out here to see them.’”
Greg Byrne, Arizona’s athletic director, parked his car at the airport and arrived Hi Corbett before the team.
He couldn’t believe the scene.
“What an incredible turnout,” Byrne said. “I couldn’t find a place to park. That’s one thing Jay and I talked about when he came to town (was) the passion we have. Me and him were talking to each other on the flight back tonight, and we always talk about how do we separate ourselves from the competition, and we have this.”
About nine hours earlier, the Wildcats hung their heads as Coastal Carolina celebrated in a dog pile. It came down to the last play, two outs, two runners in scoring position, the Wildcats trailing by one run. Then catcher Ryan Haug struck out swinging, game over, season over, magical run, over.
“It was pretty cool,” said David Rupley, a season ticket holder for the last three years. “I don’t think there were many people who expected them to do that.”
Webber had to pull his truck over in the midst of that final at-bat — he’s a mailman, and he was in the middle of his route.
“I had to sit there for a few minutes,” he said, “and I had tears in my eyes.”
