Fall ball: Technology, toughness fuel Arizona baseball's new pitching program; more steals in 2024?

John DeRouin, Arizona baseball’s new director of player development, recently posted a thread on social media that outlined the coaching staff’s plan for left-hander Bradon Zastrow.

It included terms such as “trunk stack” and “seam orientation” that sound more like band names than pitching terms. It also featured charts and graphs that broke down every aspect of Zastrow’s arsenal.

It looks and sounds complicated — like much of the data and discourse produced by baseball’s technical revolution — but DeRouin made sure to introduce the thread with something simple.

“The overarching goal of pitching development here ... starts with a question,” DeRouin posted. “What does the best version of you look like?”

That’s what DeRouin and new pitching coach Kevin Vance are pursuing this fall. So far, it seems to be working.

The UA pitching staff made another favorable impression during an exhibition doubleheader against Central Arizona College on Saturday. The Wildcats allowed only six runs — three earned — in 16 innings, sweeping the Vaqueros by scores of 14-5 and 9-1 at Hi Corbett Field.

The staff opened the fall exhibition slate by allowing only one run against a professional team in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta. Arizona didn’t surrender more than five runs in any of its five fall-ball games, which also included a pair against Pima Community College on Oct. 14. The Wildcats had an ERA of 5.97 last season.

“Very impressed,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “No. 1 is the toughness that’s being instilled by Coach Vance. Their stuff is getting better, as you can see from the results. The way they’re going about it, the way they’ve rallied around each other, it’s been cool. It’s been very much a bright spot for us.”

Arizona has utilized technological tools such as TrackMan and Rapsodo for several years. Vance and DeRouin are taking it to the next level by delving into the details with every pitcher.

“As a staff, we’re really utilizing the different information that computers and software can give to us,” veteran closer Trevor Long said. “So we’re learning to create pitches ... how to ‘tunnel’ our pitches. It’s showing us how we’re going to become the best pitcher, each of us, because we’re able to see exactly how things are moving.”

Some of the changes are subtle. For instance, Long has moved the position of his hands when he’s in the set position. They used to be at chest level. Now they’re near his navel.

“I used to lift my glove up, and I realized that was counterproductive,” Long said. “So right now we’re keeping it lower, and it’s allowing me to rotate more and get more movement on all pitches.”

Technology is one aspect of the program Vance and DeRouin have instituted. What about the toughness that Hale referenced?

“That’s just going out there and competing,” Long said. “When we work in there (the bullpen), we’re working as if it’s the game.”

Long and fellow right-hander Dawson Netz have played for three pitching coaches at Arizona: Nate Yeskie, Dave Lawn and Vance. Long said it hasn’t been difficult transitioning from one to the other, even if their approaches differ.

“You’re able to see the insights of three different minds, and you’re able to incorporate what you think’s gonna be the best,” Long said. “There’s not a single one that I haven’t learned something from.

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“This coaching staff I’m very excited for because I think that we’ve already had a lot of progress, and I don’t even think we’re done yet. I think we still have a lot to come.”

Need for speed

Arizona had eight stolen bases against Central Arizona, including two apiece by Casey Hintz and Xavier Esquer.

Expect the Wildcats to run more in 2024 with sluggers Chase Davis and Kiko Romero now playing pro ball. They tied for the Pac-12 lead with 21 home runs apiece last season.

“I think we’re gonna hit fine,” Hale said. “But are we gonna slug like we have the past two years? I don’t know. We’ll see. Maybe we will. But we have to have the ability to score in more than just one way.”

Arizona has played two seasons under Hale. In 2022, the Wildcats had the third-fewest stolen bases (33) in the Pac-12. They tied for the third-fewest attempts (45).

Arizona ranked next to last in the league in steals (37) and attempts (54) last season.

Inside pitch

Infielder Mason White and outfielder Emilio Corona, two sure starters, did not play Saturday. Both are dealing with arm injuries. They have been hitting during intrasquad scrimmages. Hale said White could go another month without throwing.

Right-hand reliever Matthew Martinez, a junior-college transfer, struck out all six batters he faced, including five swinging. “Really impressive,” Hale said. “He was a closer at a really good junior college at South Mountain, and they counted on him for that.” Martinez had a 3.55 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 33 innings for the Cougars last season.

Catcher Blake McDonald exited the first game in the fifth inning after getting struck in the head on a backswing. Adonys Guzman and Kade Huff handled the catching duties the rest of the way.

Huff started at first base in Game 2 and had a home run, a triple and a double. He redshirted last season. “We have thought from Day 1 that he’s going to hit for us,” Hale said. “So it’s really cool to see.”

Veteran Tommy Splaine and freshman Andrew Cain (Ironwood Ridge High School) also hit home runs for the Wildcats. Cain’s three-run homer highlighted a nine-run seventh inning that enabled Arizona to pull away in Game 1.

Freshman Owen Kramkowski (Walden Grove) started Game 1 for Arizona and did not allow a run in two innings. JC transfer Raul Garayzar, who prepped at Rio Rico, also threw two scoreless innings as the Game 2 starter.

Arizona will conclude fall ball with its annual “Wild vs. Cats” World Series on Friday and Saturday. The players will draft teams Monday.

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Photos: Arizona takes on Pima Community College, fall baseball