Tucson, Ariz. – After a remarkable run to Omaha for the College World Series and advancing to the championship series, most of the Arizona baseball players were late reporting to their summer league teams.
It's a problem coach
Jay Johnson hopes to have most summers as the head coach at Arizona.
But now, most of the Wildcats are settled in at their summer homes, continuing their baseball development after 73-game season with the Wildcats.
We will keep you posted on how they are doing throughout the summer. Here's the first update:
JJ Matijevic-Falmouth Commodores (Cape Cod League): Matijevic was one of the first Cats to report to summer baseball and has played in 10 games so far for Falmouth. Matijevic is batting .263 with three doubles, one home run, six RBI and five runs scored. His lone home run came in his first game of the summer off Arizona teammate
Rio Gomez. Matijevic has played first base, right field and designated hitter for the Commodores, usually hitting in one of the top three spots in the lineup.
Rio Gomez-Cotuit Kettleers (Cape Cod League): Gomez has seen plenty of action for Cotuit since reporting earlier this month. The left-hander has totaled 11 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings over four appearances this month for the Kettleers. His best outing was his most recent one on July 17 where he tossed a pair of scoreless innings against Falmouth. All total, he's 0-1 and has given up six earned runs.
Cody Deason: Matsu Miners (Alaska Baseball League): Deason, who logged 31 1/3 innings for the Wildcats as a freshman this past season, has had a strong start to his summer in Alaska. Deason has fired 7 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out 11, while giving up six hits. In his first start on July 7, Deason gave up a pair of runs in 2 2/3 innings on three hits. In his two appearances since, Deason has tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits. Matsu is in first place in the ABL at 17-12.
Michael Flynn: Anchorage Bucs (Alaska Baseball League): Like Deason, Flynn, a fellow right-handed pitcher who just completed his freshman season at Arizona, is off to a strong start this summer in Alaska. Flynn has thrown 6 1/3 innings over four appearances without surrendering a run. He's allowed just three hits and one walk, while striking out four. His longest appearance came on July 16 against Deason and the Miners. Flynn tossed three shutout innings in relief, earning the win for the Bucs.
Michael Hoard: Anchorage Bucs (Alaska Baseball League): Hoard is spending the summer in Alaska, serving as teammates with Flynn for the Bucs. Hoard has seen action in five games since reporting and has a pair of walks and a run scored so far.
Sawyer Gieseke: Kenosha Kingfish (Northwoods League): Gieseke has played in 13 games this summer with Kenosha, and opened his summer with hits in five of his first seven games of the summer. He has six hits, eight runs scored, one double and three RBI to go with seven walks total. His best game came on July 7, when he was 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI.
Randy Labaut: La Crosse Loggers (Northwoods League): A two-way player, who redshirted for the Cats last season and figures to be a significant part of the team in 2017, Labaut is pitching and hitting this summer for the Loggers. On the mound, Labaut has a 1.22 ERA over 7 1/3 innings. He's given up just two hits and struck out nine. The only run he surrendered came in his first appearance of the summer. Since, Labaut has tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings, including two clean innings on July 14. At the plate, Labaut is 6 for 38 with a pair of RBI and six walks.
Jared Oliva-Wisconsin Wood Chucks (Northwoods League): Oliva just reported to Wisconsin last week and has played in six games. His best game came on July 16 when he went 2 for 4 with a double against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. He has three hits total with a pair of walks and two runs scored.
Cesar Salazar: La Crosse Loggers (Northwoods League): After suffering an injury in the final game of the season for the Wildcats, Salazar just joined the Loggers last week. He's started all four games he's appeared in, collecting two hits, two runs scored, and three walks. The team is 2-2 since he joined.
Kyle Lewis: Danville Dans (Prospect League): Lewis, Arizona's super utility player from last season, has played in five games for the Dans this summer. Lewis is 5 for 18 (.278) with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored. He already has two multiple hit games this summer in his short stint with the Dans. On July 9, he went 2 for 4 against Quincy. On July 15, he was also 2 for 4. Danville is 5-0 in games Lewis has started this summer. He's started all five of his games at third base.
Alfonso Rivas: Danville Dans (Prospect League): Rivas just reported to Danville last week and has only appeared in two games so far this summer. However, he's instantly produced, going 4 for 10 to start out the summer. In his second start on July 17, Rivas was 3 for 5 with a run scored. Rivas has batted in the No. 3 spot in the lineup for the Dans in both of his starts, playing once in left field and serving as the designated hitter in the other.
Casey Bowman: Lizards (Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League): Bowman has appeared in just three games since reporting, and is 3 for 7 for a .429 batting average. He has two doubles to go with two walks and two RBI. He's also scored one run in his three games.
Louis Boyd: Moose Jaw Miller Express (Western Major Baseball League): The shortstop has appeared in six games with Moose Jaw, slugging a three-run home run in his third contest of the summer. He opened his summer season with a four-game hitting streak. All total, he's 5 for 27 with three extra base hits (two doubles and a home run) to go with a walk and a stolen base. Moose Jaw is 15-24 on the season so far this summer.
Matt Hartman: Santa Barbara Foresters (California Collegiate League): Hartman has pitched 16 1/3 innings so far this summer for the Foresters and has posted a 3.30 ERA in five appearances. He's 2-1 with 22 strikeouts. He earned his second win of the summer came on July 8 when he tossed 5 1/3 innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits, while striking out five.
Robby Medel: Canejo Oaks (California Collegiate League): The right-hander has been busy since reporting to the Oaks, appearing in six games. Medel has posted a 3.85 ERA over seven innings, while totaling nine strikeouts. He earned his first win of the summer on July 16 when he tossed a scoreless inning in relief against the Santa Barbara Foresters.
Austin Schnabel: Santa Barbara Foresters (California Collegiate League): Teammates with Hartman, Schnabel has appeared in four games this summer, spanning 5 2/3 innings. He's posted a 3.17 ERA, allowing seven hits and striking out four. He's yet to issue a walk. Twice, he's tossed two scoreless innings for the Foresters.
Luke Soroko: Chico Heat (Great West League): Soroko has appeared in four games with the Heat, starting his last two. He's tossed 13 2/3 innings, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.63 ERA. He earned his first win on July 15, when he went five innings in a 21-4 win. In the start before, Soroko went six innings, allowing one run on five hits. He has 12 strikeouts total and has issued six walks.
