Cats Look to Close Out Super Regionals
06/11/2016 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Arizona Wildcats will look to advance to the College World Series for the 17th time in program history Saturday afternoon when they take on Mississippi State in Game 2 of the Super Regionals.
The Cats struck first Friday, topping the Bulldogs 1-0 behind a dominant pitching performance from Bobby Dalbec, who went 8 2/3 scoreless innings. JJ Matijevic provided the lone run of the game when he shot an opposite field double to left field with two outs in the sixth inning to score Ryan Aguilar.
Game 2 will take place Saturday at 3 p.m., MST on ESPNU. If a Game 3 is needed, it's set for 3 p.m., MST on Sunday on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
| Arizona | Mississippi State |
| Game Notes | Game Notes |
| Stats | Stats |
| Roster | Roster |
| Schedule | Schedule |
LIVE STREAM // LIVE AUDIO // LIVE STATS // TWITTER UPDATES
Game 1: Arizona 1, Mississippi State 0
WP: Dalbec (10-4) // LP: Hudson (9-5) // S: Ming (2)
Game 2: Arizona vs. Mississippi State, 3 p.m., MST, ESPNU
Game 3 (if needed): Arizona vs. Mississippi State, 3 p.m., MST, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Leading Off...
• After capturing the Lafayette Regional Championship last weekend, the Arizona Wildcats advanced to the Super Regionals for the fourth time in program history and will face sixth-seeded Mississippi State.
• The Wildcats dropped their second game of Regional Play, but then won three games in nearly 27 hours to advance to face the Bulldogs.
• Senior right-handed pitcher Nathan Bannister went 2-0 in Regional Play and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Regional. Cesar Salazar, Ryan Aguilar, Bobby Dalbec and Zach Gibbons joined him the All-Tournament Team.
• Since May 19, Arizona has traveled 12,177 miles and played 13 games in four different stadiums.
• The Wildcats have posted 16 away wins so far this season, establishing a new program record. Arizona won 15 away games in 2005, which was the program record before this season.
• The Cats and Bulldogs will meet for the third straight season. Arizona won two in Tucson in 2014 and Mississippi State won a pair from the Cats in Starkville in 2015.
• The Cats and Bulldogs will meet for the third straight season. Arizona won two in Tucson in 2014 and Mississippi State won a pair from the Cats in Starkville in 2015.
Arizona's Lafayette Regional Recap: For the first time in program history, Arizona won a Game 7 of a Regional last weekend, topping Louisiana 3-1 in the winner-take-all Regional Championship on Monday night. The Cats won their first game of the Regional behind seven shutout innings from Nathan Bannister, but then fell in Game 2 to Louisiana 10-3. Needing to win three games in 27 hours, the Wildcats did just that. It started with a 6-5 win over Sam Houston State that was paced by a clutch start from Bobby Dalbec, who normally works out of the bullpen. The Cats then needed to beat Louisiana twice on Monday in front of capacity crowds at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. Arizona won the first game of the day, again behind Bannister, who went seven innings, allowing three runs. Kevin Ginkel came on to get the final outs and earn his third save of the season. Ginkel then started Game 2 of the day and was tremendous, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run and picking up his fourth win of the season. The Cats were the only road team to win a regional, coming from the losers bracket. Bobby Dalbec, while pitching seven innings on the mound, led the team with a .462 batting average in regional play, going 6 for 13 in four starts. Cody Ramer hit .389 for the regional, going 7 for 18 with four RBI. Shortstop Louis Boyd also enjoyed a strong weekend, going 4 for 13 at the plate (.308) and leading the team with three sacrifice hits. Ramer also showed by he's an exceptional defender, handling all 26 chances that came his way. On the mound, Bannister, Ginkel and Cameron Ming all posted ERAs of 2.25 or better.
Pitching Notes
No Senioritis for Bannister: Senior right-hander Nathan Bannister has developed into the ace of the staff for the Arizona Wildcats this season. Bannister leads the team in innings pitched (126.2), strikeouts (93), complete games (3) and starts (17). Bannister is first in the Pac-12 in innings pitched, first in wins, tied for fourth in strikeouts, sixth in earned run average and fourth in opposing batting average. All total this season, Bannister is 11-2 with a 2.63 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting just .200 against him this season and he's holding left-handed hitters to a .181 average, holding them to just 40-221. He's also holding hitters to a .160 clip with two outs (23-144) and a .205 average with runners on base. Bannister's .201 batting average against is the best by an Arizona starter in at least 20 years. In 2007, Preston Guilmet, who earned Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors, held opposing hitters to a .205 clip. Overall, Bannister's 17 starts rank third in the country. His 0.94 WHIP is 14th in the nation and his 11 wins rank ninth.
Bannister in the Postseason: The senior righty was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Lafayette Region after making two starts and going 2-0. He pitched 14 innings, allowing nine hits and three runs, while striking out nine and walking six. He started the team's first game of the Regional against Sam Houston State, tossing seven shutout innings against the Bearkats. Then on Monday, on two days rest, Bannister faced Louisiana in a win-or-go-home game, and again, went seven innings, allowing three runs and lifting his team to a winner-take-all Regional Final rematch with Louisiana. Since going to the Super Regional format in 1999, Bannister is third Arizona pitcher to start two games in a regional, joining Kurt Heyer in 2011 and John Meloan in 2005. He's the first two win two games in a regional. Heyer went 0-2 and Meloan went 1-1.
Ginkel Getting it done: Junior right-hander Kevin Ginkel has emerged as a major factor for Arizona's pitching staff over the past six weeks. The righty threw 16 innings the first two months of the season, but since April 26, the Southwestern Junior College (California) product has tossed 38 1/3 innings, earning three wins and two saves. Ginkel has been valuable to the Cats both as a starter and reliever. His emergence began April 26, when he tossed a two-hit shutout at Arizona State in a midweek, non-conference game. He carried a perfect game into the seventh inning and faced just two batters over the minimum in the game. He came up big again May 7, earning a save at home against Oregon State, going 2 1/3 innings. But the power righty, who often throws in the mid-90s, took his game to the next level last weekend in the Lafayette Regional. Ginkel threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the team's third game of the Regional against Sam Houston State, helping the team stay alive with a 6-5 win. One day later, Ginkel entered with one out in the eighth inning against Louisiana with the team leading 6-3 and the bases loaded. The righty got a 6-4-3 double play to escape and then pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the season. Later that day, Ginkel started the winner-take-all game against Louisiana, and went 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out three. All total for the Regional, Ginkel pitched nine innings, allowing just one run and six hits, while striking out five. He posted a 1-0 record with a save, holding opposing batters to a .194 average. For the season, Ginkel is 4-1, with a 2.82 ERA in 54 1/3 innings.
A Total Team Effort: Arizona posted a staff ERA this season of 3.48, which is the lowest since the Cats pitching staff posted a 3.25 ERA in 1976, which resulted in National Championship No. 1 under Jerry Kindall. In 2011, Arizona posted a 3.57 ERA. The Cats have five pitchers with 54 or more innings with an ERA under 3.86 in Nathan Bannister, Kevin Ginkel, JC Cloney, Bobby Dalbec and Cameron Ming. Bannister and Cloney, both full-time starters, have ERAs of 2.63 and 2.86. Dalbec, who is third on the team behind Bannister and Cloney with 71 1/3 innings pitched, has a 3.28 ERA to go with a 9-4 record and seven saves.
Moving on Up: After its first Pac-12 series this season, Arizona had a staff ERA of 4.58. Since, the Cats have cut more than a run off that with its 3.48 ERA entering the postseason. The mark ranks third in the Pac-12, behind Cal and Stanford. The Cats were last over four after the first game of the series versus Stanford when it was 4.01. Since, the Cats have kept their ERA in the threes. In conference play, the Cats have an ERA of 3.52, which is third in the conference. Oregon State, after posting three straight shutouts of UCLA to close out the season, is the leader at 3.35. Stanford finished with a 3.50 ERA. The Cats also finished second in opposing batting average in conference games only at .242 and eighth in strikeouts with 184. Making the ERA and opposing batting average numbers even more impressive is that Arizona leads the conference in innings pitched at 558 2/3.
The Great Dalbino: Junior third baseman/pitcher Bobby Dalbec continues to prove he's one of the best two-way players in the nation. On the mound, Dalbec has been dominant both as a starting pitcher and reliever. He's made a team-high 25 appearances on the season with four starts. In last week's Lafayette Regional, Dalbec came on in relief in the opening game against Sam Houston State and pitched a scoreless ninth, needing just seven pitches. Two days later, in an elimination game, Dalbec started against Sam Houston State again and earned the win, keeping Arizona's season alive. At the plate, Dalbec was the team's hottest hitter, going 6 for 13 in four starts. He had one double and one home run to post a .769 slugging percentage for the weekend. Dalbec currently has a nine-game hitting streak and has seen his batting average rise from .225 to .266 during the streak. He's posted five multi-hit games during the streak with six doubles and a home run. For his career, Dalbec has 15 wins and 14 saves on the mound, to go with 23 home runs at the plate. He's the only player in program history to post double-digit wins, saves and home runs. The slugger also has 121 career runs driven in to go with 168 hits, 105 runs scored and 34 doubles.
Ming Wings it: Sophomore left-hander Cameron Ming has shown remarkable versatility this season for the Wildcats and has thrived as a starter and reliever. He pitched twice in the Lafayette Regional, and had one of the best performances of the season by an Arizona pitcher in the winner-take-all championship game against Louisiana. Ming entered the game in the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on second. He struck out the first batter he faced and then went on dominate the Ragin' Cajuns lineup over 3 1/3 innings. Ming earned his first career save in the 3-1 win, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings and giving up just one hit. He didn't walk any batters and struck out five. He threw 39 pitches with 32 going for strikes. In four total innings in the regional, Ming held hitters to a .143 average, allowing just two hits total. For the season, Ming, a sophomore from Phoenix, is second on the team with 24 appearances and has made eight starts. He has an ERA of 3.86 in 65 1/3 innings. He's fourth on the team with 48 strikeouts.
Hitting Notes
Postseason Sluggers: In their Regional Championship in Lafayette, the Wildcats hit .291 as a team, slugging 20 extra base hits in five games. The team combined for 13 doubles with Ryan Aguilar and Cesar Salazar each leading the way with three. The 13 doubles are the second most in the country of any postseason team. The 46 hits the team pounded out last weekend rank fifth. Of course, Arizona showed it is still very dangerous with the small game with eight sacrifice bunts, which leads all teams in the postseason. The Cats had five players – Bobby Dalbec, Cody Ramer, Zach Gibbons, Louis Boyd and Ryan Aguilar – hit .300 or better in regional play. The Cats also drew 19 walks in five games, posting an on-base percentage of .376.
Keep on Climbing, Gibby: Senior right fielder Zach Gibbons continues to cement himself as one of the best hitters to ever play at Arizona. The Scottsdale native leads the team with a .380 batting average this season. He's pounded out 90 hits this season, which ranks 15th best in the country. But it's what Gibbons has done for his career that's really stood out. Last weekend in regional play, Gibbons collected hit No. 274 to move into fifth all-time at Arizona in career hits. He passed current Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona last weekend to move into fifth. Francona, the winner of the 1980 Golden Spikes Award, finished his career with 271 hits. Gibbons would need 14 more hits to reach Jeff Van Houten for fourth. Van Houten finished his Arizona career with 288 hits. Gibbons has played in 221 career games, which is currently tied for fifth most at Arizona with Robbie Moen. His 819 at-bats rank eighth all-time. He's also just four walks away from entering the top ten in that category. Gibbons has 113 walks in his career.
More on Gibbons: The senior was named to the All-Pac-12 team earlier this month and has paced the Wildcats all season long. He's hitting .380 on the season with 12 doubles and a triple. His 39 RBI this season are a career high, as are his 12 doubles and 38 runs scored. His 35 walks this season are also a career high and his nine stolen bases are the second most of his career. He stole 11 as a freshman in 2013. Gibbons has 26 multiple-hit games this season, including five three-hit games and two five-hit games (Cal and Hawaii). He has 10 multi-RBI games on the season and earlier this season had a 48-game on-base streak. He's currently reached base safely in 12 straight. When Gibbons produces a multi-hit game, Arizona is 20-6 this season. Gibbons has also been rock solid in the field, not committing an error in 119 chances.
Ramer Ramps It Up: Gibbons has been pillar in the No. 2 hole all season, while fellow senior Cody Ramer has patrolled the leadoff spot and been a force the entire year. Like Gibbons, Ramer has 90 hits this season, which is 15th best in the country. For the season, Ramer is hitting .359, while leading the Pac-12 in runs scored (56) and triples (eight). The eight triples rank fifth in the country. Ramer has 14 doubles, two home runs and 39 RBI to go with his eight triples. He's also swiped eight bases. He was named All-Pac-12 with Gibbons earlier this month and has enjoyed a breakout senior season. The first three years of his career, Ramer had to wait his turn, being behind Kevin Newman at shortstop and Scott Kingery at second base. Newman was a first-round pick of the Pirates last year and Kingery was a second-round pick of the Phillies. With the middle infield cleared for his senior year, Ramer filled a huge void in coach Jay Johnson's first season. Ramer had 50 hits over the first three years of his career, before exploding for 90 this year. Ramer has 251 at-bats this season after not having more than 124 in a season over his first three years. He leads the team with 30 multiple hit games on the season and also has 10 multiple RBI games. The senior second baseman is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 14 straight games. Over his last 10 games, Ramer his hitting .415 (17-41).
Aggie Comes Into His Own: Like Ramer, senior Ryan Aguilar was given the chance to be a regular in the lineup by head coach Jay Johnson this year and has risen to the challenge. After playing in just 26 games last season and hitting .190, Aguilar has posted a .313 batting average this season, which is third best on the team. He leads the team in doubles (21), home runs (seven) and RBI (48), all while being a rock solid defender at first base. Aguilar had six RBI last weekend in regional play, which led the team. Over his last 10 games, he's hitting .341. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Team and the All-Tournament team last weekend in Lafayette. Situationally, Aguilar is hitting .364 with two out, .316 with runners in scoring position and .320 with runners on base.
A Balanced Attack: Arizona has 333 RBI as a team this season and Ryan Aguilar leads the way with 48 … The Wildcats have 10 players with at least 15 RBI, have nine with at least 18, eight with at least 23 and five with at least 32 … Cody Ramer, Zach Gibbons and Aguilar are all in the top seven in the Pac-12 in hits … Gibbons and Ramer tied to lead the conference and Aguilar finished with the seventh-most.
Hit 'em Up: Cody Ramer, Zach Gibbons and Ryan Aguilar all have at least 72 hits this season and JJ Matijevic has 66 … The last time four or more Wildcats had at least 62 hits in one season was back in 2013 when Brandon Dixon, Johnny Field, Trent Gilbert and Kevin Newman all had at least 73. Dixon led the way with 79 and was the Pac-12 Batting Champ.
