Friday, March 16
Seattle, WA
6:05 PM
University of Arizona
at
Washington
Cats Close Out Series in Seattle
03/15/2018 | Baseball
SEATTLE -- After dropping the first two games of the series, the Arizona Wildcats will wrap up a three-game set in Seattle versus Washington on Sunday afternoon.
Washington took the first game of the series, 7-1 and then outlasted the Wildcats 1-0 Saturday, winning on a walk-off single in the ninth.
Arizona will look to salvage a game Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
A full preview is below:
Date Time (MST) Location (Ballpark) Probable Starters/Results
Fri. March 16 6 p.m. Seattle, Wash. (Husky Ballpark) Washington 7, Arizona 1
Sat. March 17 2 p.m. Seattle, Wash. (Husky Ballpark) Washington 1, Arizona 0
Sun. March 18 1 p.m. Seattle, Wash. (Husky Ballpark) TBA vs. RHP Jordan Jones
Live Stream: Available through Pac-12.com.
Live Stats: Available through statbroadcast.com.
Leading Off...
• Arizona opens Pac-12 play with a weekend trip to Seattle to take on Washington. The Cats will then play three straight weekends at home against Washington State, Nicholls State and Oregon State.
• Sophomore third baseman Nick Quintana enters the series with an eight-game hitting streak and has raised his batting average more than 100 points during that stretch.
• The Wildcats have won five straight games and scored at least six runs in each of the five games. In the previous five games, Arizona didn't score six runs or more in any of the contests, going 1-4.
• Senior Ryan Haug has been hit by 24 pitches in his career after being plunked twice Tuesday at Arizona State. He's tied for eighth all-time at Arizona with the 24 HBPs.
• Senior Tylor Megill picked up his seventh career save Tuesday at Arizona State and is now just two saves away from entering the top 10 all-time at Arizona. He's three saves away from entering the single-season list. He's saved four games this year.
• Arizona has a staff ERA of 2.29 and is limiting opposing batters to a .216 batting average.
• Arizona is opening Pac-12 play on the road for the fourth straight year. The Wildcats have won two of the previous three conference-opening series'.
Some Series Themes: For the first time since 2016, Arizona returns to Seattle to take on Washington…In 2016, Arizona coach Jay Johnson coached his first-ever Pac-12 series, facing the Huskies for three at Husky Ballpark…Washington won the series, taking the first two games, before Arizona salvaged a game in the Sunday series finale…The Wildcats last won a series in Seattle in 2012 when they took two of three from the Huskies…When Arizona visited in 2014, Washington swept the series…The two teams met for a three-game series in Tucson last year with Arizona sweeping the series at Hi Corbett Field…The Wildcats won two of the three games in their last at-bat, getting a walk-off home run from Cal Stevenson in the opener…Washington and Arizona just saw each other two weekends ago in Minneapolis for the Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge, but of course didn't face each other…Arizona is 5-0 since the Minneapolis weekend, while Washington has gone 1-4 in that span, dropping three of four to Illinois State and a midweek contest to Seattle…Arizona will start right-hander Cody Deason on Friday for the fifth straight Friday night…Deason is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts…Left-hander Randy Labaut will get the start Saturday for the Wildcats…Labaut is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings…Coach Jay Johnson has yet to announce a starter for Sunday…Washington will counter with left-hander Jack Decooman on Friday and lefty Lucas Knowles on Saturday, before turning to right-hander Jordan Jones on Sunday…Deason enters Friday's start with 98 career strikeouts and would be the first active Wildcat to hit the 100-strikeout mark…Deason has logged 111 1/3 innings in his career…First baseman Alfonso Rivas already has six multi-hit games for the Wildcats, while Nick Quintana, Ryan Haug and Cameron Cannon all have five….Catcher Cesar Salazar has reached base in each of the 14 games he's played in this season…Haug has reached base safely in 12 straight…Nick Quintana has an eight-game hitting streak, Cameron Cannon and Cal Stevenson are each at five games…The Wildcats have 37 two-out RBI and have allowed just 11…Rivas has 11 on his own and is 11 for 23 with runners in scoring position…Cannon is 12 for 25 with runners in scoring position.
No Runs for You: Never in the Pac-12 era has an Arizona team given up fewer runs through 15 games than the 2018 Wildcats. Through 16 games, Arizona has surrendered just 45 total runs, which is the fewest since Arizona joined the Pac-10/12 in 1978. The 45 runs allowed are the fewest by an Arizona team since 1974 when the Jerry Kindall-led Wildcats allowed just 25 runs through 16 games. That year, Arizona went 58-6 and won the WAC Championship. This year, Arizona has yet to give up more than five runs in a game and have held opponents to three runs or fewer in 10 of 16 games. In the Pac-10/12 era, the fewest runs allowed through 16 games came in 2011 when the Cats gave up 55 total runs. Arizona has allowed seven hits or fewer in 11 of 16 games to start the year, keeping the scoring opportunities at an absolute minimum.
Fewest Runs Allowed Through 16 Games Since 1950
What a Start: Arizona pitching has set the tone for the season thus far. Arizona has a staff ERA of just 2.29 so far this season, allowing just 111 hits in 145 2/3 total innings. Wildcat pitchers have combined to strike out 112, while allowing 61 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .216 against Arizona pitching with 29 extra-base hits in 16 games. It's been a collective effort for the Wildcats thus far with several different arms contributing to the early season success. Randy Labaut leads the team with 26 innings and has a 2.08 ERA, giving up just six earned runs on the season. Labaut has walked just two, compared to 16 strikeouts. Cody Deason, who has had the Friday night honors so far this season, has just a 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Michael Flynn and Avery Weems have also logged 17 or more innings. Weems has a 3.38 ERA in 24 innings, while Flynn was stellar in his start Saturday and has a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings.
Digging Deeper: Coach Dave Lawn's pitching staff has done several things very well early in the season. First, left-handed hitters are batting just .192 against Arizona pitching, combining to go 42 for 219 so far. Right-handed starters Cody Deason and Michael Flynn have been especially tough on lefties, allowing them to go just 10 for 76 for a .132 average. Another area where Arizona pitchers have excelled is with runners on base. Opposing hitters are just 48 for 228 with runners on for a .211 average. And once Arizona pitchers get to two outs, there's a good shot they're finishing off the inning clean. Opposing batters are just 30 for 156 (.192) with two outs against Arizona pitching. In fact, North Dakota State had just one hit with two outs in three games against the Wildcats. With runners in scoring position, it's not much better with the opposition hitting 26 for 142 (.183) in that situation.
Arizona Pitching By the Numbers
Dominant Deason: Through four starts, junior right-hander Cody Deason has looked a lot like a Friday night starter in the Pac-12 should look. Deason is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. He's given up just three earned runs on the season and has opposing batters hitting just .165 against him. Deason got the Opening Day start against Bryant and threw seven shutout innings. He walked five, but gave up just three hits and paced the Cats in a 4-0 win. The next week, against San Diego State, Deason went just 5 1/3 innings, but battled, giving up two runs and striking out six, which matched a career high. Against Minnesota, Deason again went seven innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run, while again striking out six. In his fourth start of the season, Deason went seven innings, allowing one earned run and striking out a career-high nine. After giving up a double in the first inning, Deason faced the minimum from innings two to seven. The junior has lefties hitting 6 for 47 against him, and batters are just 2 for 24 against him with two outs, showing he knows how to shut down an inning. With runners on, Deason is limiting hitters to a .194 average, seeing hitters go 6 for 31. He's allowed just four extra-base hits in 26-plus innings.
A Very Good Avery: Junior left-hander Avery Weems will undoubtedly draw comparisons to another recent Arizona lefty this season in JC Cloney. Weems, who is wearing the same number Cloney donned – 27—has looked as dangerous as Arizona's Opening Day starter in 2016 and 17. Weems made his Arizona debut in the finale of the Bryant series, drawing the Sunday start. He had an impressive start to his career, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on six hits, while striking out three and walking two. Weems then showed off his versatility, appearing in relief at San Diego State the following Friday. Weems tossed 2 2/3 hitless innings against the Aztecs, striking out four. Two days later, Weems drew his second start of the season against San Diego. He didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning and went six innings total, allowing just three hits. He allowed four runs, but only one was earned in a 5-3 loss to the Toreros. Weems started against Illinois, and went just 3 1/3 innings, but gave up just two runs and didn't issue any walks, battling and keeping his team in the game. Weems started against Arizona State and went 4 2/3 innings in a 6-2 win for the Wildcats. A Flagstaff native, Weems spent the previous two seasons at Yavapai Junior College in Prescott.
Randy's Dandy: Sophomore left-hander Randy Labaut has wasted no time carving out a niche in this season's pitching staff for the Wildcats. Labaut has pitched a team-best 26 innings, giving up 24 hits and six earned runs. He's walked just two, compared to 16 strikeouts and has hitters batting .253 against him this season. Labaut appeared out of the bullpen for his first two appearances of the season, but has started four straight, and earned his first win of the season Sunday against North Dakota State. Against Arkansas, Labaut was on the unlucky end of a 1-0 loss, despite going seven innings and giving up just one run on a solo home run. Against Michigan State, Labaut went a career best eight innings. He pitched eight scoreless, before starting the ninth and giving up back-to-back hits to start the inning, before exiting. Labaut then went 5 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run and one unearned run against the Bison. Hitters are just 3 for 25 against him with two outs. The two walks on the season have been a big improvement for the lefty. Last season, Labaut walked 22 in 31 2/3 innings, compared to 23 strikeouts. He's allowed just seven extra-base hits this season.
Flynn the Day: Junior right-hander Michael Flynn earned the win in Saturday's game against North Dakota State, tossing five innings. He improved to 2-0 on the season with a 3.18 ERA. The junior has yet to lose in his Arizona career, posting a perfect 8-0 record. He's made 40 total appearances and nine starts, logging 84 2/3 innings. He's posted a 3.61 ERA thus far in his career. He went 1-0 as a freshman, before going 5-0 last season. His 75 career strikeouts are the second most by a current Arizona pitcher. Cody Deason has 98 for his career. In Flynn's three seasons at Arizona, the Wildcats have lost just one game Flynn has started.
First Up: Junior Alfonso Rivas manned left field as a freshman, before mainly handling the designated hitter role last year as a sophomore. This year, Rivas has moved to first base to take over for JJ Matijevic. Rivas was named first-team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and a second-team pick by D1Baseball and a third-team selection by Baseball America. He's already backing it up this season, leading the team in runs, hits, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage. Rivas is batting .318 this season with two home runs and 21 RBI. Rivas went 3 for 5 with four RBI against San Diego State and hit his second home run of the season. In four games last week against San Diego State and North Dakota State, the left-handed hitting first baseman went 9 for 18 with 10 RBI, seven runs scored and a home run. He drove in at least two runs in each of his four games and scored at least one run. He had back-to-back three-hit games to open the week against San Diego State and Game 1 versus North Dakota State. Rivas is 11 for 23 on the year with runners in scoring positon and he's 12 for 28 against left-handed pitching.
Most RBI by an Arizona Underclassman Since 2000
Pac-12 RBI Leaders
1. Jonah Davis, Cal: 26
2. Andrew Vaughn, Cal: 25
2. Trevor Larnach, Oregon State: 25
4. Alfonso Rivas, Arizona: 21
The Cambino: Sophomore second baseman Cameron Cannon has had a strong start to his season. Cannon is hitting .322 through 15 games, having started every game at second this season. Cannon is second on the team in runs scored with 13 and RBI with 15. He has an on-base percentage of .406. Cannon has turned it on as of late. He's enjoying a modest five-game hitting streak and has a pair of three-hit games during that stretch. He's 9 for 19 over his last five games with eight RBI, five runs scored and three walks. He also has a double and a triple. Cannon has already more than doubled his RBI total from his freshman season. He had seven RBI in 84 at-bats last year. This year, he has 15 RBI in 59 at-bats. He's 12 for 25 with runners in scoring position so far this season.
The Snow Man: Thanks to his new No. 8, Cal Stevenson has adopted a new nickname this season, courtesy of his teammates: The Snow Man. The name seems to be agreeing with him. Stevenson is batting .300 on the young season, and leads the team in walks with 12 after leading the entire conference last year. Stevenson went 7 for 15 last week during Arizona's four-game homestand with seven runs scored, three RBI and four walks.
Q Gets It Going: Sophomore third baseman Nick Quintana, a freshman All-American last season, is enjoying an eight-game hitting streak entering the series against the Huskies. He's 13 for 32 during the streak for a .406 batting average. He's driven in six with three doubles and eight runs scored. During the hitting streak, which is the longest by an Arizona batter this season, Quintana has seen his average rise from .207 to .311. On the season, Quintana leads the Wildcats with six doubles and is tied for second with 19 hits.
Ball Haug: Senior Ryan Haug has patiently waited to become an everyday player for the Wildcats, and this year it has paid off. Haug has started the past 11 games for Arizona, going 10 for 32 during that stretch with nine walks and seven hit-by-pitches. He's had five multi-hit games during that stretch. He was named to the Dairy Queen Classic-Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge All-Tournament Team. Perhaps more impressive than his offense, has been Haug's defense. Against New Mexico State, Haug played left field and threw out a runner at home, trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Against Minnesota, Haug, again in left, made a diving catch into the stands on a foul ball, and then later threw out a runner at the plate to send the game into extra innings. Against Illinois, Haug moved to right and again had a hand in throwing out a runner at home, starting a 9-4-2 putout at home on an extra-base hit. Haug then started behind the plate against Michigan State, giving Cesar Salazar, who DH'ed a blow. The senior drew a pair of walks Tuesday against San Diego State, starting in left field. He hit in the three-hole for the Wildcats.
He's Been Juanderful: Spanning back to last season, senior right-handed pitcher Juan Aguilera has given up just one earned run over his last 10 appearances. During that span, Aguilera has pitched 13 innings, allowing eight hits, one earned run, six walks and nine strikeouts. He's 3-0 in that span. Over his final four appearances last year, Aguilera didn't give up a run over 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one hit, three walks and four strikeouts. He earned the win in Arizona's win over Delaware in the NCAA Tournament. This year, Aguilera was the first Arizona pitcher to two wins and is 2-0. He's pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and striking out six, while giving up just one earned run. Aguilera tossed a career-high three innings against San Diego State to earn the win.
All Hail, Cesar: Cesar Salazar returns for his third consecutive season as Arizona's primary backstop. The junior from Hermosillo, Mexico, was named All-Pac-12 first-team last year, and was also a member of the Lubbock All-Regional team last year after a strong three-game performance in the postseason. Salazar's offensive production increased last season in several areas. Salazar improved his average, doubles, home runs, RBI and walks total, while striking out three fewer times. He's also posted back-to-back fielding percentages of .992 behind the plate. Salazar threw out 11 of 37 potential base stealers last season. This season, Salazar has thrown out five of 10 potential base stealers. He's also leading the team in batting with a .357 batting average. He's 15 for 42 and has reached base in all 14 games he's played in this season. He's been hit by a pitch six times total this year. Salazar already has four multi-hit games on the year, including two three-hit games, including Tuesday where he went 3 for 4 with a run scored.
"T" Time: Junior right-hander Tylor Megill has been strong at the end of games for Arizona so far this season, already totaling four saves in just 16 games. The senior righty has already surpassed his save total of three from last year. Megill closed out the New Mexico State game, pitching two scoreless innings. He allowed a leadoff double to start the eighth, and then retired the next six batters he faced. This came on the heels of tossing 2 1/3 perfect innings against Michigan on Saturday in San Diego. He struck out three, needing just 32 pitches total. Megill pitched twice in Minneapolis, going two total innings, allowing one run. Megill pitched two hitless innings against Arizona State on Tuesday to earn the save. He has a 1.54 ERA on the season, striking out 12 in 11 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .175. He's been Arizona's most effective pitcher against righties, with opposing right-handed hitters just 3 for 25 against Megill.
Washington took the first game of the series, 7-1 and then outlasted the Wildcats 1-0 Saturday, winning on a walk-off single in the ninth.
Arizona will look to salvage a game Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
A full preview is below:
Date Time (MST) Location (Ballpark) Probable Starters/Results
Fri. March 16 6 p.m. Seattle, Wash. (Husky Ballpark) Washington 7, Arizona 1
Sat. March 17 2 p.m. Seattle, Wash. (Husky Ballpark) Washington 1, Arizona 0
Sun. March 18 1 p.m. Seattle, Wash. (Husky Ballpark) TBA vs. RHP Jordan Jones
Live Stream: Available through Pac-12.com.
Live Stats: Available through statbroadcast.com.
Leading Off...
• Arizona opens Pac-12 play with a weekend trip to Seattle to take on Washington. The Cats will then play three straight weekends at home against Washington State, Nicholls State and Oregon State.
• Sophomore third baseman Nick Quintana enters the series with an eight-game hitting streak and has raised his batting average more than 100 points during that stretch.
• The Wildcats have won five straight games and scored at least six runs in each of the five games. In the previous five games, Arizona didn't score six runs or more in any of the contests, going 1-4.
• Senior Ryan Haug has been hit by 24 pitches in his career after being plunked twice Tuesday at Arizona State. He's tied for eighth all-time at Arizona with the 24 HBPs.
• Senior Tylor Megill picked up his seventh career save Tuesday at Arizona State and is now just two saves away from entering the top 10 all-time at Arizona. He's three saves away from entering the single-season list. He's saved four games this year.
• Arizona has a staff ERA of 2.29 and is limiting opposing batters to a .216 batting average.
• Arizona is opening Pac-12 play on the road for the fourth straight year. The Wildcats have won two of the previous three conference-opening series'.
Some Series Themes: For the first time since 2016, Arizona returns to Seattle to take on Washington…In 2016, Arizona coach Jay Johnson coached his first-ever Pac-12 series, facing the Huskies for three at Husky Ballpark…Washington won the series, taking the first two games, before Arizona salvaged a game in the Sunday series finale…The Wildcats last won a series in Seattle in 2012 when they took two of three from the Huskies…When Arizona visited in 2014, Washington swept the series…The two teams met for a three-game series in Tucson last year with Arizona sweeping the series at Hi Corbett Field…The Wildcats won two of the three games in their last at-bat, getting a walk-off home run from Cal Stevenson in the opener…Washington and Arizona just saw each other two weekends ago in Minneapolis for the Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge, but of course didn't face each other…Arizona is 5-0 since the Minneapolis weekend, while Washington has gone 1-4 in that span, dropping three of four to Illinois State and a midweek contest to Seattle…Arizona will start right-hander Cody Deason on Friday for the fifth straight Friday night…Deason is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts…Left-hander Randy Labaut will get the start Saturday for the Wildcats…Labaut is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings…Coach Jay Johnson has yet to announce a starter for Sunday…Washington will counter with left-hander Jack Decooman on Friday and lefty Lucas Knowles on Saturday, before turning to right-hander Jordan Jones on Sunday…Deason enters Friday's start with 98 career strikeouts and would be the first active Wildcat to hit the 100-strikeout mark…Deason has logged 111 1/3 innings in his career…First baseman Alfonso Rivas already has six multi-hit games for the Wildcats, while Nick Quintana, Ryan Haug and Cameron Cannon all have five….Catcher Cesar Salazar has reached base in each of the 14 games he's played in this season…Haug has reached base safely in 12 straight…Nick Quintana has an eight-game hitting streak, Cameron Cannon and Cal Stevenson are each at five games…The Wildcats have 37 two-out RBI and have allowed just 11…Rivas has 11 on his own and is 11 for 23 with runners in scoring position…Cannon is 12 for 25 with runners in scoring position.
No Runs for You: Never in the Pac-12 era has an Arizona team given up fewer runs through 15 games than the 2018 Wildcats. Through 16 games, Arizona has surrendered just 45 total runs, which is the fewest since Arizona joined the Pac-10/12 in 1978. The 45 runs allowed are the fewest by an Arizona team since 1974 when the Jerry Kindall-led Wildcats allowed just 25 runs through 16 games. That year, Arizona went 58-6 and won the WAC Championship. This year, Arizona has yet to give up more than five runs in a game and have held opponents to three runs or fewer in 10 of 16 games. In the Pac-10/12 era, the fewest runs allowed through 16 games came in 2011 when the Cats gave up 55 total runs. Arizona has allowed seven hits or fewer in 11 of 16 games to start the year, keeping the scoring opportunities at an absolute minimum.
Fewest Runs Allowed Through 16 Games Since 1950
| Year | Runs Allowed |
| 1974 | 25 |
| 1969 | 34 |
| 1961 | 43 |
| 2018 | 45 |
| 1973 | 46 |
What a Start: Arizona pitching has set the tone for the season thus far. Arizona has a staff ERA of just 2.29 so far this season, allowing just 111 hits in 145 2/3 total innings. Wildcat pitchers have combined to strike out 112, while allowing 61 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .216 against Arizona pitching with 29 extra-base hits in 16 games. It's been a collective effort for the Wildcats thus far with several different arms contributing to the early season success. Randy Labaut leads the team with 26 innings and has a 2.08 ERA, giving up just six earned runs on the season. Labaut has walked just two, compared to 16 strikeouts. Cody Deason, who has had the Friday night honors so far this season, has just a 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Michael Flynn and Avery Weems have also logged 17 or more innings. Weems has a 3.38 ERA in 24 innings, while Flynn was stellar in his start Saturday and has a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings.
Digging Deeper: Coach Dave Lawn's pitching staff has done several things very well early in the season. First, left-handed hitters are batting just .192 against Arizona pitching, combining to go 42 for 219 so far. Right-handed starters Cody Deason and Michael Flynn have been especially tough on lefties, allowing them to go just 10 for 76 for a .132 average. Another area where Arizona pitchers have excelled is with runners on base. Opposing hitters are just 48 for 228 with runners on for a .211 average. And once Arizona pitchers get to two outs, there's a good shot they're finishing off the inning clean. Opposing batters are just 30 for 156 (.192) with two outs against Arizona pitching. In fact, North Dakota State had just one hit with two outs in three games against the Wildcats. With runners in scoring position, it's not much better with the opposition hitting 26 for 142 (.183) in that situation.
Arizona Pitching By the Numbers
- 2.30 – Staff ERA, 2nd Best in Pac-12
- .216 -- Batting Average Against
- 4 – Home Runs Allowed, tied fewest in Pac-12
- 45 – Total Runs Allowed, fewest by an Arizona team since 1974
- .192 – Batting Average Against with 2 outs
- .192 – Batting Average Against by left-handed hitting
- .183 – Batting Average Against with runners in scoring position
Dominant Deason: Through four starts, junior right-hander Cody Deason has looked a lot like a Friday night starter in the Pac-12 should look. Deason is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. He's given up just three earned runs on the season and has opposing batters hitting just .165 against him. Deason got the Opening Day start against Bryant and threw seven shutout innings. He walked five, but gave up just three hits and paced the Cats in a 4-0 win. The next week, against San Diego State, Deason went just 5 1/3 innings, but battled, giving up two runs and striking out six, which matched a career high. Against Minnesota, Deason again went seven innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run, while again striking out six. In his fourth start of the season, Deason went seven innings, allowing one earned run and striking out a career-high nine. After giving up a double in the first inning, Deason faced the minimum from innings two to seven. The junior has lefties hitting 6 for 47 against him, and batters are just 2 for 24 against him with two outs, showing he knows how to shut down an inning. With runners on, Deason is limiting hitters to a .194 average, seeing hitters go 6 for 31. He's allowed just four extra-base hits in 26-plus innings.
A Very Good Avery: Junior left-hander Avery Weems will undoubtedly draw comparisons to another recent Arizona lefty this season in JC Cloney. Weems, who is wearing the same number Cloney donned – 27—has looked as dangerous as Arizona's Opening Day starter in 2016 and 17. Weems made his Arizona debut in the finale of the Bryant series, drawing the Sunday start. He had an impressive start to his career, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on six hits, while striking out three and walking two. Weems then showed off his versatility, appearing in relief at San Diego State the following Friday. Weems tossed 2 2/3 hitless innings against the Aztecs, striking out four. Two days later, Weems drew his second start of the season against San Diego. He didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning and went six innings total, allowing just three hits. He allowed four runs, but only one was earned in a 5-3 loss to the Toreros. Weems started against Illinois, and went just 3 1/3 innings, but gave up just two runs and didn't issue any walks, battling and keeping his team in the game. Weems started against Arizona State and went 4 2/3 innings in a 6-2 win for the Wildcats. A Flagstaff native, Weems spent the previous two seasons at Yavapai Junior College in Prescott.
Randy's Dandy: Sophomore left-hander Randy Labaut has wasted no time carving out a niche in this season's pitching staff for the Wildcats. Labaut has pitched a team-best 26 innings, giving up 24 hits and six earned runs. He's walked just two, compared to 16 strikeouts and has hitters batting .253 against him this season. Labaut appeared out of the bullpen for his first two appearances of the season, but has started four straight, and earned his first win of the season Sunday against North Dakota State. Against Arkansas, Labaut was on the unlucky end of a 1-0 loss, despite going seven innings and giving up just one run on a solo home run. Against Michigan State, Labaut went a career best eight innings. He pitched eight scoreless, before starting the ninth and giving up back-to-back hits to start the inning, before exiting. Labaut then went 5 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run and one unearned run against the Bison. Hitters are just 3 for 25 against him with two outs. The two walks on the season have been a big improvement for the lefty. Last season, Labaut walked 22 in 31 2/3 innings, compared to 23 strikeouts. He's allowed just seven extra-base hits this season.
Flynn the Day: Junior right-hander Michael Flynn earned the win in Saturday's game against North Dakota State, tossing five innings. He improved to 2-0 on the season with a 3.18 ERA. The junior has yet to lose in his Arizona career, posting a perfect 8-0 record. He's made 40 total appearances and nine starts, logging 84 2/3 innings. He's posted a 3.61 ERA thus far in his career. He went 1-0 as a freshman, before going 5-0 last season. His 75 career strikeouts are the second most by a current Arizona pitcher. Cody Deason has 98 for his career. In Flynn's three seasons at Arizona, the Wildcats have lost just one game Flynn has started.
First Up: Junior Alfonso Rivas manned left field as a freshman, before mainly handling the designated hitter role last year as a sophomore. This year, Rivas has moved to first base to take over for JJ Matijevic. Rivas was named first-team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and a second-team pick by D1Baseball and a third-team selection by Baseball America. He's already backing it up this season, leading the team in runs, hits, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage. Rivas is batting .318 this season with two home runs and 21 RBI. Rivas went 3 for 5 with four RBI against San Diego State and hit his second home run of the season. In four games last week against San Diego State and North Dakota State, the left-handed hitting first baseman went 9 for 18 with 10 RBI, seven runs scored and a home run. He drove in at least two runs in each of his four games and scored at least one run. He had back-to-back three-hit games to open the week against San Diego State and Game 1 versus North Dakota State. Rivas is 11 for 23 on the year with runners in scoring positon and he's 12 for 28 against left-handed pitching.
Most RBI by an Arizona Underclassman Since 2000
| Player (Class) | Year | RBI |
| Jeff Van Houten (Sophomore) | 2003 | 72 |
| Alfonso Rivas (Sophomore) | 2017 | 63 |
| Brad Glenn (Sophomore) | 2007 | 62 |
| Jordan Brown (Sophomore) | 2004 | 57 |
| Robert Refsnyder (Sophomore) | 2011 | 55 |
| Bobby Dalbec (Sophomore) | 2015 | 53 |
| Steve Selsky (Sophomore) | 2010 | 52 |
Pac-12 RBI Leaders
1. Jonah Davis, Cal: 26
2. Andrew Vaughn, Cal: 25
2. Trevor Larnach, Oregon State: 25
4. Alfonso Rivas, Arizona: 21
The Cambino: Sophomore second baseman Cameron Cannon has had a strong start to his season. Cannon is hitting .322 through 15 games, having started every game at second this season. Cannon is second on the team in runs scored with 13 and RBI with 15. He has an on-base percentage of .406. Cannon has turned it on as of late. He's enjoying a modest five-game hitting streak and has a pair of three-hit games during that stretch. He's 9 for 19 over his last five games with eight RBI, five runs scored and three walks. He also has a double and a triple. Cannon has already more than doubled his RBI total from his freshman season. He had seven RBI in 84 at-bats last year. This year, he has 15 RBI in 59 at-bats. He's 12 for 25 with runners in scoring position so far this season.
The Snow Man: Thanks to his new No. 8, Cal Stevenson has adopted a new nickname this season, courtesy of his teammates: The Snow Man. The name seems to be agreeing with him. Stevenson is batting .300 on the young season, and leads the team in walks with 12 after leading the entire conference last year. Stevenson went 7 for 15 last week during Arizona's four-game homestand with seven runs scored, three RBI and four walks.
Q Gets It Going: Sophomore third baseman Nick Quintana, a freshman All-American last season, is enjoying an eight-game hitting streak entering the series against the Huskies. He's 13 for 32 during the streak for a .406 batting average. He's driven in six with three doubles and eight runs scored. During the hitting streak, which is the longest by an Arizona batter this season, Quintana has seen his average rise from .207 to .311. On the season, Quintana leads the Wildcats with six doubles and is tied for second with 19 hits.
Ball Haug: Senior Ryan Haug has patiently waited to become an everyday player for the Wildcats, and this year it has paid off. Haug has started the past 11 games for Arizona, going 10 for 32 during that stretch with nine walks and seven hit-by-pitches. He's had five multi-hit games during that stretch. He was named to the Dairy Queen Classic-Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge All-Tournament Team. Perhaps more impressive than his offense, has been Haug's defense. Against New Mexico State, Haug played left field and threw out a runner at home, trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Against Minnesota, Haug, again in left, made a diving catch into the stands on a foul ball, and then later threw out a runner at the plate to send the game into extra innings. Against Illinois, Haug moved to right and again had a hand in throwing out a runner at home, starting a 9-4-2 putout at home on an extra-base hit. Haug then started behind the plate against Michigan State, giving Cesar Salazar, who DH'ed a blow. The senior drew a pair of walks Tuesday against San Diego State, starting in left field. He hit in the three-hole for the Wildcats.
He's Been Juanderful: Spanning back to last season, senior right-handed pitcher Juan Aguilera has given up just one earned run over his last 10 appearances. During that span, Aguilera has pitched 13 innings, allowing eight hits, one earned run, six walks and nine strikeouts. He's 3-0 in that span. Over his final four appearances last year, Aguilera didn't give up a run over 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one hit, three walks and four strikeouts. He earned the win in Arizona's win over Delaware in the NCAA Tournament. This year, Aguilera was the first Arizona pitcher to two wins and is 2-0. He's pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and striking out six, while giving up just one earned run. Aguilera tossed a career-high three innings against San Diego State to earn the win.
All Hail, Cesar: Cesar Salazar returns for his third consecutive season as Arizona's primary backstop. The junior from Hermosillo, Mexico, was named All-Pac-12 first-team last year, and was also a member of the Lubbock All-Regional team last year after a strong three-game performance in the postseason. Salazar's offensive production increased last season in several areas. Salazar improved his average, doubles, home runs, RBI and walks total, while striking out three fewer times. He's also posted back-to-back fielding percentages of .992 behind the plate. Salazar threw out 11 of 37 potential base stealers last season. This season, Salazar has thrown out five of 10 potential base stealers. He's also leading the team in batting with a .357 batting average. He's 15 for 42 and has reached base in all 14 games he's played in this season. He's been hit by a pitch six times total this year. Salazar already has four multi-hit games on the year, including two three-hit games, including Tuesday where he went 3 for 4 with a run scored.
"T" Time: Junior right-hander Tylor Megill has been strong at the end of games for Arizona so far this season, already totaling four saves in just 16 games. The senior righty has already surpassed his save total of three from last year. Megill closed out the New Mexico State game, pitching two scoreless innings. He allowed a leadoff double to start the eighth, and then retired the next six batters he faced. This came on the heels of tossing 2 1/3 perfect innings against Michigan on Saturday in San Diego. He struck out three, needing just 32 pitches total. Megill pitched twice in Minneapolis, going two total innings, allowing one run. Megill pitched two hitless innings against Arizona State on Tuesday to earn the save. He has a 1.54 ERA on the season, striking out 12 in 11 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .175. He's been Arizona's most effective pitcher against righties, with opposing right-handed hitters just 3 for 25 against Megill.
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/ BaseballMonday, September 28
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