Tuesday, March 20
Tucson, AZ
6:00 PM
University of Arizona
vs
New Mexico State
Cats Open 7-Game Homestand With New Mexico State
03/19/2018 | Baseball
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Wildcats return to Hi Corbett Field this week to open a seven-game homestand. Arizona is 8-0 at home this season and will play 10 of its next 11 games at Hi Corbett Field.
The homestand opens Tuesday night with a midweek contest against New Mexico State. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
Below is a full preview:
Leading Off...
• Arizona returns home to the friendly confines of Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday night to open a seven-game homestand. The Wildcats will play 10 of their next 11 games at Hi Corbett, where they are a perfect 8-0 this season.
• Arizona ranks 10th nationally in ERA with a 2.42 mark. That is the fourth-best mark out of Power 5 schools and the second-best in the Pac-12 behind Stanford.
• Coach Jay Johnson is three wins away from 100 total at Arizona. He's 97-54 since taking over the program prior to the 2016 season. Arizona is 55-14 at Hi Corbett with Johnson as coach.
• Arizona has allowed 56 runs through 19 games, which is the program's lowest total since 1974.
• Cesar Salazar, who is on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List, leads Arizona with a .365 batting average. He's reached base safely in all 17 games he's played in this season.
• Senior centerfielder Cal Stevenson has an eight-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 12 straight games. The eight-game hitting streak is tied with Nick Quintana for the longest by an Arizona hitter this season.
• Senior pitcher Juan Aguilera is 2-0 this season with a 1.23 ERA. He earned the win against the Aggies in the first matchup of the season. Aguilera has given up one earned run in 7 1/3 innings.
Some Game Themes: For the second time this season, Arizona will host New Mexico State in a midweek contest at Hi Corbett Field…Arizona outlasted New Mexico State the first time on Feb. 27, topping the Aggies 5-4…Catcher Cesar Salazar went 3 for 3 with a run scored and Cameron Cannon was 2 for 4 with an RBI…Freshman shortstop Jacob Blas also had a solid debut against the Aggies, going 1 for 2 with a run scored and a walk…Juan Aguilera earned the win for the Wildcats against the Aggies, pitching 1 2/3 innings in relief of Randy Labaut…Tylor Megill came on to get the final six outs for the save and keep the Aggies at bay…Arizona is 5-0 against New Mexico State since Coach Jay Johnson arrived at Arizona…The game against the Aggies opens up a seven-game homestand for the Wildcats, who play 10 of their next 11 games at home and 14 of their next 19…The Wildcats have been dominant at home this season, posting a perfect 8-0 record...Catcher Cesar Salazar has been Arizona's best hitter at home, going 10 for 17 in seven games with three doubles and six RBI…Cameron Cannon is batting .483 at home, going 14 for 29 with 12 RBI…Cal Stevenson has also been special at home, batting .481…He's 13 for 27 with four extra-base hits…Arizona is batting .344 as a team at Hi Corbett, while its pitching staff has posted a 1.88 ERA…The Wildcats have outscored opponents 70-19 in eight games at Hi Corbett and outhit them 83-51…The Cats have only allowed one home run at Hi Corbett…Relievers Jonathan Guardado, Tylor Megill, Robby Medel, Preston Price and Gil Luna have combined for 15 innings and have yet to give up a run at home…The Wildcats are looking to rebound after a tough weekend in Seattle, dropping all three games against Washington…Arizona lost 1-0 on Saturday, before falling 3-2 in 10 innings on Sunday…Arizona has suffered seven one-run losses this season and has been walked-off five times in 19 total games…Since Johnson took over at Arizona, the Wildcats are 55-14 at Hi Corbett Field.
No Runs for You: Never in the Pac-12 era has an Arizona team given up fewer runs through 19 games than the 2018 Wildcats. Through 19 games, Arizona has surrendered just 56 total runs, which is the fewest since Arizona joined the Pac-10/12 in 1978. The 56 runs allowed are the fewest by an Arizona team since 1974 when the Jerry Kindall-led Wildcats allowed just 37 runs through 19 games. That year, Arizona went 58-6 and won the WAC Championship. This year, Arizona has given up more than five runs in a game just once, and has held opponents to three runs or fewer in 12 of 19 games. In the Pac-10/12 era, the fewest runs allowed through 19 games came in 2011 when the Cats gave up 69 total runs. Arizona has allowed seven hits or fewer in 12 of 19 games to start the year, keeping the scoring opportunities at an absolute minimum.
Fewest Runs Allowed Through 19 Games Since 1950
Year Runs Allowed
1974 37
1969 46
1973 49
2018 56
1961 58
What a Start: Arizona pitching has set the tone for the season thus far. Arizona has a staff ERA of just 2.42 so far this season, allowing just 135 hits in 171 total innings. The Wildcats rank 10th in the country with their 2.42 ERA and fourth among Power 5 schools. Wildcat pitchers have combined to strike out 132, while allowing 71 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .222 against Arizona pitching with 35 extra-base hits in 19 games. It's been a collective effort for the Wildcats thus far with several different arms contributing to the early season success. Randy Labaut and Cody Deason lead the team with 31 2/3 innings. Labaut, who is 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA, has walked just four, compared to 19 strikeouts. Cody Deason, who has had the Friday night honors so far this season, has just a 1.42 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. Michael Flynn and Avery Weems have also logged 19 or more innings. Weems has a 2.97 ERA in 30 1/3 innings, while Flynn has a 2.79 ERA in 19 1/3 innings pitched.
National Team Leaders in ERA
School ERA
Stetson 1.89
Louisiana Tech 1.98
Ole Miss 2.11
East Carolina 2.15
Hofstra 2.19
Texas A&M 2.24
UCF 2.25
Stanford 2.33
College of Charleston 2.41
Arizona 2.42
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 .203 against Arizona pitching, combining to go 55 for 271 so far. Right-handed starters Cody Deason and Michael Flynn have been especially tough on lefties, allowing them to go just 14 for 94 for a .149 average. Another area where Arizona pitchers have excelled is with runners on base. Opposing hitters are just 60 for 274 with runners on for a .219 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 37 for 184 (.201) 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 36 for 169 (.213) in that situation.
Arizona Pitching By the Numbers
• 2.42 – Staff ERA, 2nd Best in Pac-12; 10th best in country
• .222 Batting Average Against
• 5 – Home Runs Allowed, tied fewest in Pac-12
• 56 – Total Runs Allowed, fewest by an Arizona team since 1974
• .201 – Batting Average Against with 2 outs
• .203 – Batting Average Against by left-handed hitting
• .213 – Batting Average Against with runners in scoring position
Dominant Deason: Through five starts, junior right-hander Cody Deason has looked a lot like a Friday night starter in the Pac-12 should look. Deason is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. He's given up just five earned runs on the season and has opposing batters hitting just .181 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 9 for 61 against him, and batters are just 4 for 31 against him with two outs, showing he knows how to shut down an inning. With runners on, Deason is limiting hitters to a .225 average, seeing hitters go 9 for 40. He's allowed just six extra-base hits in 31-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. He made his team-leading sixth start of the season Sunday against Washington and went a career-best 6 1/3 innings. 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 31 2/3 innings, which is tied for the most on the team, and has given up 27 hits and six earned runs. He's walked just four, compared to 19 strikeouts and has hitters batting .239 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 29 against him with two outs. The four 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.
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 .365 batting average. He's 19 for 52 and has reached base in all 17 games he's played in this season. He's been hit by a pitch six times total this year. Salazar already has five multi-hit games on the year, including two three-hit games, including Tuesday where he went 3 for 4 with a run scored
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.
The homestand opens Tuesday night with a midweek contest against New Mexico State. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
Below is a full preview:
Leading Off...
• Arizona returns home to the friendly confines of Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday night to open a seven-game homestand. The Wildcats will play 10 of their next 11 games at Hi Corbett, where they are a perfect 8-0 this season.
• Arizona ranks 10th nationally in ERA with a 2.42 mark. That is the fourth-best mark out of Power 5 schools and the second-best in the Pac-12 behind Stanford.
• Coach Jay Johnson is three wins away from 100 total at Arizona. He's 97-54 since taking over the program prior to the 2016 season. Arizona is 55-14 at Hi Corbett with Johnson as coach.
• Arizona has allowed 56 runs through 19 games, which is the program's lowest total since 1974.
• Cesar Salazar, who is on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List, leads Arizona with a .365 batting average. He's reached base safely in all 17 games he's played in this season.
• Senior centerfielder Cal Stevenson has an eight-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 12 straight games. The eight-game hitting streak is tied with Nick Quintana for the longest by an Arizona hitter this season.
• Senior pitcher Juan Aguilera is 2-0 this season with a 1.23 ERA. He earned the win against the Aggies in the first matchup of the season. Aguilera has given up one earned run in 7 1/3 innings.
Some Game Themes: For the second time this season, Arizona will host New Mexico State in a midweek contest at Hi Corbett Field…Arizona outlasted New Mexico State the first time on Feb. 27, topping the Aggies 5-4…Catcher Cesar Salazar went 3 for 3 with a run scored and Cameron Cannon was 2 for 4 with an RBI…Freshman shortstop Jacob Blas also had a solid debut against the Aggies, going 1 for 2 with a run scored and a walk…Juan Aguilera earned the win for the Wildcats against the Aggies, pitching 1 2/3 innings in relief of Randy Labaut…Tylor Megill came on to get the final six outs for the save and keep the Aggies at bay…Arizona is 5-0 against New Mexico State since Coach Jay Johnson arrived at Arizona…The game against the Aggies opens up a seven-game homestand for the Wildcats, who play 10 of their next 11 games at home and 14 of their next 19…The Wildcats have been dominant at home this season, posting a perfect 8-0 record...Catcher Cesar Salazar has been Arizona's best hitter at home, going 10 for 17 in seven games with three doubles and six RBI…Cameron Cannon is batting .483 at home, going 14 for 29 with 12 RBI…Cal Stevenson has also been special at home, batting .481…He's 13 for 27 with four extra-base hits…Arizona is batting .344 as a team at Hi Corbett, while its pitching staff has posted a 1.88 ERA…The Wildcats have outscored opponents 70-19 in eight games at Hi Corbett and outhit them 83-51…The Cats have only allowed one home run at Hi Corbett…Relievers Jonathan Guardado, Tylor Megill, Robby Medel, Preston Price and Gil Luna have combined for 15 innings and have yet to give up a run at home…The Wildcats are looking to rebound after a tough weekend in Seattle, dropping all three games against Washington…Arizona lost 1-0 on Saturday, before falling 3-2 in 10 innings on Sunday…Arizona has suffered seven one-run losses this season and has been walked-off five times in 19 total games…Since Johnson took over at Arizona, the Wildcats are 55-14 at Hi Corbett Field.
No Runs for You: Never in the Pac-12 era has an Arizona team given up fewer runs through 19 games than the 2018 Wildcats. Through 19 games, Arizona has surrendered just 56 total runs, which is the fewest since Arizona joined the Pac-10/12 in 1978. The 56 runs allowed are the fewest by an Arizona team since 1974 when the Jerry Kindall-led Wildcats allowed just 37 runs through 19 games. That year, Arizona went 58-6 and won the WAC Championship. This year, Arizona has given up more than five runs in a game just once, and has held opponents to three runs or fewer in 12 of 19 games. In the Pac-10/12 era, the fewest runs allowed through 19 games came in 2011 when the Cats gave up 69 total runs. Arizona has allowed seven hits or fewer in 12 of 19 games to start the year, keeping the scoring opportunities at an absolute minimum.
Fewest Runs Allowed Through 19 Games Since 1950
Year Runs Allowed
1974 37
1969 46
1973 49
2018 56
1961 58
What a Start: Arizona pitching has set the tone for the season thus far. Arizona has a staff ERA of just 2.42 so far this season, allowing just 135 hits in 171 total innings. The Wildcats rank 10th in the country with their 2.42 ERA and fourth among Power 5 schools. Wildcat pitchers have combined to strike out 132, while allowing 71 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .222 against Arizona pitching with 35 extra-base hits in 19 games. It's been a collective effort for the Wildcats thus far with several different arms contributing to the early season success. Randy Labaut and Cody Deason lead the team with 31 2/3 innings. Labaut, who is 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA, has walked just four, compared to 19 strikeouts. Cody Deason, who has had the Friday night honors so far this season, has just a 1.42 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. Michael Flynn and Avery Weems have also logged 19 or more innings. Weems has a 2.97 ERA in 30 1/3 innings, while Flynn has a 2.79 ERA in 19 1/3 innings pitched.
National Team Leaders in ERA
School ERA
Stetson 1.89
Louisiana Tech 1.98
Ole Miss 2.11
East Carolina 2.15
Hofstra 2.19
Texas A&M 2.24
UCF 2.25
Stanford 2.33
College of Charleston 2.41
Arizona 2.42
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 .203 against Arizona pitching, combining to go 55 for 271 so far. Right-handed starters Cody Deason and Michael Flynn have been especially tough on lefties, allowing them to go just 14 for 94 for a .149 average. Another area where Arizona pitchers have excelled is with runners on base. Opposing hitters are just 60 for 274 with runners on for a .219 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 37 for 184 (.201) 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 36 for 169 (.213) in that situation.
Arizona Pitching By the Numbers
• 2.42 – Staff ERA, 2nd Best in Pac-12; 10th best in country
• .222 Batting Average Against
• 5 – Home Runs Allowed, tied fewest in Pac-12
• 56 – Total Runs Allowed, fewest by an Arizona team since 1974
• .201 – Batting Average Against with 2 outs
• .203 – Batting Average Against by left-handed hitting
• .213 – Batting Average Against with runners in scoring position
Dominant Deason: Through five starts, junior right-hander Cody Deason has looked a lot like a Friday night starter in the Pac-12 should look. Deason is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. He's given up just five earned runs on the season and has opposing batters hitting just .181 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 9 for 61 against him, and batters are just 4 for 31 against him with two outs, showing he knows how to shut down an inning. With runners on, Deason is limiting hitters to a .225 average, seeing hitters go 9 for 40. He's allowed just six extra-base hits in 31-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. He made his team-leading sixth start of the season Sunday against Washington and went a career-best 6 1/3 innings. 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 31 2/3 innings, which is tied for the most on the team, and has given up 27 hits and six earned runs. He's walked just four, compared to 19 strikeouts and has hitters batting .239 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 29 against him with two outs. The four 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.
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 .365 batting average. He's 19 for 52 and has reached base in all 17 games he's played in this season. He's been hit by a pitch six times total this year. Salazar already has five multi-hit games on the year, including two three-hit games, including Tuesday where he went 3 for 4 with a run scored
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.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballRHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballLHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballLHP
/ BaseballMonday, September 28
Friday, August 14
Wednesday, May 06
Wednesday, April 29
