AUSTIN, Texas. — The Arizona Wildcats (7-4) travel east for their first true road game of the season, a Tuesday night matchup against the Texas Longhorns (10-2) at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The Wildcats enter the midweek game after having gone 2-1 at the Arizona Tournament in Tucson with victories over Central Michigan and Rhode Island. Arizona's offense came alive over the weekend, scoring 35 runs over a three-game stretch.

A complete game preview is below.
 

Date	Time	Arizona Pitcher	Texas Pitcher
Tuesday, March 3	5:30 PM	RHP Dawson Netz (0-1, 2.70)	RHP Owen Meaney (0-0, 0.00)

Leading Off...

• The Wildcats on Tuesday will play their first true road game of the season against the Texas Longhorns. This will be the first meeting between the two programs since March 2005, and Arizona's first game in Austin, Texas since March 2003. Texas leads the all-time series between the two schools, 20-12.
• Picking up from where they left off last year, Arizona's offense has been potent in 2020. The Cats lead the Pac-12 in slugging percentage (.464), on-base percentage (.412), runs scored (87), RBI (82), doubles (27), and total bases (172).
• Arizona has scored at least one run in 105 straight games — it has not suffered a shutout loss since falling 1-0 at Washington on March 17, 2018. The Wildcats 105-game scoring streak is the longest active streak in the Pac-12.
• Through 11 games, the Wildcats pitching staff has posted a 11.64 K/9 rate, the 20th-best mark in the nation, the second-best mark in the Pac-12, and a significant increase from their 2019 mark of 7.52. They have struck out 10+ batters in 10 games this season, a feat they accomplished just 14 times in 2019.
• Sophomore outfielder Ryan Holgate and junior outfielder Donta Williams both sport lengthy on-base streaks dating back to last season. Williams has reached base safely in 20 straight games, while Holgate's streak currently sits at 17 games.
• Under head coach Jay Johnson (2016-current), the Wildcats have posted a record of 99-38 (.723) against non-conference opponents.

Game Coverage

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Live Stats: https://texassports.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
TV: Longhorn Network

CATS COACHES: Arizona head coach Jay Johnson returns to lead the Wildcats for his fifth season in 2020. Since being hired in June 2015, Johnson has led Arizona to a record of 160-95 (.627) with a Pac-12 Conference mark of 62-59 (.512). Coach Johnson is joined by first-year associate head coach Nate Yeskie, fifth-year assistant coach Dave Lawn, and fifth-year volunteer assistant coach Marc Wanaka. Yeskie, the only new addition to the Wildcats coaching staff, joined Arizona after spending the last 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Oregon State — he replaces Sergio Brown, who departed for Cal State Fullerton last summer. Coaches Johnson, Yeskie, and Lawn have combined to produce 15 conference Pitchers of the year, 12 Players of the Year, 11 Freshmen of the Year, and four Defensive Players of the Year. They have also combined for 20 NCAA Regional appearances, eight NCAA Super Regional berths, and six trips to the College World Series.

THE FRESH PRINCE OF WELLS-AIR: Sophomore catcher Austin Wells took the country by storm last season and summer, posting outstanding performances on a consistent basis and earning national recognition. After hitting .353 with 73 runs scored, 27 extra-base hits, 60 RBI, and more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) as a freshman last year, he was named Arizona's first-ever Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, earned consensus Freshman All-America honors from five national outlets, and was tabbed to the Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention squad. He was the only Arizona freshman (1976-current) to log 60+ runs and 60+ RBI in their debut season and set Arizona freshman records in runs scored, and on-base percentage (.462). Wells followed up his sterling freshman campaign with a strong summer in the Cape Cod League with the Y-D Red Sox, hitting .308 with 23 runs scored, 20 extra base hits, and 26 RBI to earn the circuit's Outstanding Pro Prospect Award. Since then, Wells has been honored as a Second-Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, and Baseball America, while the NCBWA placed him on their Third-Team Preseason All-America list. He continued his hot play with a torrid start to the 2020 season, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with four runs, five extra-base hits, and eight RBI over the opening weekend to earn his first career Pac-12 Player of the Week award.

D'YER MAK'ER: Junior catcher/utility player Matthew Dyer posted one of the best seasons at the plate in the country in 2019, and looks to build on it this season. After transferring from Oregon and sitting out the 2018 season, Dyer took the field for the Cats in 2019 and hit .393 with 46 runs scored, 18 extra-base hits, 28 RBI, and a .480 on-base percentage. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention team and earned inclusion on the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award watch list. Dyer's .393 batting average last year was the second-best mark on the team and the third-best mark in the Pac-12, while his .480 on-base percentage checked in at fourth in the conference. The highlight of his season was a 20-game hit streak that lasted from March 25 – May 4. Dyer was one of only 19 Division I players to log a 20+ game hit streak in 2019. Heading into the season, Dyer was named a First-Team Preseason All-American at designated hitter by the NCBWA.

DOONEY TUNES: Sophomore infielder/first baseman Dayton Dooney is one of seven Wildcats position players with at least 20 starts in 2019 to return to the Arizona lineup. In his debut year with the Cats last season, Dooney hit .323 with 43 runs scored, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and 53 RBI. His .596 slugging percentage was the 10th best mark among all Division I freshmen in 2019. Dooney swatted double-digit home runs in his first crack at collegiate baseball, making him the first Arizona freshman to hit 10+ home runs since Brad Glenn accomplished the feat in 2006. After his standout 2019 season, Dooney earned Freshman All-America recognitions from Collegiate Baseball, the NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, and Baseball America.