Washington State (14-25, 2-10) vs. Arizona (21-23, 6-9)
April 20-22, 2000
Sancet Field
THE SERIES: Arizona (21-23, 6-9) returns home after back-to-back trips to
the Pacific Northwest to take on Washington State (14-25, 2-10). The
Cougars are on an eight-game losing streak and are last in the Pac-10.
Wildcat third baseman Erik Torres continued his hot hitting at Oregon State
last week. The junior has five home runs and three doubles in the Cats'
last five contests.
WILDCAT NOTES: The Cats' 10-5 victory at Oregon State marked the first
conference game since an April 5, 1997 shutout of California in which
Arizona pitchers did not give up an extra-base hit ... Arizona leads the
Pac-10 in hits (516) and triples (24) and is tied for first in the league
with 95 doubles ... The Cats ended Stanford right-hander Justin Wayne's
Pac-10 record-tying 16-game winning streak with an 8-5 victory in Palo Alto
March 24 ... Arizona is 16-25 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in
Baseball America's poll, including a 5-7 mark under Jerry Stitt ... Shelley
Duncan's consecutive-games played streak came to an end at 90 when he sat
out a contest at Stanford (3/26) with an elbow injury. Erik Torres had
played in 80 consecutive games before sitting out the Cats' March 10
contest with UC Santa Barbara ... The Cats' three wins over Tulane
(2/25-27) marked the first time the Green Wave had been swept in a series
since losing three vs. Indiana (2/28-3/2/97) ... Wildcat pinch-hitters are
23-for-69 (.333-3-16) this year after batting .191-0-4 with just nine hits
in 1999 ... Arizona's 23 runs at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2/16) were its
most in a single game since a 25-6 home victory over Portland State
(2/13/98) ... Ryan O'Donnell collected a pair of two-run pinch-hit singles
in the sixth inning of the Cats' 21-7 victory over San Francisco (1/29),
matching Arizona's entire pinch-hit RBI total from a year ago with four ...
The Cats scored 12 runs in the sixth inning of their Jan. 29 contest with
USF, the most for an Arizona team in one inning since posting 16 in the
seventh inning of a 40-10 victory over St. Francis in Tucson (2/22/95).
DREAM TEAM: Baseball America named its college dream team in its May 1
issue and Arizona was the only school represented by two players. Junior
Keoni DeRenne was listed as the starting shortstop, while sophomore
right-hander Ben Diggins was named the lone pitcher on the 10-person squad.
Five players on the team are from the Pac-10 and a sixth competes for a
Wildcat non-conference opponent.
TORRES' HISTORIC DAY: Junior third baseman Erik Torres became the first
Wildcat in 26 years to homer three times in one game at Washington (4/8).
He became the third Arizona player ever to do so, joining Dennis Haines (at
Texas-El Paso, 4/7/74) and Ron Hassey (vs. Weber State, 3/20/74) as the
only Cats to go deep three times in a single game. Torres' is the 99th
multi-homer game in Arizona history.
Torres entered the contest with just four home runs on the season and only
11 in his entire career. He had not started in the Cats' previous seven
contests. Torres doubled his career high of six total bases in the contest.
Arizona also matched its single-game home run record as a team in the
Washington game, going deep six times.
DIGGINS MOVES UP: Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins is the top-ranked
collegiate prospect for the 2000 major league draft according to Baseball
America. He moved up from his preseason ranking of No. 2 when he trailed
California third baseman Xavier Nady.
Diggins has also been named the midseason national Sophomore of the Year by
Baseball America. Teammate Shelley Duncan was also named to the magazine's
All-Sophomore team.
DIGGINS vs. NADY: Prior to the season, California junior third baseman
Xavier Nady and Arizona sophomore right-hander/designated hitter Ben
Diggins were rated the top two collegiate prospects for the 2000 Major
League Baseball Draft by Baseball America. Should Nady and Diggins be
chosen with the top two picks (which belong to the Florida Marlins and the
Minnesota Twins), it would mark just the eighth time that college players
have gone one-two in the draft.
Only once before have the top two picks in the draft met in the season in
which they were taken. In 1986, Arkansas' Jeff King was selected by the
Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas' Greg Swindell went second to the Cleveland
Indians. On March 21, 1986, Swindell pitched a complete game, two-hit
shutout, striking out 12, in an 8-0 victory over Arkansas in Austin. King
went 0-for-3 batting cleanup for the Hogs.
On March 17, Diggins threw a complete game in Arizona's 4-1 victory over
Cal in Tucson. He struck out seven while walking just one. Nady went
1-for-3 and drove in the Bears' only run when he was hit by a pitch with
the bases loaded.
DIGGINS ELIGIBLE FOR DRAFT: Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins is eligible
for the major league baseball draft following this season due to an
exception in MLB's rules. Ordinarily, players at four-year colleges are not
eligible for the draft until following their junior year. However, an
exception to the rule allows players who turn 21 within 45 days of the
draft to be eligible. Diggins turns 21 on June 13, less than two weeks
after the draft.
WILDCAT RECORDS: Erik Torres tied Arizona's single-game record for home
runs with six at Washington (4/8). In the same contest, the Cats tied their
school mark for homers in a single game with six. Both achievements are
Arizona records for a Pac-10 game ... Ben Diggins became the 10th pitcher
in Arizona history to strike out six consecutive batters vs. UC Santa
Barbara (3/12). He is the first Wildcat player to strike out the first six
batters he faced and the first reliever to fan six hitters in a row ...
Arizona's 15-12 loss vs. UCSB on March 11 lasted 4:05, tying the school
record for the longest nine-inning contest. The record was previously set
on April 26, 1981, when Stanford defeated the Cats, 21-13, in Tucson ...
Shelley Duncan has a school-record six career multiple-home run games ...
Arizona batters were hit by a school-record six pitches vs. Tulane (2/26)
... Shelley Duncan equaled UA's individual record for hit by pitches in a
game with three vs. Tulane (2/26) ... The Wildcats tied their single-game
school record for triples with five vs. New Mexico (2/5) ... Arizona
pitchers set a school record by hitting six batters in a single game vs.
San Francisco (1/30) ... Both Keoni DeRenne and Troy Gingrich tied Arizona
single-game records with two sacrifice flies vs. Saint Mary's (1/21) ...
Wildcat pitchers have thrown 64 wild pitches this season, just two shy of
the school season record of 66, set in 1994 ... Tony Milo has broken Ben
White's UA career record for home runs allowed, having given up 39 ...
Though it pains me to say, Arizona set school records for runs allowed
(32), earned runs allowed (25), total bases allowed (54) and largest margin
of defeat (29) at Arizona State (3/4) and also matched the UA record for
home runs allowed (7) in a single contest ... Causing me even more pain,
Arizona allowed a school-record 26 earned runs vs. California (3/18) and
broke the UA mark for most runs allowed in a Pac-10 series (51) in its
three games against the Bears (3/17-19). Arizona State scored 49 runs
against the Cats in Tucson, May 11-13, 1996. The Saturday and Sunday games,
26-6 and 24-14 losses, also marked the first time an Arizona team had
allowed 20 or more runs in consecutive games.
SHABANSKY RETURNS: Senior left-hander Rob Shabansky made his first start
since opening day, 1999, with three innings vs. Tulane on Feb. 27.
Shabansky allowed two runs on four hits while striking out two to earn the
victory.
DIGGINS' FIRSTS: Ben Diggins accomplished a pair of Arizona firsts in tying
a school record with six consecutive strike outs vs. Santa Barbara (3/12).
Though he is 10th Wildcat hurler to fan six straight batters, he is the
first to do so in a relief appearance. He also became the first UA pitcher
to strike out the first six hitters he faced.
HOT START: Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins is the 16th Wildcat pitcher
since 1960 to win his first seven decisions and is the first Arizona hurler
in 25 years to start a season 8-0.
The last UA pitchers to win at least his first nine decisions were Dave
Breuker and Mark Schimpf who started the 1974 campaign 15-0 and 13-0,
respectively.
Breuker and Don Lee share the Wildcat record for best start. Lee went 15-0
in 1956. Schimpf holds the Cats' record for consecutive victories overall,
having won 20 straight from 1973 -74.
Here are best starts since 1960:
Player Year Start Season
Dave Breuker 1974 15-0 15-1
Mark Schimpf 1974 13-0 13-1
Dan Schneider 1962 13-0 13-1
Robert O'Brien 1966 12-0 12-1
Leon Hooten 1969 9-0 11-3
Jim Ward 1960 9-0 13-1
DURAZO'S HIT STREAK: Junior first baseman Ernie Durazo's career-long
17-game hitting was snapped vs. Houston (3/14) when he went 0-for-4. In his
third at-bat, Durazo was robbed of double by a diving catch by left fielder
Tyson Schweitzer. His run was the longest by a Wildcat since Diego Rico hit
in 21 straight Feb. 2-March 8, 1997. Only three players, Willie Morales
(23), Rico and Robbie Moen (19), had longer hitting streaks in the 1990s
than Durazo, who has hit safely in 33 of his 36 starts this season.
STITT'S 100TH: Arizona's 5-2 victory over Saint Mary's (1/23) marked the
100th of head coach Jerry Stitt's career. In just his fourth season, Stitt
joins J.F. "Pop" McKale, Frank Sancet and Jerry Kindall as the only Arizona
coaches to reach the century mark in victories.
BEST TOOLS: Baseball America has announced its list of "Best Tools" in the
Pac-10, and three Wildcats were recognized. Junior Keoni DeRenne was named
the league's top defensive shortstop as well as its best base runner.
Senior center fielder Troy Gingrich was named the Pac-10's fastest runner.
And sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins has the best fastball in the
conference, according to BA. The magazine also names a preseason All-Pac-10
team to which Duncan was listed as an outfielder and Diggins as the utility
player.
DIGGINS RECOGNIZED: Sophomore right-hander/designated hitter Ben Diggins
earned both national player of the week honors from Collegiate Baseball and
Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week recognition for his work during the Tulane
series (2/25-27).
Diggins struck out a career-high 13 batters while throwing his second
consecutive complete game Friday (2/25) in Arizona's 4-3 win. He allowed
just two earned runs in becoming the first Wildcat pitcher since Ryan Frace
in 1995 to pitch back-to-back complete games. Saturday and Sunday, while
serving as the Cats' designated hitter, Diggins reached base nine times in
10 plate appearances. In the second game of the series (2/26), Diggins
homered twice and set career-highs in hits (4), RBI (5) and total bases
(10), leading UA to a 17-9 victory. For the week, Diggins compiled a 1.714
slugging percentage.
KNST-RADIO: KNST, AM-790, will carry 30 regular season games this season,
including each Pac-10 contest, plus all postseason action. The station has
served as UA's flagship station for 19 years. Sports director Brian
Jeffries and Ryan Radtke will handle the play-by-play duties.
DUNCAN SETS MARK: Sophomore right fielder Shelley Duncan posted
back-to-back two-home run games against Nevada (2/12-13), becoming the
first player in Arizona history to have more than four multi-homer games in
his career. Duncan has done so six times. He joined Colin Porter (vs. USC,
3/20-21/98) as the only Wildcats to homer twice in consecutive games.
Dennis Haines had a pair of multiple home run games in both 1972 and '74.
In 1993, George Arias had four two-homer games.
Duncan has 31 homers, leaving him just five shy of Kenny Corley's UA career
mark of 36.
DURAZO'S DEFENSE: Junior Ernie Durazo went 35 consecutive games without an
error before a throwing miscue vs. USF (1/29). That was the longest
error-free streak by a Wildcat first baseman since Arizona joined the
Pac-10 in 1979. Marc Wing went 34 straight contests in 1983 and '84 without
an error. Durazo accepted 291 straight chances without committing an error.
Here are the longest error-free game streaks by UA first basemen in the
last 22 years:
Player Year (s) Games
1. Ernie Durazo 1999-00 35
2. Marc Wing 1983-84 34
3. Todd Landry 1993 31
4. Billy Owens 1990 24
5. Jeff Gjerde 1995 23
SHABANSKY TOPS IN '90s: Senior left-hander Rob Shabansky was Arizona's
winningest pitcher in the 1990s, despite missing all of 1999 with an elbow
injury. Shabanksy's 15 wins edged out James Johnson's 12 victories. Here
are the Cats' winningest pitchers by decade:
Decade Pitcher Record
1950s Don Lee 36-7
1960s Rich Hinton 32-8
1970s Dave Breuker 29-10
1980s Ed Vosberg 29-19
1990s Rob Shabanksy 15-8
DRAFT PREVIEW: Sophomore right-hander/designated hitter Ben Diggins figured
prominently in Baseball America's 2000 preseason draft preview. Voted the
No. 2 prospect for the draft coming out of college this year (behind
California's Xavier Nady), Diggins was called the best two-way player and
the hardest thrower available. He was also listed as one of the best
athletes and one of the best power hitter possibly coming out of college
this year. Diggins moved up to the top spot among collegiate prospects in
BA's midseason update.
Junior shortstop Keoni DeRenne was rated the 75th-best draft prospect and
was named as one of the best defensive players. Sophomore right fielder
Shelley Duncan was listed as the sixth-best prospect available in the 2001
draft.
RED-SHIRTS/INJURIES: Sophomore left fielder Kenny Huff suffered a broken
nose on a foul ball at Washington (4/9). He played through in the injury at
Oregon State (4/14-16) and is available for action this weekend.
Sophomore right fielder Shelley Duncan, making his first career start on
the mound, left Arizona's March 25 game at Stanford after partially tearing
a ligament in his right elbow. He is unlikely to pitch again this season
but could return as a designated hitter as soon as the Cal State Northridge
series (4/28-30).
Sophomore catcher Chris Cunningham underwent surgery on a broken bone in
his right wrist on March 27. He is likely done for the season but could
return by the end of the year.
Sophomore left-hander Brian Pemble is out at least two another week with
inflamation in his left shoulder joint.
Sophomore right-hander Robert Schulz is out for the season with tendinitis
in his right arm.
Senior right-hander Dave Abbott will red-shirt the season following Tommy
John surgery last April 20. He plans to return for the 2001 campaign.
Junior right-hander Sam Shelton will miss the season as well. Junior
right-hander Ben Vigeland will red-shirt the year.
ALUMNI GAME: San Diego Padre Jake Thrower's bases loaded triple capped a
five-run first, leading the Alumni to a 7-6 victory in Arizona's annual
All-Pro Alumni Game (2/6).
The Alumni hold an 11-3-2 advantage in the series, which began in 1982.
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Curt Schilling served as the Alumni's
guest manager.
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Scott Erickson earned the win, allowing just
one unearned run. Florida Marlins southpaw Ryan Moskau picked up the save
with a perfect seventh inning. Freshman lefty Nathan Duarte took the loss
for the Cats. For Arizona, sophomore right fielder Shelley Duncan went
two-for-two including a home run.
The alumni won the pregame home run hitting contest, 11-9. Alan Zinter led
the way with six.
PRESEASON HONORS: Three Wildcats have earned a total of five preseason
All-America honors.
Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins was named a first-team All-American by
Baseball America. Sophomore right fielder Shelley Duncan earned second-team
honors from BA and third-team recognition from Collegiate Baseball. Both
Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association named junior shortstop Keoni DeRenne a second-team preseason
All-American.
TEAM USA '99: Junior Keoni DeRenne and sophomores Ben Diggins and Shelley
Duncan were all part of the 1999 USA Baseball national squad that posted a
24-15 overall mark.
DeRenne was the team's starting shortstop and hit .376 with a remarkable
.506 on-base percentage. He drew 32 walks while striking out just 12 times.
Diggins served as the team's closer, posting a 2.05 earned-run average in a
team-high 16 appearances. He allowed just 10 base hits in 22.0 innings
under Arizona pitching coach Bill Kinneberg, who filled the same capacity
for Team USA. Duncan saw limited action before joining the Jayhawk League.
SANCET FIELD: Frank Sancet Field is in its 34th season as the home park of
Arizona baseball. The Cats have an 855-367-3 (.699) all-time mark at Sancet
Field. UA has had just three losing records at Sancet. Arizona was 20-11 at
home last year. Sunday's game with Saint Mary's was the Cats' 1,200 at Sancet.
The spacious park is 360 feet down the foul lines, 380 to the power alleys
and 400 to center field. A 12-foot fence comes in to left and right center
before giving way to a six-foot fence across the center field area. New
chair-back seats were installed last season behind home plate.
DRAFTED CATS: Fourteen current Arizona players have been chosen a total of
17 times in the Major League Baseball Draft. Mike Meyer, Trevor Mote and
Rob Shabansky have been selected twice.
HEAD COACH JERRY STITT: Jerry Stitt leads the Cats in his fourth season as
head coach.
After three straight last-place finishes in the Pac-10 South, Stitt has led
the Cats to back-to-back-to-back winning seasons and a return to postseason
play thanks to improved pitching and defense and, under his direct
tutelage, the continued success of Wildcat hitters.
Arizona qualified for an NCAA regional last year for the first time since
1993. The year before, the Cats ranked among the nation's leaders in
doubles, triples, homers, runs scored and slugging percentage while
reaching as high as No. 2 in one national poll.
Stitt has posted an 118-93 (.559) mark in his three seasons at the helm of
the Cats, earning his 100th career win vs. Saint Mary's Jan. 23.
He follows J.F. Pop McKale, Frank Sancet and Jerry Kindall as the only
head coaches since 1922 and is only the 14th coach in the 93-year history
of Arizona baseball.
Stitt was an All-American at UA in 1968 as a senior and was drafted in the
32nd round by the Cleveland Indians. He played three years in the Tribe
organization before moving to coaching.He joined the Cats' coaching staff
in 1978 and had been its associate head coach since 1992.
EARLY SIGNEES: Collegiate Baseball preseason All-Americans Moises Duran and
Jake Whitesides lead a deep and talented group of 13 high school and junior
college players who have inked letters of intent during the early signing
period to attend Arizona and play baseball beginning in the fall of 2000.
Eleven high school seniors and two junior college sophomores comprise the
group, which includes nine pitchers.
This is as strong a recruiting class as we have had, Jerry Stitt, who is
entering his fourth year as Arizona's head coach, said. It rivals the
first class we signed in 1997, which was ranked fourth in the nation.
Our first need in the near future is pitching, and we met that need with a
great group of young arms. Brian Anderson is the top pitching prospect in
Tucson. Plus, the addition of Moises Duran, Stephen Hunt, Ryan Richardson
and Jake Whitesides solidify positions that were in need of filling.
Duran is beyond question the best player in Tucson. He has tremendous bat
speed. Whitesides is one of the best prospects to sign with this program in
a long time. He's a tremendous high school player, and he'll make a
tremendous college player. This is a great class.
Richardson is the younger brother of former Wildcat pitcher Jim Richardson
(1988-89). Right-hander Sean Rierson was a member of the Chapparal HS that
finished the year ranked 20th in Collegiate Baseball's national poll last
season and was listed among that publication's list of high school
underclassmen to watch. Whitesides was voted No. 70 on Baseball America's
list of the top 100 high school prospects for the 2000 draft.
ARIZONA VS. WSU: The Cats lead the all-time series, 9-2, including a
three-game sweep of the Cougars last season in Tucson in the first-ever
Pac-10 meeting between the schools. Jerry Stitt is 3-0 vs. Washington State
as a head coach.
LAST YEAR at WASHINGTON STATE
Date W/L Score WP LP Save
4/17 W 6-3 Pearce Meldahl None
4/17 W 16-11 Meyer O'Brien None
4/18 W 13-9 Diggins Parrish Milo
PITCHING PROBABLES vs. WASHINGTON STATE
Thursday (7 p.m.)
LHP Todd Meldahl (1-5, 5.86) vs. RHP Ben Diggins (8-2, 3.30)
Friday (7 p.m.)
LHP Matt O'Brien (6-3, 3.18) vs. LHP Tony Milo (3-6, 6.08)
Saturday (1 p.m.)
RHP Reggie Rivard (0-3, 8.38) vs. LHP Rob Shabansky (2-3, 8.20)
Probable Wildcat Lineup
No. Pos. Player Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
1. 2 CF Troy Gingrich (L) Sr. 5-10 180 Apache Junction, Ariz.
2. 11 SS Keoni DeRenne (B) Jr. 5-7 146 Honolulu, Hawaii
3. 33 DH Ben Diggins So. 6-6 230 Prescott Valley, Ariz.
4. 44 1B Ernie Durazo (L) Jr. 5-9 195 Tucson, Ariz.
5. 17 3B Erik Torres Jr. 6-0 175 Tucson, Ariz.
6. 12 RF Ryan O'Donnell (L) Jr. 6-0 180 Casa Grande, Ariz.
7. 22 LF Kenny Huff (L) So. 6-0 197 Phoenix, Ariz.
8. 25 3B Trevor Mote (B) Jr. 6-1 185 Kingman, Ariz.
9. 26 C Ken Riley Fr. 6-2 185 Sparks, Nev.
