#3 Arizona State (40-12, 15-6) vs. Arizona (25-28, 7-14)
Sancet Field
May 19-21, 2000
THE SERIES: Arizona (25-28, 7-14) concludes its regular season with a
three-game series against third-ranked Arizona State. The Sun Devils
(40-12, 15-6) are in a three-way battle for the Pac-10 title, tied with
Stanford in second just a game behind UCLA (16-5 in league play). ASU leads
the nation in scoring, averaging 11 runs a contest. The Devils will host an
NCAA Regional May 26-28.
WILDCAT NOTES: When three UCLA pitchers combined on a one-hitter against
Arizona (5/14), it marked the first time since March 17, 1991, that the
Cats had been held to a single base hit. Jeff Granger of Texas A&M topped
UA, 6-2, in College Station in that game. Arizona had been one-hit just
once in Pac-10 play in a 3-2 loss vs. Arizona State (4/9/83) ... Seven
players equaled or surpassed their season highs in hits in the Cats' 21-3
victory over Washington State (4/22) ... 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 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 ...
Shelley Duncan's consecutive-games played streak came to an end at 90 when
he sat out a contest at Stanford (3/26) with a sore right elbow. 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
25-for-80 (.313-4-20) 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 of a 40-10 victory over St. Francis in Tucson (2/22/95).
10-10 MAN: Sophomore right-hander/designated hitter Ben Diggins is
attempting to become the first player in Arizona history, and just the
second ever in the Pac-10, to post double digit totals in home runs and
wins. In 1988, Washington State's John Olerud hit 23 home runs while
earning 15 victories.
Last season, Diggins became the seventh Wildcat to collect at least five
homers and five victories and this season he became the first to accomplish
the feat twice. Going in to the last weekend, Diggins has nine wins and
home runs.
Here's a list of Arizona's 5-5 players:
Player Year HR Wins
Carl Thomas 1954 5 12
John Fouse 1965 7 12
Steve Powers 1976 6 11
Ed Vosberg 1983 6 10
Frank Halcovich 1988 12 7
Troy Bradford 1990 5 7
Ben Diggins 1999 5 5
Ben Diggins 2000 9 9
DIGGINS NAMED ALL-AMERICAN: Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins has become
the first Wildcat to earn first-team All-America honors in seven years.
Baseball Weekly has named him to its first-team squad as its utility
player. George Arias (Collegiate Baseball, The Sporting News) and Robbie
Moen (The Sporting News) in 1993 were the last UA players so honored.
Diggins has also been voted one of 12 semifinalists for the Smith Award,
recognizing the nation's top collegiate player. Diggins joins Jason
Hendricks (1998) as the only Arizona players to reach the semifinal round
of that award.
HUFF'S CYCLE: Sophomore left fielder Kenny Huff became the 10th player in
Arizona history to hit for the cycle in the Cats' 21-3 home victory over
Washington State (4/22). Huff tripled in the first, singled in the second,
homered in the sixth, singled again in the seventh and doubled in his final
plate appearance in the eighth. For the day Huff went 5-for-6 with two runs
scored and four driven in.
Huff is the first Wildcat to hit for the cycle since Menno Wickey did so
vs. Hawaii-Hilo on Feb. 19, 1995. He is the first UA batter and only the
fifth player ever to hit for the cycle in a Pac-10 contest.
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.
DeRENNE'S STREAK ENDS: Junior shortstop Keoni DeRenne's consecutive games
played streak came to an end at 157 when he was forced to miss the Cats'
April 21 game vs. Washington State. DeRenne pulled a hamstring on an
awkward throw to first the previous day, causing him to leave the contest.
His streak is the fifth longest in school history. DeRenne was on pace to
join Chip Hale (1984-87) as the only Wildcats to have played in every game
of his career.
Here's a list of the longest consecutive games played streaks in Arizona
history:
Player Years Games
1. Chip Hale 1984-87 255
2. John Tejcek 1990-93 202
3. Gar Millay 1984-86 197
4. Robbie Moen 1990-93 183
5. Keoni DeRenne 1998-00 157
Earlier this season, two other lengthy consecutive games played streaks
came to an end for the Cats. Right fielder Shelley Duncan had played in 90
straight contests before sitting out a game at Stanford (3/26) with a sore
elbow. Third baseman Erik Torres' 80-game streak ended when he did not
appear in a home game with UC Santa Barbara (3/10).
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 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 three 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. Tony Milo then became the 11th Wildcat to do so at UCLA (5/15) ...
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 a school-record 72 wild pitches this season,
breaking the 1994 mark of 66 ... Tony Milo has broken Ben White's career
record for home runs allowed, having given up 44 ... 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.
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' 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
RED-SHIRTS/INJURIES: 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 out for the
season.
Sophomore catcher Chris Cunningham underwent surgery on a broken bone in
his right wrist on March 27. He could return this weekend.
Sophomore left-hander Brian Pemble is likely out for the year 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.
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 859-369-3 (.699) all-time mark at Sancet
Field. UA has had just three losing records at Sancet. Arizona is 19-15 at
home this year, assuring it of another winning mark at Sancet. The Cats'
Jan. 23 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 (a total 1,241) were installed last season behind home
plate. Capacity for the stadium is listed at 6,500.
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 122-98 (.555) 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.
1999-2000 SIGNEES: Collegiate Baseball preseason All-Americans Moises Duran
and Jake Whitesides lead a deep and talented group of 14 high school and
junior college players who have inked letters of intent to attend Arizona
and play baseball beginning in the fall of 2000.
Twelve high school seniors and two junior college sophomores comprise the
group, which includes 10 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.
The Cats added their final recruit, Catalina Foothills right-hander Kevin
Rupprecht, in the spring signing period. Rupprecht is a fastball/slider
pitcher who also served as the designated hitter and cleanup batter for the
state's top-ranked 4A school.
ARIZONA VS. ASU: The Sun Devils lead the all-time series, 154-131, since
1950. Arizona is 8-13 vs. Arizona State under head coach Jerry Stitt,
including a 2-7 mark in Tucson. ASU swept the Cats earlier this season in a
non-conference series in Tempe.
EARLIER THIS YEAR at ASU
Date W/L Score WP LP Save
3/3 L 7-9 Field Milo None
3/4 L 3-32 Pennington Pemble None
3/5 L 8-14 Waldrip Shabansky None
PITCHING PROBABLES vs. ASU
Friday (7 p.m.)
LHP Jon Switzer (10-1, 3.10) vs. RHP Ben Diggins (9-4, 3.52)
Saturday (7 p.m.)
TBA vs. LHP Rob Shabansky (3-5, 9.30)
Sunday (1 p.m.)
RHP Jered Liebeck (2-1, 3.50) vs. LHP Tony Milo (5-6, 5.63)
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.
