Arizona Wildcats coach Jay Johnson demands that every game be treated with equal reverence. Each one is its own “Super Bowl.”
Per the prevailing parlance, Tuesday’s nonconference game against Arizona State was Super Bowl 28. It was simply the 28th game on the schedule, no more — or less — significant than any other.
It felt like something more.
In front of 4,644 fans — the largest crowd of the year at Hi Corbett Field — Arizona clubbed rival ASU 11-2. The Wildcats were frisky and fired up, celebrating home runs and standout defensive plays with extra zeal.
Junior first baseman JJ Matijevic hit a pair of home runs, including a two-run bomb in the fifth inning that caromed off the Block A that sits atop the “Intimidator” board in right-center field. Matijevic has three home runs in his past three games and a career-high five on the season. He matched his 2017 single-game high with five RBIs.
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“You just get that extra motivation playing those guys,” Matijevic said. “We had that today. We had a little pep in our step. It’s always fun to put up that many runs against them. It was a great night.”
Later in the fifth, fellow junior Cal Stevenson hit his first career homer as a Wildcat — a grand slam to right field. Stevenson sprinted around the bases before being mobbed by his teammates outside the first-base dugout.
But the biggest eruption occurred after second baseman Kyle Lewis’ web gem in the top of the third. Lewis made a sliding grab of Tyler Williams’ pop-up in foul territory behind first base. Lewis quickly sprung to his feet and fired the ball to the plate, nabbing Andrew Shaps to complete an inning-ending double play.
The Wildcats — including Johnson — reacted like concertgoers in a mosh pit, all but tackling Lewis as he returned to the dugout.
Arizona State (12-15) seemed to bring out the best in No. 10 Arizona (21-7). That wasn’t the case last year, when the Sun Devils won 3 of 5 against the Wildcats, including 2 of 3 at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats are unbeaten at home this year (17-0).
Last year’s results, combined with the natural tension of the rivalry, created an added layer of friction. Matijevic seemed displeased with the way ASU catcher Zach Cerbo crowded the plate as Matijevic scored on an errant throw in the bottom of the first.
In the top of the third, UA starter Cameron Ming exchanged words with Shaps while walking off the field. Ming had hit Shaps with the previous pitch.
In the bottom of the seventh, ASU reliever Reagan Todd hit Arizona’s Cesar Salazar. Plate umpire Darren Hyman warned both dugouts and tossed Sun Devils assistant coach Ben Greenspan.
Asked Sunday if there was anything special about facing ASU, Salazar channeled Johnson.
“All the games are special,” the sophomore said. “They all count the same. The ASU game on Tuesday is as special as today or yesterday or the game against GCU (Grand Canyon). That’s our mentality, and that’s why we’re successful.”
The action on the field Tuesday — and the reactions in the dugouts — told a different story.
Inside pitch
• New Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke attended Tuesday’s game and received a jersey from Johnson during a pregame ceremony. Heeke then shook hands with most of the team before exiting the field with top aide Erika Barnes. Heeke officially took over as AD on Saturday.
• The Wildcats’ defensive issues resurfaced, as they committed four errors. It was the fourth time this season that Arizona has had four or more in a game. The Wildcats haven’t made more than one error in any of their nine Pac-12 games.
• Matijevic’s two-homer performance marked Arizona’s first multi-homer game since Ryan Aguilar had two against Washington on March 19, 2016.
• UA football players Cam Denson, Nick Reinhardt and Levi Walton attended the game.
• Arizona resumes Pac-12 play with a three-game series at Washington State starting Friday. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. in Pullman.
