The Arizona Wildcats will open their 2010 season tonight against Utah Valley with newcomers at shortstop, third base, left field, center field and catcher, and a pitching staff that's - to be kind - a work in progress.
Thank goodness for Steve Selsky.
The UA sophomore will hit third in the lineup and play right field in the opening series and, if coach Andy Lopez has his way, indefinitely.
"Put him in the three-hole and at right field or maybe center field, and it's, 'See ya in late-May,'" Lopez said. "He's a key guy. He fits everything we want - he's a great student, has great leadership skills and he always gives you an honest effort. I really, really like Steve Selsky in this program. When he's walking around the field, I feel better."
Selsky forced his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman, hitting .318 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Selsky's season was shortened by an illness; he played in 48 of the team's 55 games, starting 39 of them.
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Solidly built at 6 feet 1 inch and 205 pounds, Selsky has the physical gifts and mental approach to develop into a pro-caliber player.
Here are four things you need to know about Selsky:
1. He has good genes. Selsky's father, Steve, played baseball in the Dodgers and White Sox organizations. His mother, Lou Ann, competed in the 1976 Olympics as a volleyball player.
All four Selsky siblings - Stesha, Shana, Steve and his twin sister, Sam - grew up playing indoor and beach volleyball. Stesha played collegiately at Michigan, while Sam plays for Santa Clara.
Steve played football, too, but gave up the sport as a junior at Los Angeles Loyola High School to focus on baseball. He chose Arizona over offers from Cal State-Fullerton, Fresno State, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, San Diego and UC-Irvine.
2. He can hit - when he's not missing. Lopez said Selsky is one of the team's best pure hitters, a right-hander with raw ability and superb bat control.
Selsky put on a display at a practice last week, roping balls to all fields and putting a half-dozen batting-practice fastballs onto Sixth Street. One moonshot landed between the batter's eye in center field and a tree in left-center field, bouncing off the adjacent Jimenez Practice Facility.
Selsky is dangerous - when he's making contact. He struck out 51 times last season, second-most on the team, while taking just 14 walks.
"I can improve by not striking out as much," he said. "That's my primary thing right now - if you're a tough out, it's a lot more difficult on the other team. I want to be that guy where you say as a pitcher, 'I have to be careful with him.'"
3. He can throw. Selsky led Arizona's outfielders with five assists as a freshman; coaches are expecting more this season.
"Let's put it this way: When there's a ball hit his way, and there's a chance to throw a guy out at third or home, I'm surprised when we don't get him," Lopez said.
4. He won't be around forever. Selsky is a 20-year-old sophomore, making him eligible for this summer's amateur draft. A good season could put him in line for a spot in the top five rounds.
Not that Selsky's paying attention.
"I'm not thinking about it because only bad things can come of that," he said. "I'm going to do the same things I would have done if I wasn't (draft-eligible)."
Lopez calls Selsky's situation - and his blossoming skills - "a big Catch-22" for the program. Still, the coach concedes it's a good problem to have.
"With the group we have, I hope he has the kind of year that could get him in the first five rounds, but there's a part of me that would like to have him for another year," Lopez said. "I really don't think he has to do anything out of the norm to be successful; he just has to continue to progress."
SEASON-OPENING SERIES
Utah Valley at Arizona
• Today: 6 p.m.
• Saturday: 6 p.m.
• Sunday: Noon
