Before the season began, the Arizona Wildcats had a relatively simple goal: Make the last Pac-12 series of the year against powerhouse UCLA matter.
One way or the other, the Wildcats wanted to make sure there was something on the line when they traveled to Los Angeles.
Well, the Cats boarded a plane for Southern California on Thursday without meeting their goal.
The UA will open its three-game series with No. 2 UCLA on Friday night with nothing to play for other than pride. At 28-20 overall and 12-15 in Pac-12 play, coach Andy Lopez knows his team is missing out on the postseason for a third straight year.
With that fact in mind, Lopez did something this week he detests doing during the season; he looked ahead to next year.
“The key for us will be: Do we beat the draft on the mound?” Lopez said this week. “We haven’t beat the draft on the mound the last two years and it’s evident. We have to beat the draft on the mound.”
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Arizona’s struggles the past two seasons have all gone back to pitching.
Staff cogs Mat Troupe and Tyler Crawford suffered injuries, and the Wildcats missed out on key pitching recruits.
Still, Lopez said there is a chance this year’s entire staff returns.
Bobby Dalbec, who moved into the rotation last month, will likely be the Friday night starter in 2016, Lopez said. Cody Hamlin and Nathan Bannister, who round out the rotation now, could also be back.
Both are juniors and are not projected to be high draft picks. The same can be said for closer Tyger Talley.
“I’d be real disappointed if they weren’t here next year,” Lopez said of the three juniors. “I was real happy when James Farris came back (in 2014). I think there used to be a stigma if you were a senior (signee). That’s gone now with the new collective bargaining (agreement). That doesn’t exist anymore. It’s OK to be a senior (signee) now, so, again, we have to beat the draft.”
The UA also has a couple of prized pitching recruits they hope will opt for college over professional baseball. Salpointe Catholic standout Jio Orozco and Sahuaro’s Javier Medina headline that list.
Lopez’s hope is the pitching staff, which has been considerably stronger since Dalbec and Bannister moved into the rotation with Hamlin, will continue to get better.
“To be an elite team, you have to pitch every game,” Lopez said. “You can’t just pitch for spots at a time. You have to be consistent all year, because you know the offense is going to go away at points.”
Lopez is also excited about his team’s offensive potential in 2016 even though shortstop Kevin Newman, second baseman Scott Kingery and catcher Riley Moore will all depart.
The veteran coach is counting on Dalbec, who leads the Pac-12 with 14 home runs, and first baseman J.J. Matijevic to provide premier power in the middle of the lineup. Matijevic, a freshman, ranks third on the team in doubles (13) and home runs (three).
Center fielder Justin Behnke will likely move from the No. 9 spot to the leadoff position; fellow outfielders Jared Oliva and Zach Gibbons should also be back.
“The future is very bright in terms of the three and four hole with Bobby Dalbec and J.J.,” Lopez said. “Justin Behnke could be a dominant leadoff hitter as well. We’re going to miss those two kids up the middle, how could you not? But I really think the key will be beating the draft on the mound, because we will have some offensive pieces.”
Whatever happens in the draft, Lopez knows he’ll have Dalbec on Friday nights and as a hitter, and Matijevic, who will play in the Cape Cod League this summer, in the middle of the lineup.
That’s a good start.
“You can’t really look ahead to next year yet because we still have some games left, but we definitely talk about next year and continuing to get better,” Matijevic said of he and Dalbec. “I’ve been joking with him in batting practice telling him he’s going to have some competition next year in the home run department.”
