By
Brian Penso
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Arizona baseball team will attempt to halt a two-game slide when they play host to Long Beach State in a weekend series starting today at 2 p.m. at Sancet Field.
The Wildcats (5-4) will have their hands full with the Dirtbags (0-0), who come into Tucson as the No. 22 team in the nation.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series 8-6 and won two of three games against LBSU in 1994, the last year the two teams met.
LBSU will challenge the Wildcats with five returning starters and 17 lettermen from a year ago, including preseason All-American junior shortstop Bobby Crosby.
The Wildcats, though, have an All-American hopeful of their own in junior right fielder Shelley Duncan.
Duncan has had somewhat of a slow start, but he is riding a four-game hitting streak.
Besides Duncan, UA's offense has been stagnant as of late, but coaches are not worried about its production.
"I believe we will score a lot of runs this season," Arizona assistant coach Victor Solis said. "We are just not getting hits at the right time. We have too many good hitters not to get the job done."
UA players said they hope the team's offense will come alive against LBSU's junior starting pitcher Matt Paz (0-0), who led the Dirtbags with eight wins last season.
LBSU's pitching staff also includes the Big West's top closer, junior Josh Allison, who led the conference with 10 saves last season.
"We need to get better pitching and play better defense in the infield and outfield," Arizona head coach Jerry Stitt said. "We just need to get better."
Solis said that the young staff has done well, but the defense has let them down at times this season.
Players realize that Arizona's pitching staff is young, but they are confident they will help the Wildcats as the season progresses.
"It's hard as freshmen to compete and be consistent," UA sophomore second basemen Matt Abram said. "They won't have it every day, but we will keep bringing guys in to throw strikes. I think every day someone will be able to step up for us."
With the Wildcats in the midst of a losing streak, the team said they feel they need to get back on track before the beginning of Pacific 10 Conference play to keep Arizona's postseason hopes alive.
"It is going to take awhile, but I am proud of the way our team is playing," Abram said. "We have great hitters, and they will eventually come around. We are a good offensive team, and if we play defense we will be fine."
