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Baseball Notes: Kaiser named Pac-10 pitcher of the week

MATT HEISTAND/Arizona Daily Wildcat

Sophomore Marc Kaiser releases a pitch Sunday in UA's 10-1 win over Arizona State at Sancet Field. Kaiser was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week yesterday.

By David Stevenson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday Mar. 27, 2002

UA sophomore pitcher Marc Kaiser earned Pacific 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after his performance Sunday.

Kaiser threw his second consecutive complete game, allowing one run on five hits, striking out three. It was his first career conference award and the first for UA since former Wildcat pitcher Ben Diggins won the same award after he struck out 13 in a complete game against Tulane in 2000.

It was Kaiser's second nine-inning game of the year, following a one-run, five-hit performance on March 17 against North Carolina-Wilmington.

Sophomore Sean Rierson is the usual Friday starter but has not won in his last three starts. Over that span, Rierson has allowed 16 runs on 27 hits with 13 walks, good for one loss and two no-decisions.

The last two solid outings by Kaiser have had head coach Andy Lopez contemplating moving him into the Friday role, something the pitcher said he wouldn't mind.

"I was the Friday guy last year, so I always consider myself the Friday guy," Kaiser said. "Every game has got to be important no matter how you look at it even though it's Sunday. I'm the number one guy every time I go out there."


Over the weekend, Arizona (20-10) committed 11 errors, one less than it was originally charged with, thanks to a scoring change.

ASU's Rod Allen was credited with a hit in the second inning that removed shortstop Brad Hassey's error. Hassey officially ended the game with one error and UA finished with only two on the day. On Saturday Arizona committed two and Friday the Wildcats had seven.

"It's just probably a lack of concentration. We're probably trying to do too many things at once instead of playing catch," Hassey said.

Freshman John Hardy, the normal starting third baseman, started Saturday's and Friday's games at second base, his first starts at the position all year. They resulted in him making four errors, two on each day.

In his UA career, Hassey has had to split time playing all over the infield and knows the challenge Hardy faces by having to switch positions.

"My first two years with the team, I played second and third base," Hassey said. "It's hard to play at second because it's a completely different angle when you are looking at home because it's from the right side of the infield instead of the left."


Wildcat pitchers gave up 16 combined runs on Friday and Saturday, the highest consecutive-game total this season in a series.

The low point for the pitching staff came in the bottom of the ninth inning of Friday's game when sophomore closer Brian Anderson could not close out a one-run victory. He was victimized by three errors, two on the same play, along with control problems.

Saturday, sophomore starter Joe Little yielded seven runs and 11 hits over 6 2/3 innings. Another UA pitcher also said he was off his game Saturday.

"There's going to be days when you don't have it all," said sophomore Chris Goodman. "I know that our pitchers are capable, but we were making bad pitches and leaving the ball up and out over the plate."

Goodman went 2 1/3 innings Saturday, giving up three runs and four hits.

"ASU was a very good contact club and when you put the ball in play, they can execute hit-and-runs and bunts, which is hard to defend," he said.

The UA pitching staff must regroup quickly, because it will take on Oregon State tomorrow. The early series start is because of Easter weekend.

"We will talk to (pitching coach Jeff) Morris and talk about the mistakes, like first-pitch balls," Goodman said. "Physically we can do it, but there's nothing you can do to work on the mental part."

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