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File Photo
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Junior Sean Rierson went 7-5 last season with an ERA of 4.69. Rierson started 17 games last season as the Wildcats finished 31-24.
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By David Stevenson
For the second straight season the Arizona baseball team has retooled its roster. But instead of a new coach, this year, Arizona overhauled its players.
Last year, head coach Andy Lopez, who inherited the entire Wildcat roster filled by his predecessor Jerry Stitt, led UA to 31-24 overall record and posting a 9-15 finish in the Pacific-10 Conference. In his second go-round, Lopez will have 24 new players on the roster. The new players have caused Lopez to juggle the starting positions leaving a few unanswered questions.
Historically, Lopez's second year with a program has seen improvement. Dominguez Hills, Lopez won 10 more games than in his first year. At Florida in 1996, also his second year, the Gators won 18 more games.
Schedule
Day Date Opponent
Thu 01/30/2003 BYU
Fri 01/31/2003 BYU
Sat 02/01/2003 BYU
Fri 02/07/2003 Baylor
Sat 02/08/2003 Baylor
Sun 02/09/2003 Baylor
Fri 02/14/2003 @UC Irvine
Sat 02/15/2003 @UC Irvine
Sun 02/16/2003 @UC Irvine
Fri 02/21/2003 Minnesota
Sat 02/22/2003 Minnesota
Sun 02/23/2003 Minnesota
Mon 02/24/2003 Oklahoma St.
Fri 02/28/2003 Texas A&M
Sat 03/01/2003 Texas A&M
Sun 03/02/2003 Texas A&M
Fri 03/07/2003 @Texas
Sat 03/08/2003 @Texas
Sun 03/09/2003 @Texas
Tue 03/11/2003 Portland
Wed 03/12/2003 Portland
Thu 03/13/2003 Wagner
Fri 03/14/2003 Wagner
Sat 03/15/2003 Wagner
Tue 03/18/2003 @NewMexico
Wed 03/19/2003 New Mexico
Fri 03/21/2003 USC
Sat 03/22/2003 USC
Sun 03/23/2003 USC
Fri 03/28/2003 @UCLA
Sat 03/29/2003 @UCLA
Sun 03/30/2003 @UCLA
Fri 04/04/2003 Miami Ohio
Sat 04/05/2003 Miami Ohio
Sun 04/06/2003 Miami Ohio
Fri 04/11/2003 Washington
Sat 04/12/2003 Washington
Sun 04/13/2003 Washington
Mon 04/14/2003 Sacramento St.
Thu 04/17/2003 @Washington St.
Fri 04/18/2003 @Washington St.
Sat 04/19/2003 @Washington St.
Tue 04/22/2003 @Grand Canyon
Fri 04/25/2003 @Stanford
Sat 04/26/2003 @Stanford
Sun 04/27/2003 @Stanford
Mon 04/28/2003 @Sacramento St.
Fri 05/02/2003 California
Sat 05/03/2003 California
Sun 05/04/2003 California
Sat 05/17/2003 Oregon St.
Sun 05/18/2003 Oregon St.
Mon 05/19/2003 Oregon St.
Fri 05/23/2003 @Arizona St.
Sat 05/24/2003 @Arizona St.
Sun 05/25/2003 @Arizona St.
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"I've had a lot of second years, and I've gone down this road before," said Lopez, who is in his 27th year of coaching. "There's some real exciting things I think that will happen this year and there will be some times where we will look very young."
UA returns five starters that peg freshmen Trevor Crowe and Brad Boyer as the leading candidates to play second and center field respectively. Of the 24 newcomers six are sophomores and 15 are freshmen.
"With the exception of (the returnees), everyone else is brand new," Lopez said. "We're talking not red shirt freshmen but flat out if they're shaving."
The roster lost four seniors to graduation. The biggest loss is leadoff hitter Brad Hassey who started all 55 games at shortstop and led the team with 15 steals. This year, Arizona doesn't have an automatic threat on the base paths according to Lopez, giving him a slew of new choices with the likes of Boyer, Crowe, freshman Nick Hundley and sophomores Moises Duran and John Hardy, Lopez said.
Junior starting pitchers Sean Rierson and Joe Little lead a revamped staff but are fighting each other to become the regular Friday starter. Rierson (7-5, 4.69 ERA last season) held the ace position for two straight years but Lopez said Little's strong performance in workouts have left the slot open between the two.
Third starter Richie Gardner and closer Mark Worrell are both new pitching additions. Along with Rierson and Little, experienced seniors Brian Pemble and Wes Zlotoff, plus juniors Chris Goodman and Scott Burns, will have to tutor the rest of the new relief corps.
"You have to get the new guys used to the program quickly so they can help things flow more smoothly," Pemble said. "Once everyone is on the same page, that's when things click and we're getting close."
Another big question Lopez must answer regards the middle of his lineup. Everyday three-hole hitter Brian Anderson may miss the first two weeks of the season to recover from wrist surgery. The junior also underwent shoulder surgery earlier in the fall.
Lopez is also undecided at the moment as to who the fourth hitter will be. Last season's cleanup hitter Chris Cunningham hit 13 home runs and posted a .566 slugging percentage. Lopez said freshman Dallas Haught may get the chance to fill hole once he is healed from an off-season injury.
Despite the glaring decisions, Lopez said the Wildcats would be ready for their opener. In the fall, Arizona crammed 14 inter-sqaud scrimmages in a three-week period in October that allowed players in their first season to adapt well to the routine practices.
"It hasn't been too bad because it's taken a couple days to adjust. A lot the older guys have shown us how to work hard and be a leader out there on the field," Boyer said.
