Chris Coduto/Arizona Daily Wildcat Former Arizona third baseman Bryan Kervin holds his mouth after being hit by the ball during Arizona's game against Southern California April 30 at Sancet Stadium. Kervin transferred in the offseason to Texas Christian, saying he wished to be closer to his family in Grapevine, Texas.

Former third baseman wants to be closer to home, no bitterness, he says

And one more for the road.

As if losing seven starting Arizona baseball players to last June's Major League Baseball draft wasn't enough, sophomore third baseman Bryan Kervin made it an even eight when he made the transfer to Texas Christian.

Kervin, slated to play shortstop for the Horned Frogs, finished fourth in batting on the Arizona baseball team with a .342 average last season. He trailed only three players - Pacific 10 Conference co-Player of the Year and first-round pick Trevor Crowe, catcher Nick Hundley, a second round selection, and two-time all-Pac-10 selection Jeff Van Houten - on the UA hitting charts.

A native of Grapevine, Texas, Kervin said he decided to transfer in part to be closer to home.

"I just felt like it was something I needed to do," he said. "It was more of a personal decision. I just felt like I wanted to come back to Texas.

"My transfer was not because of anything within baseball, because I got along good with the players. Obviously coach Lopez is a top college coach and he's first class. It's not anything because of baseball."

Arizona head coach Andy Lopez said he still has a good relationship with Kervin.

"The assistant coach at TCU played for me at Florida for four years - Matt Siegel - so we're very close to that program," Lopez said. "There was no animosity or anything whatsoever.

"The one thing I learned a long time ago is you can't really concern yourself with the guys that aren't here," Lopez said. "They're not here, whether you cry about it or not. So you spend all your time and energy with the guys that are here."

Lopez said he will look to junior college transfer Colt Sedbrook to start at third. Sedbrook, a sophomore, hit .303 with three home runs, 30 RBI and seven doubles in his freshman campaign at Dixie State College in Utah.

"I'm really happy with him," Lopez said. "He's really, really been a good player for us this year in the fall. If you looked at the numbers, you'd say it might work out pretty good."

Senior second baseman Brad Boyer, a 14th-round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners who started all 60 games last season for the Wildcats, and junior shortstop Jason Donald, who started 59 of 60 games at shortstop, are the only two regular starting position players returning for the Wildcats this season. Boyer decided to return to the Wildcats rather than heading to the ranks of the minor leagues.

Senior Derek Decater, who hit .320 last season, and junior Bill Rhinehart, who hit .279, split time as the Wildcats' designated hitter last year. Both are expected to earn spots in the field this season.