Baseball team to test Milo in home finale

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore left-handed pitcher Tony Milo (23) throws the ball against Cal State Northridge in the first game of the season. Milo started the season off 7-0 but he has lost his last 5 games.

The Wildcats (31-21) come into the game after having taken two of three games at Arizona State over the weekend.

The Antelopes (24-22) are no stranger to Arizona, as they have been pounded, 17-0 and 13-2 earlier this year by the Wildcats.

UA head coach Jerry Stitt said he is only looking for one thing going into the game.

"Well, we're going to start (pitcher Tony) Milo to get him out there and see if he can get some outs and start putting together some good innings for us," Stitt said. "That's our main concern right now."

Milo was rocked for nine runs on seven hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings during Saturday's 16-13 loss to the Sun Devils.

He is now 7-5 on the year with a 6.97 ERA after starting out 7-0. Since moving into the rotation full-time to replace the injured Rob Shabansky, Milo has only won once, defeating UCLA in Tucson on March 14.

Both the Wildcats and Antelopes are fighting to make it to regionals. Grand Canyon is 12-12 in the Western Athletic Conference's North Division, one game up on Brigham Young. Arizona is 11-16 in the Pacific 10 Conference's Southern Division, putting it in fourth place.

Only once before have the Wildcats made it to regionals with a losing Six-Pac record, 13-17 in 1987.

Though the game doesn't count against the conference standings, the Wildcats know they need another big win to impress the selection committee if they want to keep playing.

"You don't want to look at any game differently than any other," UA right fielder Colin Porter said. "Then you let up and lose it. We need to just treat this game like any other and look for a win."

Porter, who hit two game-winning home runs against ASU, was named co-Six-Pac player of the week, sharing the honor with California's Xavier Nady. Porter was the third UA player to win the award this year, joining left fielder Jason Hendricks (twice) and designated hitter/pitcher Rob Shabansky.

Arizona will then hit the road to play its Six-Pac season-ending series at California starting Friday.