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By Chris Jackson
Arizona Daily Wildcat January 15, 1998
Ready for Battle
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Brian D. Rothschild The baseball team meets for a postgame discussion after an inter-squad game Tuesday at Hi Corbett Annex Field. The Wildcats are ranked 24th in the country by Baseball America magazine, but must face four other Pac-10 teams ranked higher in the polls. |
The Arizona baseball team is predicted to have its best season in six years
but may finish no higher than fifth place, again.
The Wildcats begin the season as the 24th-best team in the nation according to Baseball America magazine.
Six of the team's starters are back, as are 10 of the team's 12 pitchers, including the entire starting rotation.
Yet finishing higher than fifth in the Pacific 10 Conference's Southern Division may prove to be difficult.
Even with all the positive factors in the Wildcats' favor, a glaring set of numbers are staring them in the face.
Charles C. Labenz UA catcher Greg Clark (28) poses a little out of the ordinary for the team photo yesterday in front of Old Main. |
Namely the better national rankings belonging to four of the other teams in their six-team division: Stanford holds the top position in the country, Southern Cal is No. 5, Arizona State is the sixth-best team and UCLA rounds out the group at No. 18.
"It's pretty normal for this conference. Whether we're ranked ahead of them or they're ranked ahead of us shouldn't make any difference," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said.
Stitt added that opponents' rankings should not matter once the game begins.
"We pound it into their heads that you don't play the opponent, you play the game," he said.
Last season, Stitt, in his first year as head coach, guided the Wildcats to a 32-26 overall record. It was UA's first winning mark since 1993.
The Wildcats rounded out the campaign at 13-17 in the Six-Pac for a fifth-place finish. Pac-10 coaches picked Arizona to finish fourth this season, ahead of UCLA and California, while trailing Southern Cal, Arizona State and Stanford.
"It's like that every year," UA senior first baseman Kenny Corley said. "The Six-Pac is an incredible baseball division. It's a battle to get into NCAA's, but we think we can do it (this year)."
Corley is one of the six starters returning. He hit .332 with a team-high 12 home runs and 55 RBI last season.
Joining Corley in the infield is senior Erik Mattern (.348 average, 4 homers, 30 RBI in 1997) at second base, junior Omar Moraga (.290, 3, 27) at third base and freshman Keoni DeRenne at shortstop.
DeRenne said he is not intimidated when it comes to facing powerhouses like Stanford.
"We kind of feed off it," he said. "I look forward to it, personally."
Corley said "errors are going to be a big surprise this year" with DeRenne joining the infield mix.
The starting outfield has yet to be set in stone, Stitt said.
As of right now, seniors Colin Porter (.318, 6, 37, 29 stolen bases) and Jason Hendricks (.257, 4, 37) will be in the corners, with sophomore Rafell Jones the leading candidate to take over in center for departed senior Diego Rico.
Rico's lead-off role has yet to be determined. Stitt said both Jones and junior Russ Brown, the leading designated hitter candidate, are at the top of the list, as is the speedy Porter.
"We might not know (who will hit lead-off) until Six-Pac play," Stitt said.
The last spot in the starting lineup is set with yet another returning player.
Junior catcher Greg Clark (.276, 1, 23) came back to Tucson after playing in a collegiate league last summer in Anchorage, Ala.
"I got so much from Anchorage," Clark said, noting improvements in both his defense and offense.
Clark's biggest task is keeping the pitchers in the game - something he said requires working with a different approach for each pitcher.
"You have to know what buttons to push," Clark said. "Some (pitchers) you have to yell at, some you have to pamper. There are so many different personalities. The best thing you can do is to get to know them off the field. That way you know how to treat each of them."
Clark follows Stitt's philosophy in regards to playing the other ranked teams in the Six-Pac.
"You just play the same way with everybody," he said. "The more consistent you are, the more chances you have to win."
Returning on the mound for UA will be juniors Darrell Hussman (4 wins, 8 losses, 5.60 ERA), James Johnson (4-6, 5.18) and Rob Shabansky (8-6, 3.86).
Associate head coach Bill Kinneberg said the top priority for the veteran pitchers over the offseason was strength-building. He said Johnson and Shabansky will both be using a refined change-up pitch this season.
As for Hussman, Kinneberg said they are just trying to "build him up and get him healthy."
Despite some tough losses last year, including four to Stanford, Hussman feels no pressure going into his third season at UA.
"Freshman year I got my feet wet," he said. "Sophomore year I was up to my waist. This year I'm ready to dive in."
Hussman said there is no different preparation for playing the bigger teams in the Six-Pac, though there is a bit of a different feeling.
"You're going to feel it a little. It's like, 'ooo, Stanford,' at first, but you get over it pretty fast," Hussman said. "You just pitch from game to game."
Corley said the team's goal this season is to make the NCAA Tournament, and from there, the College World Series.
"But right now I'm focusing on opening day," he said.
The Wildcats open their season Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Frank Sancet Field against Cal State-Northridge.
1998 Arizona Baseball Schedule
Date Opponent Site Time January 20 Cal State-Northridge Tucson 3 p.m. 21 Cal State-Northridge Tucson 3 p.m. 23 San Diego Tucson 3 p.m. 24 San Diego Tucson 1 p.m. 25 San Diego Tucson 1 p.m. 30 New Mexico Tucson 3 p.m. 31 New Mexico Tucson 1 p.m. February 1 New Mexico Tucson 1 p.m. 5 Baylor Tucson 3 p.m. 6 Baylor Tucson 3 p.m. 7 Baylor Tucson 1 p.m. 8 All-Pro Alumni Game Tucson 1 p.m. 10 New Mexico State Tucson 3 p.m. 11 New Mexico State Tucson 3 p.m. 13 Portland State Tucson 3 p.m. 14 Portland State Tucson 1 p.m. 15 Portland State Tucson 1 p.m. 20 Southern California* Los Angeles, Calif. 7 p.m. 21 Southern California* Los Angeles, Calif. 1 p.m. 22 Southern California* Los Angeles, Calif. 1 p.m. 24 Southern Utah Tucson 3 p.m. 25 Southern Utah Tucson 3 p.m. 27 California* Tucson 3 p.m. 28 California* Tucson 1 p.m. March 1 California* Tucson 1 p.m. 6 Stanford* Palo Alto, Calif. 7 p.m. 7 Stanford* Palo Alto, Calif. 1 p.m. 8 Stanford* Palo Alto, Calif. 1 p.m. 13 UCLA* Tucson 7 p.m. 14 UCLA* Tucson 1 p.m. 15 UCLA* Tucson 1 p.m. 17 UNLV Las Vegas, Nev. 7 p.m. 18 UNLV Las Vegas, Nev. 2:30 p.m. 20 Southern California* Tucson 7 p.m. 21 Southern California* Tucson 1 p.m. 22 Southern California* Tucson 1 p.m. 27 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 2:30 p.m. 28 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 1 p.m. 29 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 1 p.m. April 3 Arizona State* Tucson 7 p.m. 4 Arizona State* Tucson 7 p.m. 5 Arizona State* Tucson 1 p.m. 7 Grand Canyon Tucson 7 p.m. 9 UCLA* Los Angeles, Calif. 6 p.m. 10 UCLA* Los Angeles, Calif. 7 p.m. 11 UCLA* Los Angeles, Calif. 1 p.m. 14 Grand Canyon Phoenix 7 p.m. 17 Stanford* Tucson 7 p.m. 18 Stanford* Tucson 7 p.m. 19 Stanford* Tucson 1 p.m. 24 Arizona State* Tempe 7 p.m. 25 Arizona State* Tempe 7 p.m. 26 Arizona State* Tempe 1 p.m. 28 Grand Canyon Tucson 7 p.m. May 1 California* Berkeley, Calif. 2:30 p.m. 2 California* Berkeley, Calif. 1 p.m. 3 California* Berkeley, Calif. 1 p.m. 14-16 Pac-10 Playoffs Northern Champion TBA All times local. *-Conference Game (Pac-10 South)
