Pac-10 favorites pose toughest challenge yet

Leigh-Anne Brown Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore infielder Erik Torres (17) attempts to beat out the throw to second during a game against UCLA. Torres is hitting .314 with three home runs and 24 RBI and has started all 31 games this season.

After that, one would think it couldn't get any tougher for the Wildcats.

Stanford vs. Arizona (16-8 overall, 3-0 Pacific 10 Conference)(20-11, 3-3) When: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Where: Frank Sancet Field What: The Wildcats return home to begin their stretch of 10 games in a row in Tucson...Stanford leads the all-time series with the Wildcats 80-45 since 1975 and 78-42 in Pac-10 play...The Wildcats are 3-9 vs. Stanford under current head coach Jerry Stitt...UA sophomore shortstop Keoni DeRenne hit .333 (5 for 15) with three runs scored, two RBI and three stolen bases in four games last week. Probable Starting Lineup for Arizona 1. Troy Gingrich, CF .293 1 11 2. Keoni DeRenne, SS .374 2 27 3. Erik Torres, 3B .314 3 24 4. Shelley Duncan, RF .270 11 35 5. Ernie Durazo, 1B .296 2 14 6. Dennis Anderson, C .353 5 29 7. Kenny Huff, LF .294 2 21 8. Rafell Jones, DH .357 2 16 9. Andy Juday, 2B .291 3 19

But, with No. 5 Stanford coming to town this weekend to play a three game series, beginning tonight at 7 at Frank Sancet Field, it certainly does not get any easier. The two remaining games of the series will be played tomorrow night at 7 and Sunday afternoon at 1.

Stanford, the two-time defending Pac-10 South champions, again boast a stellar pitching staff led by Jason Young (5-1, 2.68 ERA), who was a freshman All-American last year going 6-0 with six saves and a 3.78 ERA out of the bullpen. Young has also been named Pac-10 pitcher of the week three times this season.

Justin Wayne (2-1, 6.07 ERA) and Brian Sager (2-0, 3.65 ERA) will also start for head coach Mark Marquess' Cardinal this weekend Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Sager was drafted in the 13th round of last year's amateur draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"One thing they have over everybody else is pitching, pitching, pitching," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said. "They keep bringing guys in. If their starter gets in trouble, they bring in a good guy from the bullpen. We can definitely count on facing three good guys this weekend."

The Wildcats understand that Stanford's pitching can dominate a game, so sophomore third baseman Erik Torres said they have been working on short swings in practice.

"Today we are working on the short swing drill," Torres said Wednesday. "This is what I will work for this weekend. I have to stay inside the ball and let my hands do the work."

To counter Stanford's pitching, the Wildcats will go with junior Josh Pearce (4-2, 6.19 ERA) tonight, freshman Ben Diggins (5-1, 5.52 ERA) tomorrow night and freshman Brian Pemble (1-1, 4.18 ERA) will most likely pitch Sunday afternoon.

Stanford also boasts a lineup that consists of junior first baseman John Gall, a first team preseason All-American by Baseball America, who in a three game series at Texas last week hit .429 with two RBI, four doubles and scored five runs.

Gall is Stanford's all-time leading hitter with a .378 career average coming into this season.

Stitt did mention that Stanford was hitting the ball extremely well earlier in the season, but has since fallen off a bit.

"They haven't been hitting it as well as they were earlier and we hope that continues," he said.

Dan Rosen can be reached at Dan.Rosen@wildcat.arizona.edu.