Arizona Wildcats
Overall Rank: #30
Conference Rank: #5 Pac-12
Few teams were playing better than Arizona down the stretch last season. The Wildcats won 13 of their last 14 games, but that was not enough to reach the NCAA Tournament. But for a young team, finishing strong has put Arizona in a great position heading into the 2020 campaign. If they can keep up that strong finish for an entire season, not only will Arizona reach the NCAA Tournament, but they could win the Pac-12.
2019: 32-24, 15-14
2019 Postseason: None
Coach: Jay Johnson
Key Departed Players:
Cameron Cannon, IF, .397 BA, 8 HR, 56 RBI
Nick Quintana, IF, .342 BA, 15 HR, 77 RBI
Justin Wylie, OF, .341 BA, 5 HR, 37 RBI
Randy Labaut, P, 5.19 ERA, 8-3 W/L, 85.0 IP, 79 SO
Key Returning Players:
Matthew Dyer, C/UTL, .393 BA, 4 HR, 28 RBI
Austin Wells, C, .353 BA, 5 HR, 60 RBI
Dayton Dooney, IF/1B, .323 BA, 10 HR, 53 RBI
Donta Williams, OF, .267 BA, 2 HR, 35 RBI
Ryan Holgate, OF, .240 BA, 7 HR, 33 RBI
Quinn Flanagan, P, 4.92 ERA, 8-3 W/L, 67.2 IP, 42 SO
Projection:
There is no doubt where Arizona was lacking last season. The team ranked second in the nation in scoring with 9.8 runs per game. They ranked 249th in ERA with a 6.21 team mark. Quinn Flanagan had a decent freshman campaign, going 8-3 with a 4.92 ERA in 13 starts and 17 appearances. Vince Vannelle led the team with a 3.47 ERA and will be the go-to-pitcher in the bullpen again this year. Arizona has added a handful of transfers to help add options, including Alabama transfer Davis Vainer who has played well during his three years as a reliever with the Crimson Tide. All the headlines though will be at the plate. Austin Wells highlights an impressive group of hitters. As a freshman last year he hit .353 with five homeruns and 60 RBIs. Matthew Dyer got on base nearly half of his plate appearances last year and should have a big senior season. Dayton Dooney has the most power in his bat of the returning players. He belted ten homeruns in 2019 and hit .323. There is not a team in the Pac-12 that will not fear this offense. The question is how much improvement Coach Jay Johnson can get out of his pitching staff. If they can cut their ERA down a point or two, Arizona will be a very dangerous team.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
