Arizona Wildcats
Overall Rank: #35
Conference Rank: #6 Pac-12
Arizona Team Page
After winning the National Championship in 2012, Arizona took a step back last season and missed the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats finished 34-21 and went 15-15 in conference play. They lose some key contributors from last year, but 20 players are back. With a significant number of returnees, the Wildcats will try to return to the tournament this season.
2013: 34-21, 15-15
2013 Postseason: None
Coach: Andy Lopez
Field Players:
Trent Gilbert leads the returnees in the field. The junior second basemen hit .344 and drove in 49 runs last year. Joining him will be a pair of sophomores, Kevin Newman and Zach Gibbons. Newman hit .336 with 42 RBI’s in 2013, while Gibbons hit .320 and sported a .422 on base percentage, drawing 29 walks. Newman is coming off an impressive summer where he was an All-Star in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Juniors Joseph Maggi and Riley Moore also return. Maggi hit .320 and also had the highest on base percentage at .447. Moore hit .285 and added 37 RBI’s, while drawing a team high 34 walks. Sophomore Scott Kingery will look to be an everyday starter in the outfield this season after starting 30 games last year. Kingery hit .261 and had 18 RBI’s. Joining Kingery in the search for playing time will be a group of bench players off of last year’s team. Four players; Tyler Parmanter, Sam Parris, Cody Ramer, and David Reel all started at least ten games last year. Junior catcher Jordan Berger will also look for more time after hitting .311 in 45 at-bats. Arizona also brings in a talented recruiting class, led by infielders Bobby Dalbec and Willie Calhoun and outfielder Kenny Meimerstorf.
Pitchers:
The pitching staff for Arizona returns a lot of talent. The Wildcats have a dominant closer in Mathew Troupe. Troupe was 6-0 with a 3.29 ERA in 29 appearances last year to go along with nine saves. Batters hit just .214 against him last year. He continued his success this summer when he was named an All-Star in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Two-thirds of the starting rotation are also back this season, led by Tyler Crawford. He was 7-2 with a 3.83 ERA last year, starting 13 games. James Farris is also back after going 5-5 with a 4.18 ERA. Two returnees are in the mix to be the third starter. Cody Moffett was 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA in 15 games, starting four, while Tyger Talley was 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA in 21 appearances, starting three. They will have a chance to move to the starting rotation, but could stay in the bullpen as there are some talented freshmen coming in. Morgan Earman and Austin Schnabel both are hard-throwers and are possible starters. Xavier Borde, Nathan Bannister, and Parmanter are the other returning pitchers on the roster. Borde and Bannister saw limited action, while Parmanter was exclusively a field player.
Who to Watch:
Bobby Dalbec could be a difference maker for the Wildcats this season. He will be in the mix in the infield and on the mound. He is a big player, at 6-4, and has some pop at the plate. He also has a fastball in the low-90’s and should see playing time in both positions. Dalbec projects as a corner infielder and could be used out of the bullpen.
Final Projection:
After a disappointing season last year, Arizona will look to bounce back in 2014. They did go 28-10 at home though, which bodes well for this year’s schedule. The Wildcats have another 38 games at home this season and will play all of their non-conference games at home. They host a dangerous Kent State team to open the year and will also play Mississippi State, last year’s national runner-up. With a lot of talented returnees back who saw a lot of playing time last year, the Wildcats should be back in an NCAA Regional this season.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Trent Gilbert, IF, 221
Hits: Trent Gilbert, IF, 76
Home Runs: Riley Moore, C, 2
RBIs: Trent Gilbert, IF, 49
Runs: Trent Gilbert, IF, 45
Stolen Bases: Kevin Newman, IF, 11; Zach Gibbons, OF, 11
Wins: Tyler Crawford, P, 7
Innings Pitched: James Farris, P, 99
Strikeouts: James Farris, P, 73
Saves: Mathew Troupe, P, 6
Madness 2014 MLB Draft Rankings:
#127 Mathew Troupe
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