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Arizona Baseball Ready to take to the Diamond against Bryant

By Eric Townsend

FORT BRAGG, NC - JULY 03: A detailed view of baseballs prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2016 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Fort Bragg Game marks the first regular season MLB game ever to be played on an active military base. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
FORT BRAGG, NC - JULY 03: A detailed view of baseballs prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2016 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Fort Bragg Game marks the first regular season MLB game ever to be played on an active military base. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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The 2018 Arizona Baseball season is here, as the Wildcats begin play on Friday in a three-game series against the visiting, Bryant Bulldogs.

Arizona Baseball is here again! It’s been a long few months since the Wildcats have taken to the diamond for regular season action, but America’s favorite pastime is back.

Popcorn, hot dogs, cold beer and nachos, coming to an electric, Hi Corbett Field near you. The pinging of aluminum bats are sure to fill an exciting 2018 baseball season in Tucson.

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The Wildcats are fresh off a tough finish to the 2017 season, losing to Sam Houston State in an elimination game in the Lubbock, Texas regional semi-final.

Now entering head coach Jay Johnson’s third season with the Wildcats, Arizona is back, hoping to build on their previous successes. In his first two seasons, Johnson has gone a combined 87-45, with two postseason appearances, including a College World Series Runner-up finish in 2016.

While Arizona losses quite a few substantial pieces from last year, they return a talented squad, in what will likely be another competitive baseball season.

Gone are talented players like; J.J. Matijevic, Jared Oliva, J.C. Cloney and Luis Boyd among others, but the Wildcats still have quite a few holdovers from last year, and talented ones at that.

Johnson and the Wildcats come in ranked just outside of the Top 25, but with plenty to prove. Talented hitters like Cal Stevenson and Nick Quintana will surely help to power Arizona’s offense, however, not much should be lost on the arms of Cody Deason, Michael Flynn, Randy Labaut and Robby Medel among others.

There are surely questions surrounding this group of young men, mainly around the Cats’ starting rotation and pitching overall, but Johnson is quite confident in this group. He thinks this team may have the potential to be his best defensive squad at Arizona.

The 2018 season will kick-off on Friday, and that’s when we begin to find out what sort of team we have this year. Deason will take to the mound first as expected.

The Bulldogs should have an interesting team coming to Tucson. They finished 29-26 last season, finishing first in their conference, but barely missed the postseason to conference foe, Central Connecticut State.

Bryant returns four of their top five batters from last season, and have a few solid arms returning from last season as well.

This should be a good, early test for the Wildcats, as the Bryant Bulldogs have a competitive team, with a good core of talent returning.

Listen to coach Johnson as he talks about his team ahead of their series against Bryant:

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At Zona Zealots, we are excited for the return of Arizona Baseball and can’t wait to see how the Wildcats perform in 2018! Bear Down, Arizona!

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