Arizona Wildcats baseball
Arizona Wildcats the best team ever | |
---|---|
2016 Arizona Wildcats baseball team best baseball team ever | |
Founded | 1904 |
University | University of Arizona |
Conference | Pac-12 |
Location | Tucson, AZ |
Head coach | Jay Johnson (1st year) |
Home stadium |
Hi Corbett Field (Capacity: 9,500) |
Nickname | Wildcats |
National Championships | |
1976, 1980, 1986, 2012 | |
College World Series Runner-up | |
1956, 1959, 1963, 1976, 1980, 1986, 2016 | |
College World Series appearances | |
1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 2004, 2012, 2016 | |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 | |
Conference champions | |
1963, 1966, 1974, 1989, 1992, 2012 |
The Arizona Wildcats baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. They compete in the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) of NCAA Division I. The baseball team had its first season in 1904. The baseball team has captured four national championship titles in 1976, 1980, 1986 and 2012, with the first three coached by Jerry Kindall and the most recent by Andy Lopez. The team has appeared in the NCAA National Championship titles series eight times in 1956, 1959, 1963, 1976, 1980, 1986, 2012, and 2016 (College World Series). They have appeared in 34 baseball tournaments in its rich history. Arizona is ranked seventh in all-time regular season game wins with 2,347.
Venues
Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium
The former home of Arizona baseball is Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium. The park is located on the campus of the University of Arizona, adjacent to the McKale Center, home of the UA athletics department. Arizona played its games at the Kindall Field from prior to the 1967 season through the end of the 2011 season. Modernization of the facility was completed for the 1975 season. Originally called Wildcat Field, the park was officially dedicated Frank Sancet Field on April 19, 1986, in honor of Arizona's longtime head coach. Sancet, who coached from 1950–72, posted an 831-283-8 (.744) mark at the helm of the Cats.
Relocation to Hi Corbett Field
In an effort to have the Wildcat baseball program compete in the best possible facilities, in August 2011, the UA signed an agreement with the city of Tucson for Arizona baseball to play its home games at city-owned Hi Corbett Field, located about three miles southeast of campus, for the 2012 season (beginning with a five-year lease with an option to renew for an additional five years). The UA spent about $350,000 to make several upgrades to the former spring training facility (used as such by the Cleveland Indians and the Colorado Rockies), where the Wildcats previously played selected games in the 1960s and '70s.[1][2] Through the first three-game series of the 2012 season against North Dakota State, the attendance at the stadium was a total of 8,870, which was nearly 1/4th of the total home attendance for the Wildcats' previous season at Sancet Stadium.
In 2012, the Wildcats posted a 38-17 regular season record (20-10 in Pac-12 conference play), capturing a share of the Pac-12 baseball championship, the school's first league title since 1992. As a result, Hi Corbett Field hosted both an NCAA Regional and Super Regional tournament, and Arizona won both of those to advance to the 2012 College World Series (the program's first postseason appearance in Omaha since 2004)[3] where the team won its fourth national championship. In the 2012 season, the team brought in almost $350,000 in ticket revenue (not including revenue for tickets sold during the NCAA Regional or Super Regional); this is compared to the 2011 season, when Arizona baseball brought in $69,000 worth of ticket revenue in its final season at Sancet Stadium. The relocation of the Wildcat baseball program to Hi Corbett Field has been noted as a major factor in the team's successful 2012 season.[4]
Individual honors
Notable alumni
- Jerry Kindall - member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
- Don Lee - spend 9 year in the majors with 6 different teams.
- Mike Paul
- Rich Hinton
- Dan Schneider
- Ed Vosberg - World Series Champion (1997)
- Hank Leiber - 1-time All-Star (1938) spent 10 years in the majors for the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
- Ron Hassey - World Series Champion: 1989, only Catcher to catch two perfect games.
- Eddie Leon
- Terry Francona - 2x World Series champion (2004, 2007)
- Kenny Lofton - 6-time All-Star (1994–99), 4-time Gold Glove Award (1993–96).
- Trevor Hoffman - 2nd all-time Major League saves holder with 601 total saves, 7x All-Star (1998-2000, 2002, 2006–2007, 2009).
- J. T. Snow - 6x Gold Glove Award winner (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
- Shelley Duncan - manager of the Hillsboro Hops (minor league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks)
- Joe Magrane - Led the NL in ERA in 1988 with 2.18.
- Chip Hale - former manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and current 3B coach of the Oakland Athletics[5]
- Dave Stegman
- Craig Lefferts - ranks 76th on the MLB All-Time Games Pitched List (696).
- Scott Erickson - All-Star selection (1991), World Series champion (1991).
- Brad Mills - 2x World Series Champion (2004, 2007)
- Jack Howell
- Dan Meyer
- Brian Anderson - World Series Champion (2005)
- Mark Melancon- current pitcher of the Washington Nationals
- Ryan Perry
- Steven Ballard - current Chancellor at East Carolina University
- Nick Hundley - current catcher of the Colorado Rockies
- Kevin Long - current hitting coach of the New York Mets
- Jett Bandy - Catcher, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Rob Refsnyder - Utility player for the New York Yankees. 2012 College World Series champion and Most Outstanding Player.
Retired jerseys
Student-Athlete jerseys are retired but not individual player numbers.[6]
No. | Player |
---|---|
1 | John Salmon |
2 | Lee Franklin |
32 | Terry Francona |
41 | Kelsey Osburn |
See also
- List of NCAA Division I baseball programs
- 1976 College World Series
- 1980 College World Series
- 1986 College World Series
- 2012 College World Series
References
- ↑ UA Baseball to Play at Hi Corbett Field (press release from UA Intercollegiate Athletics)
- ↑
- ↑ "Arizona Advances to First CWS Since '04". ColumbiaTribune.com. The Associated Press. 10 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-12. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ "University of Arizona Baseball: Making the College World Series...and Money". Forbes.com. Forbes. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ↑ Adams, Steve. "Chip Hale Returns To Athletics As Third Base Coach". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ↑ "Retirement of jerseys" at Wildcats website