Arizona first fielded a baseball team in 1904, and every year since 1946. The program has won four national titles, made the College World Series 19 times and produced hundreds of MLB draft picks.
But the Wildcats had never started a season 0-4, until now.
The UA lost 3-1 to Nebraska-Omaha on Tuesday night at Hi Corbett Field, extending its longest streak to six dating back to the end of last season.
Arizona had its second straight poor offensive outing, managing only six hits and not scoring until the bottom of the 9th. The Wildcats were 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and 0 for 5 with a runner on 3rd and less than two outs.
“Guys that we know and have had a history of hitting here are struggling right now,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “We’re missing balls that are in the zone. We’re just missing out pitch to hit.”
Maddox Mihalakis was 0 for 5 with five strikeouts, including to end the game with the tying runs in scoring position. Mihalakis, a senior, is 1 for 17 this season with 10 strikeouts.
“That’s not Maddox,” Hale said. “Five strikeouts, that’s not who he is. We trust him. He’ll be in the lineup Thursday and I’m sure he’ll be productive.”
Arizona batters struck out 15 times, upping the total to 57 in four games. Ten of those were against Omaha starter Maddox Meyer, who allowed two hits and a walk in six innings.
Omaha got all its runs in the 2nd on a 2-out, bases-loaded double by Chase Diggins. Diggins lined one just inside the third base bag off UA freshman Jack Lafflam, who allowed only two hits but walked three and struck out four in 2.1 innings.
Arizona’s bullpen had its best performance of the season, with the quartet of Mason Russell, Matthew Martinez, Corey Kling and Garrett Hicks combining for 6.2 innings of 1-hit ball with 11 strikeouts. Russell, a sophomore left-hander who pitched only 7.1 innings last season, struck out all five batters he faced.
“Breaking ball was really good, located the heater,” Hale said of Russell. “I thought all the pitchers did a really nice job. I thought Jack was fine, first time as a freshman.”
Arizona left 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the 3rd and 9th. It got its lone run on a 1-out double by redshirt freshman Jackson Forbes, who pinch hit to make his collegiate debut.
“He did a great job, and he’s been swinging (well), he deserves it,” Hale said of Forbes. “He’s been busting his butt, playing great in practice. As you guys are seeing, we’re not scoring many runs, so guys come in and do something like that … they’re gonna get more of a chance.”
But Forbes’ hit was followed by strikeouts by Mathis Meurant and Mihalakis.
Arizona remains home for a 4-game series against UConn that begins Thursday. The Huskies are also 0-4, losing 17-7 at ASU on Tuesday night.
“You just have to flush it, that’s all we can do,” said Martinez, who has struck out 10 in 5.2 innings this season. We have a good team, we’ve got good pitching, got a good lineup, and things haven’t been going our way. But it just takes one game to get things going, and I think that’s what’s gonna happen with this club.