Arizona signs Spanish guard Helena Pueyo to round out 2019 recruiting class

The Arizona Wildcats announced the signing of Spanish guard Helena Pueyo, who becomes the fifth and final member of their 2019 recruiting class.

The group consists solely of international players—Australian guard Tara Manumaleuga (who joined the team at the semester break), Icelandic forward Birna Benonysdottir, Turkish forward Sevval Gul, and Latvian guard Mara Mote.

“Helena is special,” UA coach Adia Barnes said in a statement. “Her size, shooting ability, the way she sees the floor and her versatility makes her elite. She is going to add so much to our team on and off of the court. For us to land the best 2019 Spanish guard and one of the top guards in Europe is a huge boost for our young program. The future is bright and she will be a star in the Pac-12.”

Pueyo, who committed to Arizona in late February, is considered of the best European players in her age group.

Suiting up for the Spanish National Team, Pueyo averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in the 2018 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Pueyo played for Segle XXI in Spain’s Liga Feminina 2 this year and led the team in both scoring (12.5 ppg) and assists (2.4). She also averaged 1.6 steals per game and shot 51 percent from the field, 37 percent from three and 85 percent from the free throw line.

“I’m excited to play for Arizona and continue the momentum they have created,” Pueyo said. “I want to play a high level of college basketball, and I know I will get that at Arizona and in the Pac-12. Playing professionally has always been a dream of mine, and coach Barnes and the rest of the staff will help me reach all my goals. I am excited to get to Tucson and continue to build the program.”

While the Wildcats are done adding 2019 freshmen, Barnes said earlier this month that they are hoping to add a transfer or two, with shooting, size and athleticism on the perimeter being the biggest needs.

“If they don’t make us better on and off the court, I’m not even taking a chance,” Barnes said. “There’s two ways you can think about it. A transfer can help you right away and then can bring a championship, a winning attitude and help you in different ways. Or you look long-term for transfers.

“I’m not huge on transfers, but if they can help us and I know people that know them or that have coached them, and I know it’s a good situation, I’ll take them. But from my past experience, I’m not someone who would take like five transfers. ... It’s something I wouldn’t really have looked at in the past, but now I think as we’re getting better, there’s pieces that can really help us get to that next level.”

The Wildcats are returning their entire starting five, meaning they will have an abundance of depth next season when you add recruits and potential transfers into the picture.

When asked how Arizona’s style of play will change next season, Barnes said the Wildcats will be able to go deeper into their bench, which should lead to defensive improvement as they hope to build off their WNIT championship run.

“I think the problem is keeping everybody happy,” Barnes said. “Kids are leaving programs every year so it’s very easy when someone’s not playing to jump ship. There’s a balance of that.

“Like Semaj (Smith) this year. Semaj did great. Some games she didn’t play, some games she played a little bit. She always had a great attitude, she was a great teammate. I think in a lot of situations players aren’t like that. They don’t play or they don’t play enough or they’re AAU coach or parents are telling them they should be starting. All those things happen, but I think for us having more depth will make us better because I think you can play better for 32 minutes versus I don’t think you’re going to play every possession when you’re playing for 38. I think that’s just human nature.”

Here is what Barnes has said about the rest of UA’s recruiting class.

On Mote: “She’s a guard, she can score it. She can play the 2, she can play the 1, she’s athletic, good in transition, good in the open floor, good 3-point shot, so really kind of what we needed.”

On Manumaleuga “She’s a specialist, a 3-point shooter. but she has good size. She’s 5-10, 5-11, can get to the rim on straight line drives.”

On Gul: “She is a skilled post player. She’s a player that has a great shot, she can shoot the 3, she can shoot from the high post, she’s really smart, a good passer, and she has good size at 6-4.”

On Beonnysdottir: “Birna from Iceland is a versatile face-up 4. She can shoot the 3, pick and pop, plays a lot of our style, because we play 4-out 1-in, and she has the potential to be a good player, too. So if we add the other two players that I have in mind, which I can’t talk about yet, then we have a very strong class.”

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Former Arizona baseball standout JJ Matijevic suspended for failed drug test

The professional career of a former Arizona Wildcats baseball standout has taken a major hit due to a failed drug test, the second he’s had since getting drafted less than two years ago.

JJ Matijevic, who had been playing first base for the Texas Rangers’ Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas, has been suspended 50 games for a second positive test for a “drug of abuse,” according to Chandler Rome of Houston Chronicle. The specific drug was not revealed.

A 2017 second-round pick of the Rangers, Matijevic was hitting .240 with two home runs and seven RBI in 19 games this season with Corpus Christi. He has 31 homers, 100 RBI and a .257 average in 179 career minor league games.

The 23-year-old Matijevic played for Arizona from 2015-17, hitting .383 with 10 homers and 65 RBI as a junior in 2017. In 2016 he had hits in 11 of 15 postseason games during the Wildcats’ run to the College World Series runner-up finish.

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Mike Candrea, Arizona players preview Washington series, reflect on loss to Cal

The Arizona softball team hosts No. 4 Washington this week, the last regular season home series for the Wildcats’ seniors.

A lot is at stake, including Pac-12 championship aspirations and NCAA Tournament positioning.

Head coach Mike Candrea, senior pitcher Taylor McQuillin and senior designated player T Statman met with the media Tuesday to discuss that, Saturday’s loss to Cal, and more.

Here are their respective interviews.

Here’s Mike Candrea on Arizona Softball's loss to Cal, the Washington series, and more

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Here’s ace Taylor McQuillin on Arizona Softball’s upcoming series vs. Washington, senior weekend and more

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Designated player T Statman talks about senior weekend, Arizona’s loss to Cal and her plans after college

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Tuesday, April 30, 2019

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Wildcat Wrap: Arizona men’s tennis makes NCAA Tournament for first time since 2010

It is a new week so it’s time to recap everything that happened regarding the Arizona Wildcats.

Let us know in the comment section if we missed anything.

Men’s tennis

• Congrats to the Arizona men’s tennis team, which made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Wildcats will head to College State, Texas where they will face Oklahoma in the first round.
• First and second-round competition takes place May 3-4 and features four teams playing in a single-elimination format. The winner of each site advances to super-regional competition May 10 or 11. Each super-regional site will feature two teams playing a single-elimination format. The super-regional winners advance to the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, where the eight teams will compete for the national championship May 16-19.
• Arizona is 17-7 this season, its highest win total since 2009.

TOURNAMENT BOUND pic.twitter.com/fzEYcukyrq

— Arizona Men's Tennis (@ArizonaMTennis) April 29, 2019

Softball

• The Wildcats struggled in Berkeley and saw their 21-game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a 1-0 loss in extra innings. Arizona won Friday and Sunday’s games, but trailed in both.
• With the loss, the Wildcats are now even with UCLA atop the conference standings heading into the final two weeks of the season. The teams face each other to close out the regular season, but before then, Arizona hosts Washington and UCLA travels to Stanford. We outlined what needs to happen for the Wildcats to win the Pac-12 title.
• From Jenna Kean’s speed to Hillary Edior’s fostering personality, the two Wildcats are aiding the team in the homestretch of the season.
• Coach Mike Candrea was “shocked” the NCAA voted against a third assistant for softball.

Baseball

• Losing 11-9 to Grand Canyon University on Tuesday before traveling to Stanford for a weekend series wasn’t ideal for the ‘Cats (19-22, 7-14 Pac-12).
• Stanford sits atop the Pac-12, but the ‘Cats put together their best game of the season, upsetting the Cardinal 6-3 on Friday.
• Nick Quintana hit a home run and drove in two runs, while Justin Wylie had three RBIs.
• The ‘Cats couldn’t clinch the series on Saturday, losing 13-3.
• Stanford put up the same amount of runs on Sunday as on Saturday, winning 13-5.
• Arizona hosts New Mexico State on Tuesday and then welcomes Oregon for a weekend series.

Beach Volleyball

• Arizona faced No. 1 UCLA and No. 3 California in the Pac-12 Championships on Friday, losing both matches. The ‘Cats lost 3-0 to UCLA and 3-1 to Cal.
• On Thursday, Arizona swept Stanford 5-0.

Volleyball

• Mahina “Hina” Pua’a signed with the ‘Cats this week. A transfer from Iowa Western Community College, she was a First-Team NJCAA All-American this season.

Women’s Golf

• The Wildcats begin their quest to defend their national title on May 6 in East Lansing, Michigan in the NCAA Regionals. UA is the No. 2 seed in its 18-team region.
• The top six teams from each regional advance to the national championship in Arkansas which takes place May 17-22.

Men’s Golf

• UA placed ninth this week at the Pac-12 Championships. Trevor Werbylo was the top Wildcat golfer, finishing in the top-25.
• The selection show is on Wednesday, and the team is hoping to make back-to-back regional appearances.

Soccer

• We have an exclusive look at Arizona’s 2019 schedule along with head coach Tony Amato’s thoughts on the new transfers and recruiting rules.

Women’s Tennis

• UA saw its season end on Thursday after losing 4-0 to second seed UCLA in the Pac-12 Championships.
• The ‘Cats upset Utah on Wednesday, which was the first tournament win in program history.

Track and Field

• Justice Summerset, Karolina Pahlitzsch and James Smith set all-time Arizona records on Saturday in the Desert Heat Classic.
• Summerset had a clearance of 2.25m in the high jump and it puts him fifth in the school record book.
• Smith’s time of 50.11 in the 400-meter hurdles is now the second best in school history.
• Pahlitzsch is now sixth on the NCAA list after she ran 57.43 in the 400-meter hurdles.
• The team hosts the Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships beginning on Saturday.

Football

• The spectacle that is the NFL Draft is over and four former UA players found their way onto teams. PJ Johnson was selected in the seventh round by the Detroit Lions. He was the only UA player drafted. The Lions like his versatility.
• Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Shawn Poindexter both signed with the San Francisco 49ers as undrafted free agents.
• Nick Reinhardt signed an UDFA deal with the Browns.
• Arizona has one of worst track records in the Pac-12 when it comes to getting players drafted.
• We have a Q&A with new Arizona commit Khary Crump.

Men’s Basketball

• Steve Kerr dropped a truth bomb on James Harden by telling him Arizona is a better school than ASU.
• Just days after being named the new head coach of the Sacramento Kings, a TMZ report came out about Luke Walton being under investigation for sexual assault in a hotel room in April of 2016.
• Five-star recruit Josh Green announced he recently underwent shoulder surgery.
• Chase Jeter didn’t enter the NBA Draft, which means he is returning to Arizona.
• Arizona landed UC Irvine transfer Max Hazzard and here is what he will add to the team.
• Dusan Ristic won a championship in Serbia.
• Tapes played at the federal basketball trial detailed some of Book Richardson’s wrongdoings.

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Loss to Cal dampens Arizona softball’s Pac-12 title hopes

The Wildcats are still in good shape to host Regionals and Super Regionals, though

Arizona softball’s 21-game winning streak finally came to an end Saturday in Berkeley where the Wildcats were upset by the California Golden Bears in extra innings.

It was Arizona’s first loss to a Pac-12 opponent this season, putting them in a tie with the UCLA Bruins atop the conference standings at 17-1.

The longstanding rivals still have to face each other in Westwood to round out the regular season on May 9-11, a three-game series that will all but determine the Pac-12 champion.

While Arizona and UCLA are dead even right now, the Wildcats could be facing an uphill battle by the time they arrive at Easton Stadium. That’s because Arizona has to host No. 4 Washington this weekend, while UCLA will be traveling to Palo Alto to face a good, but not spectacular, Stanford team.

Assuming the Bruins sweep the Cardinal (the most likely scenario), here is what Arizona would need to do against Washington and UCLA to claim its 12th conference championship:

• Sweep Washington and go 2-1 at UCLA
• Go 2-1 vs. Washington and sweep UCLA
• Go 2-1 vs. Washington and UCLA (UA and UCLA would be co-champions)
• Go 1-2 vs. Washington and sweep UCLA
• Go 0-3 vs. Washington and sweep UCLA to become co-champions with the Bruins. This scenario would also leave the door open for a three-way tie if the Huskies, who have four conference losses, win out.

Note that all these scenarios call for the Wildcats to win at least two games at UCLA. It’s why Arizona’s loss to Cal was so devastating. There would have been a scenario in which the Wildcats only would have needed to win one game in Westwood to claim the conference outright, though that scenario could resurface if UCLA fails to sweep Stanford.

The good news is, no matter who wins the conference, Arizona is still in great shape to host Regionals and Super Regionals.

The top eight teams get the first crack at hosting Supers and Arizona is No. 3 in RPI heading into the Washington series.

So barring a total meltdown in the final two weeks of the season, Arizona’s road to Oklahoma City will go through Tucson.

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Tapes played at federal basketball trial detail ex-Arizona assistant Book Richardson’s actions

Former Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Emanuel ‘Book’ Richardson was a major focal point in the federal college basketball trial on Monday, even though he wasn’t actually there.

Wiretaps played during the trial of Christian Dawkins and Merl Code featured Richardson detailing some of the actions he took that led to his arrest in September 2017 on federal bribery charges.

Wild day in federal court. Ex Arizona assistant Book Richardson, on recorded tape, basically says despite making nearly $250,000 a year he was “broke” from using so much of own money to pay recruits. Hyperbole, sure, but still.

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) April 29, 2019

Book Richardson said on tape he gave $10,000 of his own money to the Quinerlys, and also that Quinerly's mom wanted to move out to Tucson.

"She was looking to move to Tucson and also looking for a potential job," Munish Sood testified. https://t.co/idYBqy7P3e

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 29, 2019

Book also said on tape that Rawle Alkins' cousin moved out to Tucson after he committed.

"I give him like two grand a month, he works," Book said on tape. "He said, 'Is that like an allowance?' I said 'No, what I usually do, I just try to stagger it...I'll give him $1,500 cash' https://t.co/i7m3cPj2Xl

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 29, 2019

Richardson, an assistant for Sean Miller at both Xavier and Arizona, pleaded guilty in January to one bribery count and awaits sentencing in May.

Defense attorneys have been unsuccessful in trying to get U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos to compel Miller to take the stand, calling his testimony irrelevant to the trial despite claims by Dawkins on tape that Miller was willing to pay players. While such allegations aren’t criminal, they would be NCAA violations.

The same goes for any violations that may come as the result of Richardson’s actions, and that could ultimately lead to sanctions against Miller based on recent NCAA rule changes. Bylaw 11.1.1.1 says a head coach is “presumed to be responsible for the actions on all staff members who report, directly or indirectly, to the head coach” and that he “will be held accountable for violations in the program unless he or she can rebut the presumption of responsibility.”

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Arizona to host South Dakota transfer Stanley Umude

Arizona baseball drops series at Stanford after second straight blowout loss

The Arizona Wildcats dropped their second straight game at No. 3 Stanford, falling 12-5 on Sunday to drop the three-game series in Palo Alto, Calif.

The loss not only dropped the Wildcats to a disappointing 19-22 overall this season and to 7-14 in Pac-12 play, but it also denied the UA a chance to win its first road series of the season.

Arizona is now 1-11 in conference road games.

Arizona’s starting pitcher on Sunday, Avery Weems, took the loss on the mound after delivering an ineffective start.

The senior began the game somewhat well, only allowing one run through the first two innings, but came undone after that, allowing three runs in the third, one in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

By the time Weems (3-5) was removed at the end of the fifth inning, the Wildcats were trailing 8-2.

For the third straight game Arizona was the first team on the scoreboard, but much like Saturday’s 13-3 blowout loss, the Cats were unable to hold on to the early lead they established.

Arizona has scored first in 26 of its 41 games this season but are only 13-13 in those instances. A stat like that is truly indicative of the UA’s struggles on the mound in 2019.

On Sunday, the Wildcats took the lead in the top of the first inning when Matt Dyer scored on a fielder’s choice via a ground ball from Austin Wells. It was the freshman Wells’ 37th RBI of the season, while Dyer came around to score after extending his hit streak to 18 games.

Dyer’s streak is now the fifth-longest hitting streak for an Arizona player since the 1998 season.

After Stanford tied the game in the bottom of the first and claimed a 4-1 lead off of Weems in the third, the Cats were able to cut into the deficit when Blake Paugh hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 4-2.

However, the Cardinal then added four runs to stretch their lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth, before Arizona answered with three runs in the sixth.

Paugh hit a two-run home run to center field, before back-to-back doubles from Ryan Holgate and Justin Wylie scored the Wildcats’ third run of the inning to make it 8-5.

Trailing by just three runs in the latter stages of the game, Arizona was still alive in the contest, before yet another bullpen explosion in the bottom of the eighth inning ultimately sealed the loss for the Wildcats.

After working two scoreless innings of relief in the sixth and seventh, Vince Vannelle was replaced by Gil Luna with two runners on and just just one out in the eighth.

Luna, who has struggled mightily this season, then walked the only two batters he faced, the first to load the bases and the second to force in a run.

Sensing danger with the bases loaded and with his team already staring at a 9-5 deficit, coach Jay Johnson immediately took Luna out and replaced him with Preston Price.

Price served up a grand slam to the only batter he faced, bringing the score to 13-5 and effectively ending the game.

Much like the season as a whole, the Wildcats’ pitching simply wasn’t good enough.

The Wildcats, 3-7 in their last 10 games, will try to get back to winning on Tuesday night when they host New Mexico State at Hi Corbett Field.

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Steve Kerr trolls James Harden: ‘Arizona is a better school than ASU’

Harden had a rough game as the Warriors took the series opener

Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors took care of business in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday by beating the Houston Rockets 104-100.

Rockets guard James Harden had a rough night, going 9 for 28 from the field, clearly off his game.

Maybe Kerr had something to do with that. During the game, the University of Arizona alumnus trash talked Harden, an Arizona State product, by saying “Arizona is a better school than ASU.”

"Arizona's a better school than ASU" - @SteveKerr

This deserves endless retweets pic.twitter.com/2ZJ2XoHbdZ

— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) April 28, 2019

The truth hurts.

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Arizona softball rebounds, beats Cal to win series

The Wildcats get the first win after their 21-game winning streak came to an end.

It was their last series ever at Levine-Fricke Field and Senior Day for the California Golden Bears. After ending the 21-game winning streak of No. 5 Arizona on Saturday, they hoped to be the first Pac-12 team to hand the Wildcats a series loss this season. Instead, the ‘Cats bounced back with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.

Taylor McQuillin went the distance for Arizona, giving up one run on seven hits and zero walks over seven innings. She struck out eight of the 28 batters she faced on 86 total pitches.

Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza gave Arizona the lead in the fifth inning with a two-RBI double. The next inning, Rylee Pierce gave the Wildcats the extra lift they needed with a two-run shot. The insurance runs came off the first baseman’s sixth round-tripper of the year.

Palomino-Cardoza and Pierce joined Reyna Carranco and Peanut Martinez with two-hit games. T Statman, Joelle Krist and Carli Campbell each had one-hit games for the Wildcats, who had 11 hits and two walks after getting only two hits (and seven walks) on Saturday.

Over their first five Pac-12 series, the Wildcats outscored their opposition by a total of 143-14 to go a perfect 15-0. They run ruled their foes in 10 of those 15 contests, playing more than five innings just six times.

Cal proved that the name on the jersey and the record don’t always tell the tale, though. The Golden Bears were the first conference opponent not to get run ruled at least once by the Wildcats. They also held the Arizona bats to 3.3 runs per game—including a nine-inning shutout—over the series.

In fact, the Bears looked like they might be the first league opponent to take a series off the ‘Cats in the early going of Sunday’s game. Lindsay Rood led off the bottom of the first with a double. Two batters later, Lauren Espalin advanced Rood to third with a one-out single, and Makena Smith put Espalin in scoring position with a groundout.

With two outs, McQuillin gave up the RBI single to Karlee Sparacino, but the Bears opted to hold Espalin at third. It would turn out to be their only run of the day. Just as in McQuillin’s start on Friday afternoon, Cal needed to take the early opportunities against Arizona’s ace, because they would get few as the game wore on.

Not scoring against McQuillin wouldn’t necessarily doom the Golden Bears, though. They were able to lean on their pitcher on Saturday in the 1-0 victory over Arizona. Why not do it again?

It seemed like a distinct possibility when the Wildcats struggled to get anything going over the first several innings. The Wildcats got only two hits and a walk in the first four. Three strike-outs and four pop-outs signified the Arizona futility.

Good teams never give up, though, and the Wildcats showed that in the fifth. Pierce and P. Martinez led off the inning with back-to-back singles, then were sacrificed over on Campbell’s bunt.

Palomino-Cardoza broke through the 17.2-inning scoring drought for Arizona, which stretched back to one out in the top of the third on Friday. Her two-RBI double put the Wildcats on top by a score of 2-1.

Carranco gave Arizona another opportunity when she moved Palomino-Cardoza to third on a one-out single. A strike-out by Jessie Harper and a fly-out by Dejah Mulipola ended that threat.

The Wildcats came out still hot in the top of the fifth. Statman got a one-out single. With Riley Kuderca pinch running for Statman, Pierce knocked her in with a two-run homer to put Arizona up 4-1.

When P. Martinez singled in the next at-bat, it was the end of the day for Cal senior Zoe Conley, who was pitching in what was likely the final home game of her career.

Arizona loaded the bases for Carranco and Harper, but neither was able to add on to the lead.

Cal got two on with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to do additional damage to McQuillin. The loss dropped them to 26-25 overall and 4-17 in the Pac-12.

Arizona (40-8, 17-1) will return home next week to face the No. 4 Washington Huskies. First pitch is on Friday at 5 p.m. MST. All three games of that series will air on the Pac-12 Networks.

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Arizona DL PJ Johnson will play ‘all over the place’ for Detroit Lions

The Lions value their seventh-round pick’s versatility

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn lugs a big book around with him on summer vacation, chock full of scouting reports of junior college football players.

Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman PJ Johnson wasn’t in it. He was in the process of transferring to Arizona from City College of San Francisco, far from the NFL’s radar.

But Johnson made such a strong impression in his one and only season of major-conference football that he played his way into the spotlight and Quinn selected him in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

“PJ wasn’t part of that process. He was a guy that burst onto the scene in September,” Quinn told reporters. “I remember the first grade rolling in on him in late September was pretty good. And then another one in early November. We watched him get a workout out there (in Tucson), actually brought in him here for a (top) 30 visit because he was a non-combine guy. A lot of those non-combine guys you want to bring in for a physical, make sure medically they’re all good. So that was kind of how it was.”

Johnson played in 10 games (nine starts) at Arizona and tallied 31 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

His best work came as a pass rusher where Pro Football Focus graded him as the fourth-best interior lineman in the Pac-12.

Johnson, 6-foot-4, 334 pounds, flashed an impressive mix of size and athleticism, allowing him to play both inside and outside on the defensive line. The former is Johnson’s natural position, but injuries forced Johnson to slide over and he fared well.

The Lions already have a solid interior line with A’Shawn Robinson, Damon Harrison Sr. and rookie standout Da’Shawn Hand, so that kind versatility could be Johnson’s ticket to playing time at the next level.

Quinn seems to see it that way too.

“Big guy, athletic, multiple position guy up front,” Quinn said. “Nose guard, three technique, five technique, you’ll see him all over the place.”

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Arizona baseball blown out by Stanford as Cardinal even series

One day removed from possibly their most impressive win of the season, the Arizona Wildcats fell to the third-ranked Stanford Cardinal on Saturday by a score of 13-3.

Arizona drops to 19-21 overall and 7-13 in the Pac-12.

The Wildcats came out hot to begin the game. First baseman Matthew Dyer doubled down the left field line as the second batter of the game. The next batter, catcher Austin Wells, tripled down the right field line to score Dyer. A ground out by Nick Quintana scored Wells and gave Arizona a 2-0 lead.

Stanford answered with four of their own off Arizona starter Andrew Nardi. With two outs and the bases empty, Nardi walked outfielder Brandon Wulff. A single and a double then tied the game at 2-all. A walk and another double two batters later gave the Cardinal a 4-2 lead.

Stanford added another run in the third, making the score 5-2.

In the fifth, Nardi recorded an out before allowing two singles. UA coach Jay Johnson then decided to remove him favor of Nate Brown, who walked the bases loaded, before walking in a run and surrendering a grand slam home run to Stanford third baseman Nick Bellafronto.

One inning later, Brown found himself in trouble again. He gave up leadoff homer, then another one three batters later. After allowing two more hits, and one more run, Brown’s work was done, and the Wildcats were down 13-2.

Arizona scored one more run from a Well RBI single in the top of seventh for the final run of the game.

All told, Arizona’s pitching was awful yet again. Nardi was pulled after 4 1/3 innings, allowing 7 runs from 6 hits and 5 walks. Brown was also bad, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 innings. He also allowed all three of Stanford’s home runs. Randy Abshier and Cameron Haskell also saw appearances.

Despite scoring two runs in the first inning, Arizona’s offense was largely ineffective. Wells was the star offensive player. He had two hits and two RBIs. Ryan Holgate had two hits.

Arizona will look to win the rubber match Sunday at 1:05 p.m. MST.

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Arizona long snapper Nick Reinhardt to sign with Cleveland Browns

Arizona Wildcats long snapped Nick Reinhardt is signing with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent, according to Kohl’s Kicking.

Reinhardt was a three-year starter at Arizona, and would have been a four-year starter had he not torn his ACL in the 2017 season-opener.

The Scottsdale, Arizona native was an Under Armour All-American coming out of Notre Dame Prep, and won the long snapping competition national championships at Kohl’s Kicking prior to arriving at the UA.

While long snappers can be easy to overlook, the Wildcats missed Reinhardt badly in 2017, struggling mightily on special teams after his injury.

28-year-old Charley Hughlett has been the Browns’ long snapper since 2014. He signed a lucrative six-year extension back in February 2017.

Arizona will try to replace Reinhardt with redshirt junior Donald Reiter, redshirt freshman Geno Albini and/or incoming five-star prospect Seth Mackellar.

The Cleveland Browns have picked up #KohlsSnapping UDFA long snapper Nick Reinhardt of Arizona.#KohlsElite | #BrownsDraft pic.twitter.com/AVhfxWpTEj

— Kohl's Snapping Camps (@KohlsSnapping) April 28, 2019

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Arizona WR Shawn Poindexter to sign with San Francisco 49ers as undrafted free agent, per report

Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Shawn Poindexter is signing with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent, according to Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star.

The Niners also signed UA safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles as an UDFA.

Poindexter played in 35 games in three seasons at Arizona, starting all 25 over his final two seasons. He caught 67 passes for 1,135 yards and 12 touchdowns.

As a senior, Poindexter hauled in 42 passes for 759 yards and 11 touchdowns, tying the school’s single-season record.

Poindexter initially signed to play volleyball out of high school at Cal Baptist but never enrolled. Instead, he attended Glendale Community College where he caught 47 passes for 727 yards and seven touchdowns, being named a first-team All-ACCAC.

The 6-foot-5 Poindexter has the size and catch radius to play in the NFL, but his ability—or lack thereof—to get separation will be the big question mark for him moving forward.

The Niners were one of the teams to show the most interest in Poindexter during Arizona’s pro day. He said he met with the organization’s national scout and that led to former NFL receiver Miles Austin (now a Niners assistant) coming to Tucson to check Poindexter out.

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Arizona softball shut out by Cal, snapping 21-game winning streak

The streak is over.

A ninth-inning walk-off single by Lauren Espalin propelled Cal to a 1-0 win over No. 5 Arizona on Saturday in Berkeley, snapping the Wildcats’ 21-game winning streak.

It’s the first time the Wildcats have been shut out this season. They fall to 39-8 overall and 16-1 in the Pac-12. Their last loss came on March 10 against Florida State.

Saturday’s game was a pitcher’s duel between Arizona’s Alyssa Denham and Cal’s Kamalani Dung .

Denham (11-3) didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning, while Dung didn’t give one up until the fourth. In total Denham allowed only three hits and racked up nine strikeouts in 8.2 innings.

Two of those hits came with two outs in the ninth. Amani Bradley tripled to right center before Espalin stroked a single up the middle to plate the game’s only run.

Arizona failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position, leaving nine on the bags, most of whom reached via walk. The Wildcats had just two hits and drew seven walks.

After walking for the second time, Rylee Pierce reached third in the top of the ninth thanks to a Peanut Martinez sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. It was only the second time a UA runner had reached third, but pinch hitter Hillary Edior struck out to end the inning.

Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza was the other UA player to reach third when she did it in the first inning. She walked and was moved over by two groundouts. Dejah Mulipola struck out to end the frame.

The Wildcats hit 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

Even in game one, the ‘Cats looked lackadaisical but were able to pull it together for one inning to get a win. Saturday’s game showed Arizona—a team many believe can reach the Women’s College World series for the first time in nearly a decade—that no team can be taken for granted, not even the last-place Golden Bears.

The loss puts Arizona’s conference title hopes in limbo as they’re now tied for first with UCLA. Arizona does not have much, if any, more room for error. The Wildcats still have to play No. 4 Washington (at home) and No. 2 UCLA (on the road).

The Bruins face Utah this weekend then Stanford next weekend before hosting Arizona to wrap up the regular season.

Arizona will try to salvage a series win against Cal at noon on Sunday.

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Arizona S Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to sign with 49ers as undrafted free agent, per report

Arizona Wildcats safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is signing with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent, according to Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star.

The Tucson native was a mainstay in the Arizona secondary throughout his UA career.

Flannigan-Fowles played in all 50 possible career games with 36 starts. The 6-foot-2, 209-pound safety totaled 243 tackles, six interceptions, 22 pass breakups, 10 tackles-for-loss, three forced fumbles and a sack.

Pro Football Focus graded DFF as the highest-graded run defender among Pac-12 safeties. He was also the highest-graded slot defender among safeties and cornerbacks.

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Arizona Wildcats have weak presence in 2019 NFL Draft

Had defensive tackle PJ Johnson not been taken by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round on Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats would have gone without a draft pick for the second time in three years.

But that lone pick continued Arizona’s recent trend of poor draft performances, with only four players selected in the last five years.

Arizona entered the 2019 draft next-to-last in the Pac-12 in terms of players drafted since the league expanded to 12 teams in 2011. It’s now tied for last with the Washington State Cougars having two guys taken this year and the Colorado Buffaloes getting one selection.

It could be worse, though: the Oregon State Beavers went pickless for the second year in a row.

Final Pac-12 NFL Draft Pick Count

- Washington, 8
- Stanford, 5
- Utah, 5
- Oregon, 4
- USC, 4
- ASU, 2
- WSU, 2
- Arizona, 1
- Colorado, 1
- UCLA, 1

— SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) April 27, 2019

The lack of recent draft picks is a reflection on the recruiting during the final years of Rich Rodriguez’s tenure. Current coach Kevin Sumlin figures to change this, if his time at Texas A&M is any indication, as the Aggies had at least three players taken each year while Sumlin was in charge.

Linebackers coach John Rushing indicated during spring practice that the current Arizona staff is focused on bringing in a different type of player, the kind that presumably could be more desirable by NFL teams.

“In this conference you’ve got to have size, a lot of times this last year we stepped on the field and we were the smallest team on the field,” Rushing said. “I think it was a different body size with the last staff, as far as the type of guys they recruited. I just think we’ve got to get more athletic and bigger. We’re moving forward, continuing to get guys who have the length and the frames to put on the weight.”

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Arizona DL PJ Johnson selected by Detroit Lions in 7th round of NFL Draft

Arizona baseball upsets No. 3 Stanford to snap losing streak

After an 11-9 loss to Grand Canyon this past Tuesday had dropped Arizona baseball to 18-20 this season and extended their losing streak to four games, UA head coach Jay Johnson admitted that it was a low point of his time in Tucson.

“It’s the most disappointed I’ve been in my time as the coach here,” Johnson said after the game. “We didn’t play at a level of emotional or physical investment that it requires to be a good Division I baseball team.”

With a trip to one of the best teams in college baseball looming, the loss seemed to be an omen that Arizona’s disappointing season was about to get even worse.

Well, only three days removed from that loss to GCU, the Wildcats just got their best win of the 2019 season.

The Wildcats defeated No. 3 Stanford, 6-3, on Friday night in Palo Alto.

Go figure.

Arizona rode an impressive start on the mound from their ace, Randy Labaut, and strong offensive performances from Justin Wylie and Nick Quintana to take the series opener against the highly-ranked Cardinal.

Labaut (4-3) got the win on the mound after throwing 6+ strong innings.

The big lefty allowed only four hits and three runs, while striking out another four and not issuing any walks in what was one of his best starts of the year.

The lack of walks was a huge factor in the victory, as the Wildcats came into the series dead last in the Pac-12 in walks per nine innings, a fact that’s certainly contributed to the team’s almost horrific season.

Without so many additional baserunners to manage, the Cats’ pitchers looked much more in control than usual on Friday night.

Arizona opened the scoring in the second inning, when Wylie hit a sacrifice fly to score Dayton Dooney to give the Cats an early 1-0 lead.

The UA soon extended their lead when Branden Boissierre’s first career extra-base hit drove in Dooney again to make it 2-0 in the fourth.

Labaut allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the frame, cutting Arizona’s lead in half, but their multiple run lead was soon restored when Quintana absolutely crushed a two-run home run to left-center field to make it 4-1 in the top of the fifth inning.

It was “Q”’s team-best 10^th HR of the season and he now has a team-high 45 RBIs as well.

Notably, it was Matt Dyer who was on base for Quintana’s home run. Dyer had singled to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, which is Arizona’s longest hitting streak in more than three seasons. He is also now hitting a team-best .396 - also good for 10th in the entire Pac-12.

Stanford got a run back in each of the fifth and seventh innings, bringing the score to a scary 4-3, before Wylie drove in two huge insurance runs in the eighth to make it 6-3 and to seal the victory for the Wildcats.

Wylie finished with three RBIs on the night and continued to take advantage of the additional playing time he has gotten in the wake of injuries to both Matt Fraizer and Jacob Blas.

The multidimensional Wylie started at second base on Friday.

Vince Vannelle, Avery Weems and Quinn Flanagan combined to work 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Cats to close out the upset.

The importance of the win shouldn’t be understated for an Arizona program who desperately needed it.

Not only was it the Wildcats’ first conference road victory of the season, but it came after a stretch of only one win in seven games and occurred against the best opponent Arizona had beat all season.

At 19-20 overall, an NCAA Tournament appearance is still a pipe-dream at this point.

Without the postseason, the year will likely be looked at as a disappointment.

A few more wins like the one on Friday night against Stanford, could go a long way in making the season actually somewhat enjoyable for the entire program — coaches, players and fans alike.

Arizona and Stanford are back at it tomorrow at 5 p.m. MST.

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Arizona softball wins sloppy game at Cal to extend winning streak to 21 games

Q&A with new Arizona commit Khary Crump

Hear from the second member of Wildcats’ 2020 class

The Arizona Wildcats hosted their annual Spring Game on April 13, and with it, hosted a lot of recruits on campus.

One such recruit was 3-star cornerback Khary Crump from Culver City, Calif.

The physical corner decided that seeing campus was enough and decided to pull the trigger, to everyone’s surprise.

Read on for that and more as we caught up to the newest member of UA’s 2020 recruiting class.

AZ Desert Swarm: You took a visit out to Arizona during the Spring Game. How did that visit go for you? What stood out to you the most?

Khary Crump: “It went very well. The atmosphere (stood out the most). And also the campus and meeting with Coach Meat (cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin). I feel like I can perform at a higher level with him coaching me. I mean, with the DBs he’s had recently, he’s had a lot of success. I feel he’ll have more success with me.”

AZDS: Arizona has a new, important facility for the football program with the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center. What did you think of the new indoor practice facility?

Crump: “It’s beautiful. The best part of that is, it gets hot in the summer there’s a great place to practice. It’s a great facility.”

AZDS: You committed while on campus. How did that decision come to fruition and who did you tell first, Demetrice Martin or Kevin Sumlin?

Crump: “I spoke to Coach Meat first. We were sitting in his office and we were talking about where I’d fit in. And I popped the question: ‘How would it look if I committed?’ Well, it looked good so I committed. Then I told Coach Sumlin after.”

AZDS: How did Coach Martin and Coach Sumlin react to your announcement?

Crump: “Happy but surprised. They weren’t expecting it. It surprised everybody.”

AZDS: During the Spring Game, CB McKenzie Barnes and S Christian Young came away with some turnovers. How do you feel Arizona’s DBs performed?

Crump: “I thought the DBs played well. They did their job, their part, very well.”

AZDS: Are there any DBs currently on Arizona’s roster that you strive to emulate or hope to take up the mantle, such as Lorenzo Burns or Jace Whittaker?

Crump: “No, not really. I haven’t done any research on any of the DBs. I just try to do what I do. I know what I need help with and I know what I’m good at.”

AZDS: Based off your experience during the Spring Game, how do you envision game days will be like in Arizona Stadium?

Crump: “I know the fanbase is really tight. The people from Tucson take it very seriously, they like to win. So I’ll try to take it like every other game. Not to serious or think too much about things. Just perform.”

AZDS: What aspects of your game are you trying to improve?

Crump: “Mainly playing off-man. I feel like if I can perfect my off-man, like I can guard someone without using my hands, that’ll put my game on the next level. That and improving my eyes, not always wanting to be so aggressive. Don’t jump on the double move, be disciplined.”

AZDS: What do you feel is your strongest attribute that you bring to the field?

Crump: “My best attribute is my on-the-line technique. I feel that if you slow down the receivers, it’s so much easier to guard them. If I get my hands on you at the line, it’s pretty much over. I’ve slowed you down. Now you pretty much don’t have much time, about 1-1.5 seconds, to run your route. It just makes my job that much easier.”

AZDS: What makes you excited about being a future Arizona Wildcat?

Crump: “Mainly the opportunity for success. It’s a new opportunity. I’m not in my home state. You know, a new place, new people. A new beginning and living on my own. Me trying to find myself and me being a man.”

---

As you can see from above, Crump has a lot of respect for Martin and trust in his coaching. And the two are not strangers. Meat extended an offer to Crump back in June 2018 and had been in contact with him from his time at UCLA.

Crump is extremely physical and tough for his size and he plays with confidence. He is one of the best cover corners I’ve seen in awhile and one of the best on the West Coast. As mentioned above, he does a great job of disrupting the receiver at the line and uses his hands effectively. One thing you notice when you flip on his film is that he is very good about turning his head around to locate the ball. That is usually the hardest aspect of the position to teach and he is proficient at it.

He will need to work on his aggressiveness as to not over-pursue or bite on double moves. He will also need train his eyes to catch more of the little nuances that receivers use to break coverage. Crump can also add about 10-15 pounds of muscle to his frame and still keep his speed.

Overall, he is a great piece to start the defense for the 2020 cycle.

His junior highlights are below.

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What to watch for when Arizona softball faces ‘scary’ Cal team in Berkeley

Hillary Edior bringing leadership, timely hitting to Arizona softball in senior season

MaxPreps’ 2015 California Large Schools All-State Softball team was a virtual who’s who of future Arizona Wildcats.

Taylor McQuillin, Reyna Carranco, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, Joelle Krist and Hillary Edior all made that list.

While McQuillin, Carranco and Palomino-Cardoza have been on the field for most of their Arizona careers, Edior has found a way to contribute regardless of her playing time.

“She’s just a leader on and off the field,” Palomino-Cardoza said. “Her growth throughout the last four years has been incredible. She’s someone I know that everyone can go to to talk to, to just get through stuff that they’re going through, and get help when they need it. So, she’s a leader in that aspect—just being someone to always talk to and not being scared to go up and say anything.”

Edior says her ability to speak her mind has been her greatest asset when it comes to growing into that leadership role. That’s just part of being the fourth of nine siblings.

“Growing up in a big family, you know you have to have a voice or you don’t get heard,” she explained.

Finding that voice wasn’t easy. She had to work on that, too.

“Girls, growing up, they don’t get their say,” Edior said. “My brothers are very over-protective, too.”

Although her leadership is often the first thing mentioned when others speak of Edior, it’s not to say that she hasn’t also had an impact on the field. She came to Arizona having played catcher and first base, but most of her contributions as a Wildcat have been as a designated player or pinch-hitter.

Her senior season got off to a slow start, but she’s raised her batting average to .333 after two months of lights-out hitting. Over that time, she’s hitting .565 in 23 at-bats, including two doubles and two home runs.

Her best day at the plate came against Utah on April 7 when she went 4 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored. She followed that up with an RBI in each of Arizona’s games against Grand Canyon before returning home to face Stanford.

In the Stanford series, Edior took over the role of designated player. Arizona coach Mike Candrea had his reasons.

“I think she’s got great potential,” Candrea said. “I thought it was a really good match-up for her considering that Stanford was trying to really hammer our hitters inside, and that’s one of her strengths in pulling the ball.”

Edior came through in a big way during the three-game series that included two run-rule victories. She had four hits and a walk in her seven plate appearances, while striking out only once. Two of those hits went for extra bases—a home run in the opening game and a double in the middle contest. For the series, she had a slugging percentage of 1.333 and an on-base percentage of .714.

That home run? It came on a drop ball inside, Edior said.

“That’s one of my favorites, for sure,” she said. “So is outside, so is a change-up, so is a rise ball... I’m just kidding. It’s my favorite pitch.”

Being ready to contribute when called on has taken some getting used to. Edior said it wasn’t easy to go from her role in high school, when she was an everyday player, to her role at Arizona.

“It’s not easy, but you definitely have to focus on the hitters in front of you,” she said. “So, take more at-bats with them.”

Her freshman season showed the growing pains. She started 13 games in 2016, including 11 at catcher, but she only hit .186 in her 43 at-bats. Coming off a high school career where she hit .592 and had her jersey retired, it wasn’t what she was used to.

By her sophomore season, her role had changed. She was primarily a pinch hitter. Edior excelled at it, hitting .526 in 29 games—26 as a pinch hitter.

Last year, she got the call at designated player 15 times, in what was an unsettled position for the team. Her numbers weren’t quite as good as her sophomore year, but she saw more time in the batter’s box.

Her senior season started out slow as well. She only got one hit over her first nine games. But as the year has progressed, she has increased her production.

Since early March, Edior has raised her batting average by 233 points. She has only gone hitless in three of her 11 appearances since March 5. Thirteen of her 14 hits and four of her six walks have come since the Wildcats’ double-header against New Mexico State.

Whether she’s called on to face that pitcher who loves to throw the inside pitch or to support her teammates, Edior has grown into the kind of player that Candrea praises. One who is ready when she’s called on and knows how to fill the role her team needs.

“I’m just really pleased the way she’s stayed engaged, stayed positive, has been a contributor any way that she can,” Candrea said. “You always worry with seniors that aren’t getting a lot of playing time that they may get disengaged, but what I can say about this group is they have not done that. And I think Hill continued to do the things that she needed to do every day to be prepared for a start, be prepared to be a pinch hitter, whatever it may be, and it paid off for her. And, so, I commend her. As a coach, that’s what you would want all of your players to be when they’re in particular roles. I wasn’t surprised that she had success, because she’s been preparing very well.”

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Arizona signee Josh Green underwent shoulder surgery

Arizona Wildcats signee Josh Green revealed Thursday that he recently underwent shoulder surgery after injuring it at the Nike Hoop Summit on April 12.

“One week post surgery now and I just wanted to thank everyone for their support,” he wrote on Twitter. “The labrum in my left shoulder had been torn for a while, but it dislocated in the Hoop Summit game, so I needed surgery. My (doctor) has been great and I’m glad that both shoulders are fully fixed now so I can start rehab and come back stronger and more motivated than ever.”

Per HopkinsMedical, a torn labrum “takes at least four to six weeks for the labrum to reattach itself to the rim of the bone, and probably another four to six weeks to get strong.”

Meanwhile, a dislocated shoulder can take anywhere from three to 12 weeks to recover from, per WebMD.

Given those timetables, Green should be ready to roll by the time the 2019-20 season tips off in November.

The five-star wing is expected to have a major role with the Wildcats from day one. The 6-foot-6 McDonald All-American is listed as the No. 12 recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports composite rankings.

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A look at Arizona soccer’s 2019 schedule, the incoming transfers, and the new recruiting rules

Arizona near bottom in NFL draft picks among Pac-12 schools

It’s been eight years since the Pac-12 Conference expanded from its previous 10-team iteration, and in that time the Arizona Wildcats have won a division title and appeared in five bowl games. While far from being the most successful team in the league during the Pac-12 era, Arizona is also not near the bottom when it comes to on-field performance.

The same can’t be said for NFL draft pick production.

With the 2019 NFL Draft set to begin Thursday night, Arizona sits 11^th in the league in players drafted since 2012.

NFL Draft Picks in the Pac-12 Era

1. Stanford, 30
UCLA, 30
3. USC, 29
4. Oregon, 22
5. Cal, 21
Washington, 21
7. Utah, 19
8. ASU, 15
9. OSU, 13
10. Colorado, 10
11. Arizona, 9
12. WSU, 8

— SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) April 22, 2019

The numbers have been even worse for Arizona in recent years, as six of its nine draft picks came from 2012-14. Only three Wildcats have had their names called in the previous four drafts, with safety Dane Cruikshank’s fifth-round selection by the Tennessee Titans last year the only one since 2017.

It’s unlikely any Arizona players will get drafted over the next three days. Mock drafts and draft big boards, such as this one from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, are devoid of Wildcats.

Wide receiver Shawn Poindexter, who tied the single-season school record with 11 touchdown catches last fall, is Arizona’s best shot at getting drafted. If he does he’d be the first Wildcat offensive player taken since Ka’Deem Carey went in the fourth round of the 2014 draft to the Chicago Bears.

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Speedy Jenna Kean boosting bottom of Arizona’s lineup

The sophomore right fielder is hitting .348 in the No. 9 spot

When Jenna Kean was a freshman last year, she hardly made a sound when she moved around Hillenbrand Stadium.

When she’d place her bag near Coach Mike Candrea in the dugout, she wouldn’t acknowledge him. When she’d duck into the Lapan Center, she’d keep her head down, eyes forward.

Eventually, Candrea reached a tipping point.

“Finally I said, ‘Jenna, can you say hello? Is that too much to ask? Are you having a bad day? You get up on the wrong side of the bed? We expect you to be present and say hello and know who’s around you,”’ he told Kean.

“She’s just one of those kids that sometimes you want to shake around a little bit and make sure that she’s there. She’s a funny kid. She’s not very emotional. ... But I think she’s starting to lighten up a little bit.”

Now a sophomore, Kean is having a breakout season and she credits it to just that—lightening up and not putting so much pressure on herself.

“I definitely think my attitude has gotten a lot better throughout these past couple months and my outlook on what I need to do, what am I expected to do during practice, games, and being a good teammate,” said Kean, a former top-50 recruit. “As a freshman I was coming from high school, where I did really well, to a bigger scene. And yeah, there’s a bit more pressure.”

The UA right fielder started in 37 games as a freshman and got a rather rude awakening. Playing through a dislocated shoulder, Kean hit .271 and, at one point, saw her batting average dip all the way to .211.

Those struggles only made her quieter.

“A lot of times kids will take their performances so personal that they tend to shut themselves off from the team,” Candrea said. “And I think that’s kind of part of the growth is understanding that if you have a bad at-bat, you still have to go and play defense, you still have to be part of the team, you still have to communicate. And we have numerous of those that have had to learn that. But that’s the fun part of the process.”

Kean has been more vocal as a sophomore, actually willing to approach her coaches. And not just to say hi, but to seek advice.

Good thing too, because the left-handed hitting Kean has one of the best to learn from in assistant coach Caitlin Lowe, a four-time All-American outfielder.

“Caitlin wasn’t a real vocal player, but Caitlin was present all the time,” Candrea said. “You never doubted that she was ready to go. And so when you have those opportunities, a lot of it is with these young kids is to understand the resources you have sitting around you every day and utilize them.

“That’s kind of how I grew up playing the game. I’d find a good player and I’d want to find out everything I could about what made them tick. And unfortunately, sometimes kids get in here as freshmen and they think they’ve arrived and they realize they haven’t arrived. And they have to kind of go through the down spin before they start realizing it. I’ve always said when the student arrives, the teacher can appear. And I think that’s a very powerful thing.”

Like Lowe, Kean is capable of slapping and swinging away. Doing a mix of both, Kean is hitting .348 heading into this weekend’s series at Cal, thriving in the No. 9 spot of a high-powered lineup.

The Wildcats lead the Pac-12 in runs scored (336). Not only has Kean set the table for the Hillenbrand Bombers at the top of the order — she has scored 25 times — but she has also driven in 10 runs.

“I think she’s starting to understand the game a little bit,” Candrea said. “I think early on she frustrated me sometimes because she gave away some at-bats, didn’t look like she really knew what she was trying to do. But I think the more she plays the game at this level, the more she has a better idea of what her strengths are and what the pitcher’s strengths are and what matches up to that.

“So I’m pleased with her development. It needs to continue, but I think the one thing I really like right now is she’s swinging away with some success. And if you look at the stats with runners on base, she’s done a pretty good job. You always hope you can find someone in that nine spot that can also drive in runs.”

When it comes to defense, Kean has yet to make an error and has a powerful arm, despite her rail-thin, 5-foot-8 frame. She’s used it to gun down two runners this year — and win many of the friendly competitions UA outfielders have at practice.

“It’s insane some of the throws that she does,” said center fielder Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza. “Jenna is this tiny thing and she just has a cannon for an arm.”

Oddly enough, Kean is big eater too.

“It’s really weird to look at her plate,” Palomino-Cardoza said. “I’m like, ‘Jenna, how do you eat all that?’ And she puts it away.”

Kean’s best quality is easier to spot.

“She’s got one thing you can’t teach and that’s above average speed,” Candrea said.

It makes her a threat to reach base any time she puts the ball in play, which she is doing more and more this season. Kean struck out every 3.2 at-bats as a freshman, but is only striking out every 4.9 at-bats as a sophomore.

“Like I always tell her, you can’t steal first base and we gotta find a way to get you to first,” Candrea said.

Kean has only stolen six bases this season, but would have more if the Wildcats weren’t so conservative. Arizona has been hitting so well that Candrea, also the third-base coach, is wary about running into outs.

“Back in the day, we probably would have laid down a bunt to move her to second, but with this team and the power that we have, you got 21 outs to deal with,” he said. “And you want to make sure if you take a chance, the chance is going to be at least 95 percent in your favor or else you go with something else. And I think Jenna will continue to develop both defensively and offensively. But she’s got a lot of tools.”

And, like her voice, she is learning how to use them.

“She’s starting to understand who she is and what she needs to do to be a good ballplayer at this level,” Candrea said. “And that’s the fun part of coaching—watching kids grow up.”

About that shoulder injury...

Kean dislocated her left (non-throwing) shoulder in the fall leading up to her freshman season, but opted to play through it and put off surgery until last June.

Kean said earlier this spring that the injury did not cause much discomfort last season, but then acknowledged Tuesday that she feels a lot better this year.

“During practice last year it did hold me back diving, doing simple things like that,” she said. “I would always feel it. But this year, I haven’t had any problems with it, and it’s been great.”

Has she been more comfortable swinging the bat too?

“Yes, yes,” Kean said.

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Arizona volleyball adds JUCO All-American Mahina Pua’a

Julia Patterson has excelled at Arizona volleyball’s setter for the last two seasons, but an injury during her sophomore season demonstrated just how important it is to have quality depth at a position that coach Dave Rubio calls the most important one on the court.

The Wildcats added that depth Wednesday with the signing of Mahina “Hina” Pua’a, a transfer from Iowa Western Community College.

Pua’a was selected First-Team NJCAA All-American for the 2018 season, when she helped the Iowa Western Reivers to third place at the NJCAA Tournament. She was selected all-conference in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference both her freshman and sophomore seasons, when she led the NJCAA in assists per set.

Arizona fans, please help us welcome the newest member of the Wildcats, 2018 first-team NJCAA All-American and 2017 and 2018 NJCAA assists/set leader ' !

» https://t.co/Tloq53r9rD pic.twitter.com/yQUj1whz6l

— Arizona Volleyball (@ArizonaVBall) April 24, 2019

Over her two seasons at Iowa Western, the Punahou High School (Honolulu, HI) product averaged 11.29 assists per set. She reached a high of 11.41 her sophomore season. She added 2.03 digs and .36 kills per set, but was a low-percentage attacker with a .132 career hitting percentage.

She will join Patterson and sophomore-to-be Julia Handy as the three setters on the team. For the last two seasons, Mackenzie Hernandez ran the scout team and backed up Patterson. With Hernandez graduating, Pua’a and Handy will compete to fill that role in the fall.

Pua’a is the second member of her family on the team. Her sister Emi, a senior defensive specialist/libero, is preparing for her second year at Arizona. Like her sister, Hina will have two years to play at Arizona and will be eligible to play immediately.

The Wildcats went 22-11 in 2018, falling to Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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Federal basketball trial: Defense attorney to ask again for Sean Miller testimony

Wiretaps played Wednesday repeatedly mentioned Arizona coach

Less than a week after a federal judge ruled that Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller would not be required to testify during the college basketball corruption trial, an attorney for one of the defendants will take a second stab at trying to make that happen.

Per Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports, the attorney for Christian Dawkins—who along with ex-Adidas consultant Merl Code is on trial in New York City on federal bribery counts—believes recent testimony makes it more relevant for Miller to take the stand.

Dawkins atty Steve Haney said since government brought up conversations between Dawkins and Sean Miller, he will file a motion Thursday morning to have Judge Ramos reconsider ruling that barred Miller from being called to testify for the defense.

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) April 24, 2019

Last Friday judge Edgardo Ramos ruled that Miller’s testimony, including whether he was involved in paying players, would be “irrelevant” to the trial. That may no longer be the case after Miller’s name was brought up repeatedly on wiretaps played in court Wednesday during the testimony of FBI informant Marty Blazer:

Hello again from Manhattan. Wiretaps were played today that brought about a lot of big names in college basketball, most notably, Christian Dawkins talking about Arizona coach Sean Miller.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

The context of these quotes came via undercover video on a yacht in New York City in June of 2017.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

Dawkins: "And the the thing with Book, Arizona is like, Sean Miller has to know everything that's going on. I can call Sean and have a conversation like, this is whats going on. Like, this is what's needing to be done. He's very -- like, he'll talk on the phone about ... "

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

At this point, Marty Blazer -- still on the witness stand -- said under direct examination that Dawkins was conveying Miller would "talk about inappropriate things with recruiting, paying the money and those sorts of things."

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

More Marty Blazer from the stand: "Sean Miller was taking care of everything for Deandre Ayton and his family."

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

Dawkins, caught on tap: "I need to talk to Sean because Book uses me. Him and Sean hate each other. It's a weird -- it's like a bad marriage."

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

More Dawkins, conveying what Sean Miller allegedly told him: "I'm taking care of everything myself. I wanna bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you."

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

Dawkins talking about Arizona, linking up with Book Richardson and Deandre Ayton: "If you're gonna fund those kind of guys, man, like, we'd be running college basketball." He is saying this on a yacht to two undercover agents, by the way.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2019

Miller has publicly denied any wrongdoing, though since making an emphatic statement as to such in March 2018 he’s been mostly silent. Arizona’s connection to the FBI investigation into college basketball corruption includes the conviction of former assistant coach Emanuel ‘Book’ Richardson, who is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty earlier this year.

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