This weekend, #11 Stanford baseball will have a road series at #16 Arizona. Game 1 will be on Saturday at 5:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks; game 2 will be on Sunday at 12:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Arizona; game 3 will be on Monday at 6:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks. Stanford comes in at 9-5 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12 while Arizona comes in at 13-4 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Stanford took one out of three games against Oregon last weekend, winning the final game of the series on Sunday by a final score of 10-6. As a result, Stanford fell from #5 to #11 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, which is the primary poll this site uses.
RECAP: #5 Stanford picks up Sunday win over Oregon
On Arizona: The Wildcats are off to a strong start this season, taking two out of three games on the road at Cal before picking up a win at Pacific in their most recent outings. Junior outfielder Tanner O’Tremba has the top batting average on the team, hitting .464 on the year to go along with two home runs, 22 RBIs, a .558 on base percentage, and a .725 slugging percentage. The other player hitting above .400 is sophomore catcher Daniel Susac, who is hitting .407 to go along with three home runs, 23 RBIs, a .438 on base percentage, and a .679 slugging percentage.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher TJ Nichols is the top pitcher for the Wildcats with a 2.45 ERA and a 2-0 record in four starts. Junior right-handed pitcher Quinn Flanagan is having a great season out of the bullpen with a 2-1 record and a 1.42 ERA despite just one start on the season. So, the Wildcats have some bullpen depth as well.
Keys to the series: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is keep O’Tremba and Susac in check. If those guys heat up, they could get swept in this series. If Stanford is able to pitch well against those two guys, they’ll give themselves a great chance to take two out of three games.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is have timely hitting. There have been too many instances this season where Stanford has failed to get a hit when the really needed one. Leaving guys on base and not building as much of a lead as they could. It’s not just about how many hits, but when you get the hits. If Stanford can get hits in the right moments, that’ll go a long way to having a solid series in the desert.
Finally, I sound like a broken record here, but junior center fielder Brock Jones has to have at least one big game. On the road, your stars have to step up and so far Jones just isn’t having the type of impact that he’s supposed to have: .250 average, zero home runs, three RBIs, and .333 slugging percentage. Now, he does have a .438 on base percentage, so that part is going well for him, but he’s gotta start getting more hits and driving in runs.
Prediction: Given how Stanford played last week and how good Arizona is, this is going to be a tough series. Especially with it being on the road. I’m going to say Arizona wins the series, but Stanford picks up a game. If Stanford is able to actually take two out of three in this one, that’ll be really impressive and a huge bounce back from last week.
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