UA Baseball Headed to Miami After Sweep at Ann Arbor Regionals

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The Wildcats won three in a row in Ann Arbor this weekend, earning them their second-ever trip to super regionals.

By University Communications June 2, 2008

The University of Arizona baseball team swept its way through the Ann Arbor regional this weekend with a 5-3 win over Kentucky in the championship game on Sunday.

The victory, which followed wins over Eastern Michigan on Friday and Michigan on Saturday, advanced the Wildcats (41-17) to their second-ever super regional appearance next weekend.

This is the 16th regional championship in Arizona history.

Pitcher Eric Berger, who shut out Arizona State’s Pac-10 leading offense over 5 2/3 innings in the regular season finale the previous weekend, held the UK offense in check over 7 1/3 innings to help seal the championship game.

The southpaw allowed just three runs on five hits while tying his career high with 11 strikeouts, earning Berger his eighth victory of the season.

Sophomore closer Jason Stoffel, who was named the regional MVP, retired the UK side in order, sandwiching strikeouts around a fly out to left, to extend his single season school record to 13 successful save conversions this season.

Offensively, Arizona jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when freshman Bobby Coyle hit his first career home run. The two-run shot plated T.J. Steele, who had a single one batter earlier, and marked the first pinch hit home run for the UA this season.

The UA added two more in the top of the fourth for a 4-0 advantage on a squeeze bunt by Dwight Childs that brought home Steele from third and a run-scoring base hit by Bryce Ortega one batter later.

Kentucky scored on a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, followed by another solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Arizona answered in the top of the seventh, scoring one run and making the score 5-2.

UK cut the lead to two in the eighth with a RBI double, but the dominant UA bullpen didn't allow any more runs, making the final score 5-3.

Arizona will head to Coral Gables, Fla., next weekend for the best-of-three super regional against the top-seeded Miami Hurricanes.