Saturday night was the highest of highs for Arizona, winning the final Pac-12 regular season title in dramatic fashion with a walkoff at Hi Corbett Field. But Monday brought a return to reality, as the Wildcats put forth a less than enthusiastic practice in preparation for the conference tournament.

“I’ll give you a pass today, but tomorrow let’s have a good one,” Chip Hale said he told the team afterward. “Be ready for Wednesday. Washington’s gonna bring everything they have at us.”

Arizona (33-20) opens the Pac-12 Tournament at 7 p.m. PT Wednesday against the ninth-seeded Huskies (19-29-1) in the first of two pool play games at Scottsdale Stadium. The Wildcats also face No. 6 Cal (34-18) on Thursday night, and as the No. 1 seed only need to win once to earn a spot in Friday’s semifinals.

“Our attitude going in is we want to win every game,” Hale said. “We want to win every inning, you want to win every out, so we’re going to do the best we can to win it. There will be some times during Wednesday’s game where they need to get their feet back on the ground. It may not start great, I know that.”

With that in mind, though, the UA won’t throw any of its three weekend starters in the opener, going with left-hander Bradon Zastrow in what will be a bullpen game akin to the May 7 win at ASU. That would line up lefty Jackson Kent to face Cal, then have righty Clark Candiotti for the semis and righty Cam Walty for Saturday’s Pac-12 title game.

“We didn’t want to push Kent up a day again,” Hale said. “This way he gets seven days, and then for the regional (all three starters) will get even one more day.”

Kent has allowed five runs in three consecutive starts after having a 2.41 ERA through his first 11 outings. Hale said the redshirt sophomore’s arm is fine, it was just a matter of leaving his changeup up in the zone against a potent Oregon State offense, which knocked him out after three innings last Thursday.

Regardless of what happens in Scottsdale this week, Arizona will be in next week’s NCAA Tournament. That wasn’t the case a year ago when the Wildcats had to get to the Pac-12 final to sneak into the NCAA field, beating ASU and Oregon State to win its pool and then run-ruling top seed Stanford before falling to Oregon in the title game.

The different scenarios shouldn’t create different approaches to the tourney, infielder Garen Caulfield said.

“I think it’s just continuing to play the game one pitch at a time and treating every game like we have nothing to lose and playing with house money,” said Caulfield, one of eight Wildcats to earn all-conference honors.

Some added motivation could come from starting with a Washington team that took two of three from Arizona late last month in Seattle. The Wildcats won the first game 3-2, dropped the middle 4-3 and led 8-3 in the 8^th before blowing the lead and falling in 13 innings.

“I think the guys felt like we should have won two out of three,” Hale said. “I think that adds a little juice to it.”

Hale defers Coach of the Year praise

Asked about winning Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Hale was quick to credit everyone around him for what he called a “staff award.” The players say otherwise.

“I think he’s played a role in every step of success we’ve had,” Caulfield said. “He’s kept our heads straight. We weren’t picked to finish very high, as you guys know, and we used that as a chip on our shoulder and Chip just continued to put together good plans for every practice and all the games and everything. So it’s very exciting to see him win.”

Added Candiotti: “Just keeping everyone together and making sure that everyone’s on the same page and no one’s getting left behind, so to speak. Making sure everyone’s right at the top, right at that level and just always moving forward. Never getting stuck on events in the past.”

The first person in conference history to win both Player and Coach of the Year awards in baseball, Hale said his ability to be patient with a young team was his biggest goal for the season.

“The one thing about coming from the pro side to the college side is … if you’re out of the game, you don’t have a good start to it, you have 144 in the minor leagues and have 162 in the big leagues, so be it,” he said. “But every game is a World Series in college. It’s so super important to win every game. And so to be patient through a 9-inning game, understand that there’s going toand flows, which I do. So just be patient. And if they need a little jab, or a little kick in the butt, know when to do that. I think that’s been probably my biggest goal this year.”

Injury update

Arizona’s outfield situation became so injury depleted last weekend against Oregon State that reliever Casey Hintz, recruited as a two-way player, was forced into starting the last two games in center. But heading into the Pac-12 tourney, reinforcements may be on the way.

Hale said freshman Easton Breyfogle, who has out since pulling a hamstring at Washington on April 27, is “close” to returning and could be in the lineup Wednesday night. Senior Emilio Corona and redshirt freshman TJ Adams are both expected to be on the tourney roster, which at 30 is three more than for Pac-12 games, but neither are likely to be able to hit.

Corona, who was hit on the right hand with a pitch on Thursday, can’t grip a bat yet but could pinch run—he was in consideration for that Saturday night in the 9^th inning—and possibly play defense. Adams, who injured his right shoulder crashing into the wall at Utah on May 10, has yet to resume baseball activities but could run the bases if needed.

ARIZONA — Change is coming to the Arizona Cardinals.

After debate all offseason of where tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Jonah Williams would play moving into 2024, we finally have an answer.

“Jonah [Williams] is going to go right. Paris [Johnson] is going to go left. We’ll see how that looks,” Gannon told reporters yesterday as OTA’s began.

“I think it’s going to be good – Paris obviously playing both – Jonah playing both. We’ll start there and see how it goes. … That’s what they’re both comfortable with right now. We’ll see how it looks.”

Gannon said he ultimately has “veto” power over the move, citing things can be flipped back at any point.

Johnson – the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft – spent his rookie season at right tackle after playing left tackle at Ohio State the year prior.

Many believe left tackle is Johnson’s natural position, and with D.J. Humphries now out of the picture, he can anchor Murray’s blindside for years to come.

Even if it means switching sides from BFF and Cardinals right guard Will Hernandez.

“We’ve made eye contact a couple of times where we kind of just look at each other… and we kind of just snap back into it,” Hernandez joked after Monday’s practice.

“But at the end of the day, we all are here to do what’s best for the team. Nobody here is thinking about themselves or where they want to play. So we’re all good with whatever the coaches want to do. Either way, I know he’s gonna thrive out there on the left side, and he’s gonna do a hell of a job. I’m excited to see it.”

Center Hjalte Froholdt agreed.

“All I know is Paris has taken responsibility on being the left tackle and kind of the guy on the left side. He looks smooth, looks natural. He’s played there before,” said Froholdt.

“He’s at a different level too. I think for him heading into year two compared to rookie year where it’s like, ‘OK, now I’m taking an extra step. I want to be even better than what I was’. He’s like, ‘I know what is expected of me. The game, the tempo and everything’. So it’s really cool to see where Paris is at even with a little caveat of switching positions.”

The switch also signals Williams will stay at right tackle for a second straight year after making the switch for the Cincinnati Bengals last season. Williams requested a trade after Cincinnati signed left tackle Orlando Brown (which kicked Williams to the other side).

Williams eventually rescinded the request and played at RT in 2023 for the Bengals, a position he also played at for Alabama at the beginning of his college career. Williams inked a two-year, $30 million deal with the Cardinals this offseason.

Hernandez isn’t worried about developing a rapport with his new running mate on the right side.

“It’ll be easy. These guys aren’t bringing in just regular Joe’s – Jonah’s a dog. I really like him,” Hernandez said.

“Same thing [happened] with Paris. We’re clicking quick. He’s also a vet. He knows what it is and how it’s supposed to look and what you’re supposed to do. I really like it. I like his mindset. And I think we’re gonna do big things get on the right side.”

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) – A 14,000 acre wildfire, named the Wildcat Fire, was 0% contained on Monday.

It sparked in the Tonto National Forest on Saturday, and high winds stopped firefighters efforts from the air.

One gate is closed for travel as a major fire burns through short grass and brush within Tonto National Forest.

“I mean, it was concerning, I guess the first night that we saw it just because we could see it right over the top of this house right here,” said Lucas Raymond, an Arizona resident.

Clearing the lot

Raymond and his family live in nearby Rio Verde. They’re ready to go in case the fire makes an unexpected turn.

They protected their home by clearing the lot around their neighborhood.

“Yeah, I mean, we have a three year old so I mean, we, we stay mobile as much as we possibly can, but we definitely have a plan if we need to get out of here. We can get out of here,” Raymond spoke.

Other residents nearby taking the risks in stride.

Hopeful

Hoping the weather and the universe will corporative, Nina Devries moved here just about a year ago and she’s feeling hopeful.

“We have hoses around the building. Several of them and they are connected so we would pick them up and try to keep things dry. But, basically just say positive and know that it’s going to be taken care of,” Devries expressed.

Those strong winds with around 40 mile per hour gusts forcing crews to ground their air units for a few hours.

On Monday, they’ll send them back up once the weather gets better, and around 300 fire personnel are battling the blaze right now and a lot of work lies ahead to contain this fire.

Good news

But there’s good news, humidity is up and temperatures are down.

There was also a little rain for the neighbors on Monday. It’s anything that will keep their homes fire free.

“Oh, it would be devastating. People love this area out here. I mean, the the residents out here fight for, fight for it out here. It’s not the easiest place to live,” Raymond added.

On Sunday afternoon, officials confirmed another wildfire, named the Basin Fire. It is burning southeast of the Wildcat Fire, but forward progress for this fire has reportedly been stopped.