Kevin Vance has instilled a competitive edge in UA pitchers, who are thriving on his watch

First-year Arizona pitching coach Kevin Vance has fast-forwarded the technical revolution for the Wildcats, using analytics to get the best out of the UA staff. So far, it has worked: Arizona’s pitching has improved across the board entering this weekend’s series at Cal.

But Vance isn’t just a data nerd. He was a two-way player at UConn and played pro ball for seven years, advancing as high as Triple-A in the Diamondbacks’ organization. Is he into computers? Yes. But he also stresses competitiveness — on every single pitch.

One of Vance’s favorite catchphrases illustrates that: “We gotta get to 0-2, 1-2 or die trying.”

It’s indisputably advantageous for pitchers to be ahead in the count. According to 6-4-3 Charts, a data management company that works with NCAA baseball programs, batters hit .158 with 0-2 counts and .170 with 1-2 counts last season.

Executing it is easier said than done.

“I say that almost every day to the guys,” Vance said of his 0-2/1-2 mantra. “I do think that is mental — just being dedicated to their craft and taking it truly one pitch at a time.”

Led by their trio of weekend starters — Jackson Kent, Clark Candiotti and Cam Walty — UA pitchers are striking out more batters than the past two seasons, walking fewer and allowing fewer runs.

Arizona’s K/9 rate of 9.40 ranks fourth in the Pac-12. That figure was 8.20 last year and 7.61 in 2022.

Arizona’s BB/9 rate of 2.79 ranks third nationally. It was 3.48 last year and 3.92 in ’22.

Kent, Candiotti and Walty all have BB/9 rates under 3.00. So do relievers Kyler Heyne, Casey Hintz, Dawson Netz, Tony Pluta and Jaeden Swanberg. Pluta, a sophomore right-hander, has yet to walk a batter in 14⅔ innings.

“He does a really good job with his process on each pitch,” Vance said. “He’s a super bright kid. He’s a machine out there. Whatever pitch is called, I really like the chances of him executing it.”

For the most part, Arizona’s weekend starters have eased the burden on the bullpen. Kent and Candiotti have pitched at least five innings in all 14 of their starts. Candiotti took it to a higher level last Friday, throwing a complete game against UCLA. He allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) while walking one batter and striking out 12.

“That was fun for me,” Vance said. “It was like playing video games, because he had all three pitches working. And he did in the bullpen.

“Sometimes those are your worst starts. He just kept it going. He was really good. It was really easy.

“And the cool thing about what he has done, and Kent and Walty, when they don’t have it like he did the other day, they’re still giving us a chance to win.”

Arizona’s team ERA of 4.27 ranks second in the Pac-12 and is significantly lower than last year’s mark of 5.97, which ranked 10th. The Wildcats’ WHIP has dropped from 1.62 to 1.38.

Halfway through the regular season, Chip Hale’s decision to bring Vance aboard from Boston College has been an unqualified success. At times, the pitching staff has carried the team while the offense has been up and down — a major departure from Hale’s first two squads.

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“There’s a certain standard that Kevin has instilled in the group,” Hale said. “And if guys aren’t up to that standard, they’re not going to pitch in games. …

“We knew at the outset they were going to have to carry us a little bit. It’s good to be able to lean on it.”

Going back to Cali?

This weekend’s series at Cal — followed by a non-conference game at Stanford — marks the last scheduled trip for Arizona to the state of California.

The Wildcats have played at least two road series a year in California as members of the Pac-12. That will change when the UA joins the Big 12 later this year.

“The sad part of it is losing out on the California visits,” said Hale, who grew up in the Bay Area. “The other ones, not so much.”

Hale is working toward making sure Arizona still plays baseball in California, which is relatively easy to get to from Tucson and is always flush with high school prospects. Scheduling those series should be easier in the Big 12, which, unlike the Pac-12, won’t have a bye during conference play. That will extend the preseason by one week.

“We’ll continue to try to go at least every year (or) every other year, something, whether it’s San Diego, whether it’s L.A., whether it’s Northern California,” Hale said.

The UA canceled a game against Nevada to play at Stanford on Monday for a few reasons. One is that redshirt freshman infielder Xavier Esquer is the son of Cardinal coach David Esquer. Another is that Hale wanted some of his younger players to experience Sunken Diamond. Hale also figured it would be a better RPI game, although Stanford is just 11-15 entering its weekend series vs. Washington State.

The Wildcats host the Cardinal May 3-5.

Inside pitch

Freshman outfielder Easton Breyfogle isn’t making the trip as he recovers from an illness. Candiotti, also recovering from an illness, is having his start pushed back a day to Sunday.

Despite a slow start, Arizona (14-13, 7-5 Pac-12) earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament projections put out by D1Baseball.com and Baseball America this week. Both outlets have the Wildcats as a 3-seed.

Cal (16-10, 5-7) ranks second in the Pac-12 with 43 home runs. Catcher Caleb Lomavita, a possible first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, has 11 homers, tied for second in the conference with Arizona’s Mason White. Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana has a league-high 16. The three are tied for the top in the RBI race with 39 apiece.

The Golden Bears rank ninth in the league with a 5.14 ERA. Before defeating Pacific 17-1 on Tuesday, Cal got swept at ASU. The Sun Devils scored 33 runs in the series.

Hale said each Big 12 team will play 30 regular-season conference games. After the league expands this year, and loses Oklahoma and Texas, it will have 14 baseball programs. Each school will play 10 three-game series and will skip three opponents annually.