Local talent brings high hopes for Arizona baseball in 2023

BY COLE JOHNSON @cjwildcat2000

It is safe to say that Chip Hale’s first season as the head coach of Arizona baseball was a success. The team went 39-25 (16-14) on the season and went to the NCAA regionals as the No. 2 seed in the Coral Gables Regional.

The offense did well last season hitting .286 as a team with 391 RBIs, 74 home runs and a .462 slugging percentage, averaging just over 6.5 runs per game.

However, the lineup is taking a significant hit before the 2023 season. Outfielder Blake Paugh is out of eligibility and star catcher Daniel Susac was drafted by the Oakland Athletics 19th overall in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The draft also took outfielders Tanner