Bearing down:
The Arizona Wildcats are just one win away from the College World Series.
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Amid a throng of rabid, maroon-and-white-clad Mississippi State baseball fans, Bobby Dalbec was the fiercest bulldog in the building.
Pitching on short rest with a big heart and a devastating change-up, the Arizona junior shut down favored MSU — and put UA on the brink of returning to the College World Series.
Not even a suspiciously timed power outage could stop Dalbec and the Wildcats, who defeated the SEC champion Bulldogs 1-0 in front of 12,193 stunned spectators Friday at Dudy Noble Field.
“I knew he would respond extremely well,” UA coach Jay Johnson said. “That’s who he is. That’s who our team is.”
One more victory in the best-of-three super regional will send the Wildcats to Omaha, where they won the College World Series in their last appearance in 2012. Arizona (43-21) had to win three elimination games in the rain-delayed Lafayette Regional to get to this point.
“One of our strong suits is, we don’t flinch,” Johnson said. “We played four
games in 31 hours in the NCAA Tournament last weekend.”
Those happened Sunday and Monday. Dalbec won the first of the elimination games Sunday night. He returned to the mound on four days’ rest, which is less than what college pitchers usually get. Of course, Dalbec won’t be a collegian much longer.
His afternoon began with the news that the Boston Red Sox had selected him in the fourth round of the MLB draft. He found out from teammate Casey Bowman, who texted him. Dalbec’s family was following along from afar via MLB’s webcast and social media.
Dalbec then pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings against a lineup featuring six .300 hitters and one .400 hitter. He described the day as a “whirlwind.”
“It’s been pretty wild,” Dalbec said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen this morning. It ended up working out for me.
“I just did my thing on the mound. I just got ready, prepared, kept a narrow focus and got the job done.”
The 37-minute delay because of the power outage in the middle of the eighth inning tested Dalbec’s resolve. It came at the most inopportune time, as he had just retired 11 consecutive batters.
Dalbec did his best to stay loose and focused while waiting for the lights to come back on. No one would have blamed Johnson for taking Dalbec out at that point. But that thought never crossed Johnson’s mind. “There was no decision,” he said. Dalbec doesn’t show much emotion. But he clearly was fired up on the field after the game.
After finishing an on-field media interview, Dalbec hugged UA Athletic Director Greg Byrne. Johnson wanted some of that action, too. He and Dalbec embraced.
“That kid’s a stud,” said UA’s J.J. Matijevic, who drove in the game’s lone run with an RBI double in the sixth inning.