17 current/future Wildcats participating in summer wood bat leagues
Another regular contributor on Arizona’s 2022 squad is looking elsewhere for 2023.
Noah Turley is the eighth Wildcat to put his name into the NCAA transfer portal, doing so after one season in Tucson that saw him split time at first base and designated hitter.
A transfer from Yavapai College, Turley hit .226 with eight home runs and 32 RBI in 50 games (43 starts). The 6-foot-4 Turley started the first 12 games at first base before freshman Tommy Splaine started to supplant him at that position.
Turley, whose younger brother Gavin Turley is a Oregon State signee who is expected to be picked him in next month’s MLB Draft, started three games in the Pac-12 Tournament and once in the NCAA regionals.
The other UA players in the portal include third baseman Tony Bullard, right-handed pitcher Chandler Murphy, lefty Javyn Pimental. Bullard and Murphy are draft-eligible, with Bullard expected to get selected next month.
17 current, incoming Wildcats participating in summer wood bat leagues
The work doesn’t stop for many Arizona players, who since their season ended in the Coral Gables Regional earlier this month have spread out across the country to play in a variety of summer wood bat leagues.
The most well-known of these leagues, the Cape Cod League, is where shortstop Nik McClaughry and outfielder Chase Davis are playing. McClaughry is playing for the Orleans Firebirds and Davis is on the Wareham Gatemen.
The league with the most UA guys is the California Collegiate League, where six Wildcats are playing. Second baseman Garen Caulfield and right-handed pitcher Anthony Susac are on the Lincoln Potters, outfielder Tanner O’Tremba is on the Santa Barbara Foresters and first baseman/catcher Tommy Splaine is with the Walnut Creek Crawdads, the same team as incoming freshman infielder Demetrio Crisantes.
Of the 17 UA-connected players, seven are from the incoming 2022 recruiting class. Outfielder Kiko Romero, who helped lead Central Arizona College to the NJCAA World Series title, is playing for the Corvallis (Ore.) Knights in the West Coast League.