Arizona coach Jay Johnson was anxiously looking forward to his team heading to Texas to see how it could do against some top-tier opponents at the Frisco College Baseball Classic.
Four days and four wins later, not only does Johnson have a pretty good idea of the Wildcats’ potential in 2021 but so does the entire sport.
The UA (10-2) completed a 4-game sweep in Frisco with Sunday’s 8-4 victory over Missouri, its ninth consecutive win overall. Arizona outscored its foes 55-26 in the tourney.
The Wildcats went up 3-0 in the top of the second on back-to-back home runs by Branden Boissiere and Jacob Berry, but Missouri tied it in the bottom of the frame on a 3-run homer off UA starter TJ Nichols.
Arizona took a 4-3 lead in the six when Boissiere scored on a wild pitch, then the Wildcats broke it open with a 4-run seventh that included a bases-loaded walk by Berry, a sacrifice fly from Kobe Kato and a 2-out, 2-run single by Daniel Susac.
Boissiere went 3 for 5, raising his season average to .500, while Susac and Daniel Hogate had two hits apiece and Berry, Boissiere and Susac each had two RBI.
Nichols went 5.2 innings, striking out six en route to his third win in as many starts. Three relievers then combined to allow just a run and four hits over the final 3.1 innings.
Arizona returns home for its final weekend of nonconference competition before Pac-12 play, hosting Wichita State for three games beginning Thursday night and then taking on Air Force on Sunday.
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