
There’s no doubt that Garrett Irvin didn’t like the way his 2021 season ended, with short and unproductive outings in the Super Regionals and College World Series.
Now he knows those won’t be the final starts of his Arizona career.
Irvin, a left-handed pitcher who served as the Wildcats’ No. 2 starter all season, announced Wednesday night he was returning for another year.
Well Zona… Let’s run it back!! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/32QU1u6C4C
— Garrett (@garrettirvin_) July 15, 2021
The fourth-year junior was not picked in the 2021 MLB Draft, increasing the chances he’d return to school. He had entered the NCAA transfer portal prior to the July 1 deadline but is opting to rejoin his old teammates under new coach Chip Hale.
Irvin went 6-4 in 18 starts in 2021, throwing a pair of complete games including a 3-hit shutout of UC Santa Barbara in the regionals. But he followed that with only 1.2 innings in a Super Regionals loss to Ole Miss and then lasted just 2.1 innings in Arizona’s CWS elimination loss to Stanford.
There’s a chance Arizona could have both its main starting pitchers back for next year. Righty Chase Silseth, who was drafted in the 11th round by the Los Angeles Angels, could return to the UA if he doesn’t get offered a large enough signing bonus.