# 1978 Arizona Wildcats baseball team

The 1978 Arizona Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Arizona during the 1978 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wildcats played their home games at Wildcat Field. The team was coached by Jerry Kindall in his 6th season at Arizona. The Wildcats finished 42-13 overall and placed 2nd in the Western Athletic Conference's Southern Division with a 13–5 record. After a single year gap, Arizona was selected to the postseason and was placed in the West Regional hosted by the University of Southern California at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles, California. The Wildcats lost their 1st game to USC before bouncing back to win their next 2 against Santa Clara and Cal State Fullerton. The team however lost their next game - a rematch with USC - to end their season. This would be Arizona's final season as members of the Western Athletic Conference, which they had been affiliated with for the previous 16 seasons. Beginning in 1979, the Wildcats would compete as members of the Pacific-10 Conference (later Pac-12 Conference) for the next 45 seasons, which they would remain in until leaving for the Big 12 Conference in 2024.

## Previous Season

The Wildcats finished the 1977 season with a record of 38-25-1 and 11–7 in conference play, finishing 2nd in the WAC Southern. Arizona would miss the postseason for the 1st time since Jerry Kindall's inaugural 1973 season.

## 1978 Schedule and results

1978 Arizona Wildcats Baseball Game Log :
| Regular Season ||||||
| Date | Opponent | Site/Stadium | Score | Overall Record | WAC Record |
| Feb 10 | Cal State Fullerton | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 8-3 | 1-0 | |
| Feb 13 | UC Santa Barbara | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 11-2 | 2-0 | |
| Feb 15 | UC Santa Barbara | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | L 0-5 | 2-1 | |
| Feb 15 | UC Santa Barbara | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 3-2 | 3-1 | |
| Feb 17 | Loyola Marymount | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 4-2 | 4-1 | |
| Feb 18 | Loyola Marymount | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 6-2 | 5-1 | |
| Feb 18 | Loyola Marymount | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 11-6 | 6-1 | |
| Feb 20 | Azusa Pacific | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 23-7 | 7-1 | |
| Feb 21 | Azusa Pacific | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | L 0-4 | 7-2 | |
| Feb 24 | UCLA | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 3-0 | 8-2 | |
| Feb 25 | UCLA | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 5-3 | 9-2 | |
| Feb 25 | UCLA | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 6-3 | 10-2 | |
| Feb 28 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 4-3 | 11-2 | |
| Feb 28 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 10-2 | 12-2 | |
| Mar 6 | Grand Canyon | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 8-3 | 13-2 | |
| Mar 7 | at Grand Canyon | Brazell Field • Phoenix, AZ | W 12-3 | 14-2 | |
| Mar 9 | La Verne | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 12-1 | 15-2 | |
| Mar 10 | La Verne | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 6-4 | 16-2 | |
| Mar 11 | La Verne | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 8-4 | 17-2 | |
| Mar 15 | at Arizona State | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 1-8 | 17-3 | |
| Mar 16 | Northern Arizona | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 9-0 | 18-3 | |
| Mar 17 | Eastern Michigan | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 20-1 | 19-3 | |
| Mar 18 | Grand Canyon | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 4-2 | 20-3 | |
| Mar 19 | Arizona State | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | L 4-7 | 20-4 | |
| Mar 22 | at Tulane | Tulane Diamond • New Orleans, LA | W 6-0 | 21-4 | |
| Mar 22 | at Tulane | Tulane Diamond • New Orleans, LA | W 5-4 | 22-4 | |
| Mar 24 | at Mississippi State | Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS | L 6-9 | 22-5 | |
| Mar 25 | vs Mississippi State | Smith-Wills Stadium • Jackson, MS | W 5-2 | 23-5 | |
| Mar 26 | vs Mississippi State | Smith-Wills Stadium • Jackson, MS | L 3-4 | 23-6 | |
| Mar 30 | Northern Arizona | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 7-4 | 24-6 | |
| Mar 31 | Northern Arizona | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 13-1 | 25-6 | |
| Apr 1 | Northern Arizona | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 15-3 | 26-6 | |
| Apr 7 | at New Mexico | Lobo Field • Albuquerque, NM | W 10-8 | 27-6 | 1-0 |
| Apr 8 | at New Mexico | Lobo Field • Albuquerque, NM | W 12-4 | 28-6 | 2-0 |
| Apr 8 | at New Mexico | Lobo Field • Albuquerque, NM | W 12-4 | 29-6 | 3-0 |
| Apr 14 | UTEP | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 12-1 | 30-6 | 4-0 |
| Apr 15 | UTEP | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | L 7-11 | 30-7 | 4-1 |
| Apr 15 | UTEP | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 7-3 | 31-7 | 5-1 |
| Apr 20 | at Arizona State | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 9-15 | 31-8 | 5-2 |
| Apr 21 | at Arizona State | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 8-10 | 31-9 | 5-3 |
| Apr 22 | at Arizona State | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | L 10-11 | 31-10 | 5-4 |
| Apr 28 | at UTEP | Dudley Field • El Paso, TX | W 11-0 | 32-10 | 6-4 |
| Apr 29 | at UTEP | Dudley Field • El Paso, TX | W 8-3 | 33-10 | 7-4 |
| Apr 29 | at UTEP | Dudley Field • El Paso, TX | W 7-2 | 34-10 | 8-4 |
| May 5 | New Mexico | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 4-3 | 35-10 | 9-4 |
| May 7 | New Mexico | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 9-6 | 36-10 | 10-4 |
| May 7 | New Mexico | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 12-3 | 37-10 | 11-4 |
| May 11 | Arizona State | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 5-3 | 38-10 | 12-4 |
| May 12 | Arizona State | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 10-7 | 39-10 | 13-4 |
| May 13 | Arizona State | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | L 6-11 | 39-11 | 13-5 |
| May 20 | BYU | Wildcat Field • Tucson, AZ | W 8-4 | 40-11 | |
| NCAA West Regional ||||||
| May 26 | at USC | Dedeaux Field • Los Angeles, CA | L 2-3 | 40-12 | |
| May 27 | vs Santa Clara | Dedeaux Field • Los Angeles, CA | W 13-5 | 41-12 | |
| May 28 | vs Cal State Fullerton | Dedeaux Field • Los Angeles, CA | W 7-3 | 42-12 | |
| May 28 | at USC | Dedeaux Field • Los Angeles, CA | L 1-2 | 42-13 | |

### West Regional

West Regional Teams :
| Cal State Fullerton Titans | Santa Clara Broncos | USC Trojans | Arizona Wildcats |

## 1978 MLB Draft

| Player | Position | Round | Overall | MLB Team |
| David Crutcher | RHP | 3 | 72 | Texas Rangers |
| Les Pearsey | INF | 8 | 198 | Minnesota Twins |
| Ray Murillo | RHP | 11 | 278 | Chicago White Sox |
| Raymond Manship | RHP | 28 | 651 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Craig Chamberlain | RHP | 1 (6sc) | 2 | Kansas City Royals |