Arizona outfielder Jared Oliva (Shotgun Spratling)

Fall Report: Arizona

Arizona knows it won’t be easy to replace the core of last year’s CWS runner-up team. Six of the team’s seven most important players from that squad are gone — Cody Ramer, Zach Gibbons, Ryan Aguilar and Bobby Dalbec from the lineup, plus Dalbec, Nathan Bannister and Kevin Ginkel from the pitching staff.

Just one proven star returns — fearless lefthander JC Cloney, who turned down overtures to sign as a nondrafted free agent after his CWS star turn and opted to return to Arizona for his senior year. Coach Jay Johnson calls him the team’s most important[…]