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Just to be clear, the Star’s Mount Rushmore series is for entertainment purposes only. No one who earns a spot gets a trophy or even a certificate.
Still, when Kurt Heyer found out he’d made the final four on our Arizona baseball Mount Rushmore, he was gobsmacked.
“I'm very, very honored that my name would even cross your mind,” Heyer said. “So thank you very much for that.”
You’re welcome, Kurt. But please know that you wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think you deserved it.
Heyer was the ace of the 2012 Wildcat squad that won the program’s fourth College World Series championship. He’s indisputably one of the best starting pitchers in UA history.
He’s also the only pitcher who made the baseball Mount Rushmore. The other members of the quartet are outfielders Terry Francona and Dave Stegman and infielder Chip Hale.
By sheer coincidence, each represents one of Arizona’s CWS champs: 1976 (Stegman), 1980 (Francona), 1986 (Hale) and 2012 (Heyer).
How good was Heyer that year? Try 13-2 with a 2.24 ERA and seven complete games. No one won more games across the nation than Heyer. He was a consensus second-team All-American.
Incredibly, Heyer disclosed in an interview with the Star that everything he achieved at Arizona was spoken into existence by then-UA head coach Andy Lopez. Or, more specifically, written into existence.
“Lopez was the only coach that actually handwrote his letters to his recruits,” Heyer said. “I thought that was very special. I actually still have one of his written letters. He said, ‘Hey, listen, let's win a championship. Let's get your degree. Let's make you an All-American.’ He basically prophesized all that, which ... was crazy.
“He was making all these promises, like ‘100 innings your freshman year,’ and that's exactly what happened. I'm like, ‘Oh my god, this guy's Nostradamus. Holy crap.’
“I'm just forever grateful he actually had enough faith in me to give me that Friday role right off the bat. I just didn't want to let go of it after that.”
A record-setting pitcher at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, Heyer was being recruited by UCLA, among others. Although the school offered prestigious academics and a highly successful baseball program, Heyer wanted to go somewhere that was a little farther from home. He was also unsure of what his role would be with Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer still pitching for the Bruins. (They were one year ahead of Heyer.)
“I had a visit with UCLA before I met Lopez at Arizona,” Heyer said. “(UCLA coach John) Savage was like, ‘Hey, who else are you talking to?’ I'm like, ‘Well, I'm going to Arizona next weekend.’ And he goes, "Well, we'd like to know your decision now.’ And I’m like, ‘Woah.’ So that was kind of telling.”
Hale responded differently to an ultimatum during his recruitment.
A baseball and football standout in Northern California (Campolindo High in Moraga), Hale strongly considered the Naval Academy — taking all the steps to qualify for admission. He also had offers from nearby Santa Clara and schools in the Pac-10, including Arizona.
Hale visited the campus, and Jerry Kindall came to the Hale home. Kindall’s offer was everything Hale wanted. But he had promised to give Santa Clara coach Jerry McClain a chance before committing.
“I told Coach Kindall, ‘I have to call Coach McClain at Santa Clara,’” Hale said. “He said, ‘Chip, this is a one-night offer. If you don't accept it, I'm going to offer this to somebody in Sacramento.’ I said, ‘Coach, I'm a Wildcat.’”
Hale became the ultimate Wildcat. He’s the program’s all-time leader in games played, at-bats, hits and total bases. He’s also Arizona’s current head coach.
For this particular Mount Rushmore, we only considered on-field accomplishments at the UA. Here are the stats and achievements that elevated Francona, Hale, Heyer and Stegman above their fellow Wildcats.
Years at Arizona: 1978-80
What he did: Francona is the only player in UA history to win the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best player in college baseball. Francona did it all in 1980.
Francona earned first-team All-American honors after batting .401 with 84 RBIs, at the time tied for second most in UA annals. (The current top three, plus ties: Kiko Romero, 89, 2023; Ron Hassey, 86, 1974; Hassey, 84, 1976; Francona, 84, 1980.)
In June of that year, Francona helped the Wildcats win their second national championship. The outfielder was named MVP of the ’80 College World Series.
Francona finished his three-year career ranking in the UA top 10 in multiple offensive categories. He’s third in RBIs (200), tied for third in doubles (61), sixth in hits (271) and tied for 10th in total bases (395). Francona is the only Wildcat to twice top 100 hits and 80 RBIs in a season.
Francona was the Montreal Expos’ first-round pick in the 1980 MLB Draft. He played 10 seasons in the majors but has made a much bigger mark as a manager. Francona twice guided the Boston Red Sox to World Series triumphs.
Francona, who’s currently managing the Cincinnati Reds, had 2,076 career regular-season victories entering Friday — 11th most all time.
Francona donated $1 million to his former school to help build the Terry Francona Hitting Center, which sits behind the right-field wall at Hi Corbett Field.
Years at Arizona: 1984-87
What he did: Hale has joked that the only reason he holds so many UA records is that he wasn’t good enough to be drafted after his junior year.
Don’t let his modesty fool you.
Hale was a rock for four seasons; not only did he appear in a school-record 255 games, he never missed one.
The third baseman also ranks atop Arizona’s career leaderboard in at-bats (978), hits (337), total bases (507) and walks drawn (162). He’s second in multi-hit games (93) and tied for fifth in triples (21).
Hale and the Wildcats reached the CWS in 1985, where they lost to Texas and Stanford. They returned in '86, twice beating Florida State to win the program’s third national title.
Batting second in the championship game, Hale went 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. The Wildcats blasted the Seminoles 10-2.
Hale batted .383 as a senior the following season, when he was named the Pac-10 South Player of the Year and a first-team Academic All-American. He was drafted in the 17th round by the Minnesota Twins and played seven seasons in the big leagues before transitioning to coaching.
Hale managed the Arizona Diamondbacks for two seasons and was the bench coach for the Washington Nationals when they won the 2019 World Series.
Hale became the head coach at his alma mater in July 2021. He is the only person to be named Player of the Year ('87) and Coach of the Year (2024) in Pac-12 baseball history.
Years at Arizona: 2010-12
What he did: Heyer was a strike-throwing workhorse over three seasons at Arizona.
He ranks third in UA history in innings pitched (393⅓) and fifth in fewest walks allowed per nine innings (1.90; minimum 100 innings).
Heyer struck out less than a batter per inning (8.1 K/9) and had just 113 strikeouts in 153 innings during his masterful 2012 campaign.
So how did he get batters out?
“I worked very fast. A lot of my teammates will say that even now,” said Heyer, who’s still pitching for Charros de Jalisco in the Mexican Pacific League. “I throw a lot of strikes, and I just go after you. I don't really give you a chance to breathe.
“I’m trying to keep you off your toes. Once your feet get in the box, I'm going. If I don't see you giving your hand up to the umpire (to call time), I'm going.
“Now there's all these rules where ... the hitter's gotta make eye contact with you. I'm like, ‘Dude, he's in the box. He's in my domain now.’”
Despite having a different plan of attack than most modern-day pitchers, Heyer still led the Wildcats in strikeouts in each of his three seasons. He also led them in ERA each year, posting marks of 3.26, 2.41 and 2.24.
Heyer was selected in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, spent six years in their system, but never reached the majors.
Heyer has reinvented himself in the Mexican League. He had a 5-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in 13 starts for Jalisco entering the weekend.
Heyer, 35, says he’s throwing harder than he ever has as a starter. He has learned how his body moves and believes he would have benefited greatly from the technology and data analysis that are commonplace in college and pro baseball today.
“I'm having that conversation with myself a lot,” Heyer said. “I would have probably invested a little bit more money to go to these professional facilities like Driveline ... if I knew that I could have been moving more efficiently.”
Still, Heyer considers himself fortunate. He’s still playing the game that he loves.
Years at Arizona: 1973-76
What he did: The '76 squad had other stars, including two-way standout Steve Powers and the aforementioned Hassey. None shone brighter than Stegman.
The center fielder capped his stellar UA career with a .425 batting average, 30 doubles (tops in the nation) and 26 stolen bases. He was named a first-team All-American and a first-team Academic All-American
Stegman was one of five Wildcats to make the All-College World Series Team. Stegman went 3 for 4 with three RBIs in the title-clinching victory over Eastern Michigan. EMU starter Bob Welch — who would go on to win 211 games with the Dodgers and Athletics — lasted just 3⅔ innings against Arizona, which compiled 14 hits in a 7-1 victory.
Stegman finished his UA career in the top 10 in multiple offensive categories. He ranks first in runs scored (287) and doubles (72); second in hits (321), extra-base hits (111) and total bases (487); third in stolen bases (86) and walks drawn (139); fourth in RBIs (198); and seventh in batting average (.390).
Stegman also holds Arizona’s single-season marks for runs (91), hits (111) and doubles (30, tied with JJ Matijevic).
Stegman was drafted multiple times and finally went pro after the Detroit Tigers took him with the second overall pick in the 1976 June draft. He played six seasons in the majors with the Tigers, Yankees and White Sox.
In June, Stegman became the fourth Wildcat to be elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Frank Sancet, Francona and Kindall.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Mount Rushmore of Arizona Wildcats baseball players
Continue reading...
Still, when Kurt Heyer found out he’d made the final four on our Arizona baseball Mount Rushmore, he was gobsmacked.
“I'm very, very honored that my name would even cross your mind,” Heyer said. “So thank you very much for that.”
You’re welcome, Kurt. But please know that you wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think you deserved it.
Heyer was the ace of the 2012 Wildcat squad that won the program’s fourth College World Series championship. He’s indisputably one of the best starting pitchers in UA history.
He’s also the only pitcher who made the baseball Mount Rushmore. The other members of the quartet are outfielders Terry Francona and Dave Stegman and infielder Chip Hale.
By sheer coincidence, each represents one of Arizona’s CWS champs: 1976 (Stegman), 1980 (Francona), 1986 (Hale) and 2012 (Heyer).
How good was Heyer that year? Try 13-2 with a 2.24 ERA and seven complete games. No one won more games across the nation than Heyer. He was a consensus second-team All-American.
Incredibly, Heyer disclosed in an interview with the Star that everything he achieved at Arizona was spoken into existence by then-UA head coach Andy Lopez. Or, more specifically, written into existence.
“Lopez was the only coach that actually handwrote his letters to his recruits,” Heyer said. “I thought that was very special. I actually still have one of his written letters. He said, ‘Hey, listen, let's win a championship. Let's get your degree. Let's make you an All-American.’ He basically prophesized all that, which ... was crazy.
“He was making all these promises, like ‘100 innings your freshman year,’ and that's exactly what happened. I'm like, ‘Oh my god, this guy's Nostradamus. Holy crap.’
“I'm just forever grateful he actually had enough faith in me to give me that Friday role right off the bat. I just didn't want to let go of it after that.”
A record-setting pitcher at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, Heyer was being recruited by UCLA, among others. Although the school offered prestigious academics and a highly successful baseball program, Heyer wanted to go somewhere that was a little farther from home. He was also unsure of what his role would be with Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer still pitching for the Bruins. (They were one year ahead of Heyer.)
“I had a visit with UCLA before I met Lopez at Arizona,” Heyer said. “(UCLA coach John) Savage was like, ‘Hey, who else are you talking to?’ I'm like, ‘Well, I'm going to Arizona next weekend.’ And he goes, "Well, we'd like to know your decision now.’ And I’m like, ‘Woah.’ So that was kind of telling.”
Hale responded differently to an ultimatum during his recruitment.
A baseball and football standout in Northern California (Campolindo High in Moraga), Hale strongly considered the Naval Academy — taking all the steps to qualify for admission. He also had offers from nearby Santa Clara and schools in the Pac-10, including Arizona.
Hale visited the campus, and Jerry Kindall came to the Hale home. Kindall’s offer was everything Hale wanted. But he had promised to give Santa Clara coach Jerry McClain a chance before committing.
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“I told Coach Kindall, ‘I have to call Coach McClain at Santa Clara,’” Hale said. “He said, ‘Chip, this is a one-night offer. If you don't accept it, I'm going to offer this to somebody in Sacramento.’ I said, ‘Coach, I'm a Wildcat.’”
Hale became the ultimate Wildcat. He’s the program’s all-time leader in games played, at-bats, hits and total bases. He’s also Arizona’s current head coach.
For this particular Mount Rushmore, we only considered on-field accomplishments at the UA. Here are the stats and achievements that elevated Francona, Hale, Heyer and Stegman above their fellow Wildcats.
Terry Francona
Years at Arizona: 1978-80
What he did: Francona is the only player in UA history to win the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best player in college baseball. Francona did it all in 1980.
Francona earned first-team All-American honors after batting .401 with 84 RBIs, at the time tied for second most in UA annals. (The current top three, plus ties: Kiko Romero, 89, 2023; Ron Hassey, 86, 1974; Hassey, 84, 1976; Francona, 84, 1980.)
In June of that year, Francona helped the Wildcats win their second national championship. The outfielder was named MVP of the ’80 College World Series.
Francona finished his three-year career ranking in the UA top 10 in multiple offensive categories. He’s third in RBIs (200), tied for third in doubles (61), sixth in hits (271) and tied for 10th in total bases (395). Francona is the only Wildcat to twice top 100 hits and 80 RBIs in a season.
Francona was the Montreal Expos’ first-round pick in the 1980 MLB Draft. He played 10 seasons in the majors but has made a much bigger mark as a manager. Francona twice guided the Boston Red Sox to World Series triumphs.
Francona, who’s currently managing the Cincinnati Reds, had 2,076 career regular-season victories entering Friday — 11th most all time.
Francona donated $1 million to his former school to help build the Terry Francona Hitting Center, which sits behind the right-field wall at Hi Corbett Field.
Chip Hale
Years at Arizona: 1984-87
What he did: Hale has joked that the only reason he holds so many UA records is that he wasn’t good enough to be drafted after his junior year.
Don’t let his modesty fool you.
Hale was a rock for four seasons; not only did he appear in a school-record 255 games, he never missed one.
The third baseman also ranks atop Arizona’s career leaderboard in at-bats (978), hits (337), total bases (507) and walks drawn (162). He’s second in multi-hit games (93) and tied for fifth in triples (21).
Hale and the Wildcats reached the CWS in 1985, where they lost to Texas and Stanford. They returned in '86, twice beating Florida State to win the program’s third national title.
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Batting second in the championship game, Hale went 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. The Wildcats blasted the Seminoles 10-2.
Hale batted .383 as a senior the following season, when he was named the Pac-10 South Player of the Year and a first-team Academic All-American. He was drafted in the 17th round by the Minnesota Twins and played seven seasons in the big leagues before transitioning to coaching.
Hale managed the Arizona Diamondbacks for two seasons and was the bench coach for the Washington Nationals when they won the 2019 World Series.
Hale became the head coach at his alma mater in July 2021. He is the only person to be named Player of the Year ('87) and Coach of the Year (2024) in Pac-12 baseball history.
Kurt Heyer
Years at Arizona: 2010-12
What he did: Heyer was a strike-throwing workhorse over three seasons at Arizona.
He ranks third in UA history in innings pitched (393⅓) and fifth in fewest walks allowed per nine innings (1.90; minimum 100 innings).
Heyer struck out less than a batter per inning (8.1 K/9) and had just 113 strikeouts in 153 innings during his masterful 2012 campaign.
So how did he get batters out?
“I worked very fast. A lot of my teammates will say that even now,” said Heyer, who’s still pitching for Charros de Jalisco in the Mexican Pacific League. “I throw a lot of strikes, and I just go after you. I don't really give you a chance to breathe.
“I’m trying to keep you off your toes. Once your feet get in the box, I'm going. If I don't see you giving your hand up to the umpire (to call time), I'm going.
“Now there's all these rules where ... the hitter's gotta make eye contact with you. I'm like, ‘Dude, he's in the box. He's in my domain now.’”
Despite having a different plan of attack than most modern-day pitchers, Heyer still led the Wildcats in strikeouts in each of his three seasons. He also led them in ERA each year, posting marks of 3.26, 2.41 and 2.24.
Heyer was selected in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, spent six years in their system, but never reached the majors.
Heyer has reinvented himself in the Mexican League. He had a 5-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in 13 starts for Jalisco entering the weekend.
Heyer, 35, says he’s throwing harder than he ever has as a starter. He has learned how his body moves and believes he would have benefited greatly from the technology and data analysis that are commonplace in college and pro baseball today.
“I'm having that conversation with myself a lot,” Heyer said. “I would have probably invested a little bit more money to go to these professional facilities like Driveline ... if I knew that I could have been moving more efficiently.”
Still, Heyer considers himself fortunate. He’s still playing the game that he loves.
Dave Stegman
Years at Arizona: 1973-76
What he did: The '76 squad had other stars, including two-way standout Steve Powers and the aforementioned Hassey. None shone brighter than Stegman.
The center fielder capped his stellar UA career with a .425 batting average, 30 doubles (tops in the nation) and 26 stolen bases. He was named a first-team All-American and a first-team Academic All-American
Stegman was one of five Wildcats to make the All-College World Series Team. Stegman went 3 for 4 with three RBIs in the title-clinching victory over Eastern Michigan. EMU starter Bob Welch — who would go on to win 211 games with the Dodgers and Athletics — lasted just 3⅔ innings against Arizona, which compiled 14 hits in a 7-1 victory.
Stegman finished his UA career in the top 10 in multiple offensive categories. He ranks first in runs scored (287) and doubles (72); second in hits (321), extra-base hits (111) and total bases (487); third in stolen bases (86) and walks drawn (139); fourth in RBIs (198); and seventh in batting average (.390).
Stegman also holds Arizona’s single-season marks for runs (91), hits (111) and doubles (30, tied with JJ Matijevic).
Stegman was drafted multiple times and finally went pro after the Detroit Tigers took him with the second overall pick in the 1976 June draft. He played six seasons in the majors with the Tigers, Yankees and White Sox.
In June, Stegman became the fourth Wildcat to be elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Frank Sancet, Francona and Kindall.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Mount Rushmore of Arizona Wildcats baseball players
Continue reading...
