Rickard’s Big League Success Not A Surprise To Former Coach

Photo Courtesy: University of Arizona

The MLB season is still in its infancy, but it’s never too early to start talking surprises and disappointments, right?

One surprise is the Baltimore Orioles, who sit atop the American League East at 8-3. Their hot start also didn’t include their star centerfielder Adam Jones, who had been dealing with a nagging rib injury.

Jones’ replacement? Former Arizona Wildcat Joey Rickard, who is currently hitting .304 in this early season.

I was able to catch up on Wednesday with Rickard’s college coach, Andy Lopez. Lopez and Rickard teamed up in 2012 to lead the Wildcats to a national title.

The former Wildcat baseball coach talks about Rickard’s success with the O’s, how playing in the Pac-12 helps the learning curve for his former Wildcats and what his former centerfielder will need to do for continued success at the big league level.