TUCSON, Ariz. -- Kurt Heyer has something you can’t teach. And it’s something an athlete can’t fake.
He has presence.
Not a full-of-himself type thing, but a confidence you need when things get tough or tight.
Arizona baseball coach Andy Lopez said "presence" about five times in one sentence in describing his junior pitcher. Point made.
You either have it or you don’t.
Heyer does, and Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the Tucson Regional, will need it Friday when it opens regional play against No. 4 Missouri at Hi Corbett Field. First pitch is set for 8 p.m.
Friday nights -- typically the night of series openers -- have been fright nights for the Wildcats' opponents this year, with Heyer dominating on a regular basis.
Heyer enters the NCAA tournament with an 11-2 record and 2.03 earned-run average, the best in the conference. Earlier this week, he was named All-Pac-12 for the third consecutive time.
"He walked in with a presence," Lopez said. "That’s an intangible. You’re just blessed (as a coach) when it shows up."
Heyer, a 6-foot-2 junior from Huntington Beach, Calif., showed up as a freshman and was ready to go. There was no buying into the program (he was already in); there was no complaining of playing time (he was going to be a factor); there was no sniveling or whining (it’s not who he is).
It’s been about moxie and memories. Heyer has provided each in three years of mound work, posting a career mark of 26-11.
"He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever played with," said UA senior Bobby Brown. "You know what you’re going to get out of him. Seven strong (innings), at least. And if he wants to go more, he can. When he’s there, we know we have a chance to win it."
Heyer is not about mirrors or mirages. He’s about steadiness and consistency, using every pitch available: fastball, changeup, curveball and slider.
All improved and formidable since he arrived on campus three years ago.
"I feel more mentally tough now and physically stronger," he said about the difference between the first day and now. "I feel more comfortable in my secondary pitches, being able to go in and out more and play with my fastball (better)."
He’s found his baseball Zen. Or at least mastered it this level.
When he first showed up, he was a bit more intense than he is now, Lopez said. Not that the intensity was bad, necessarily; there was just too much of it.
"He’s calmed down a bit," Lopez said. "He’s a bit more mellow."
Confident but not cocky. In the world of athletics, there’s a fine line between the two.
Lopez said he uses the analogy of someone being on a tightrope, where balance is crucial and every step important.
"One step is relaxed and the other is ready," Lopez said, mimicking a tight-roper. "If you’re too ready, you’re going to fall off. And if you’re too relaxed, you’re going to fall off. You have to be balanced. He was always too much ready."
It resulted in too many pitches per inning, thus Heyer not being able to go deep into games. That has changed, and he’s turned into a workhorse. Heyer leads UA in innings pitched at 119 2/3 and a strikeout ratio of nearly 5-1. He has six complete games, three coming on the road. He went 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA in five road starts, a feat Lopez called "phenomenal" and "mind-boggling" considering the quality of play in the Pac-12 this year.
"He’s done a good job of balancing," Lopez said. "He’ll have a (bad) inning, but it won’t turn into 32 pitches but 20."
Again, it’s about consistency and a determination.
After Heyer went the distance in Arizona's thrilling 1-0 win over Arizona State last week, Lopez said he’s only had four pitchers in his 30 years of coaching who were capable of being go-to-guys on Friday nights.
"I love being that guy where the pressure is on my shoulders," Heyer said. "It’s a huge honor. I hope to keep it going."
