´óÏóAPP

They were all underestimated in one way or another.

That could be said of many Wildcats; there were more heroes than the three we’re spotlighting today.

But this trio stands above the rest — despite their physical stature, which, in the case of two of them, was one of the reasons they were underestimated in the first place.

One is UA coach Chip Hale. The others are shortstop Mason White and closer Tony Pluta, two members of Hale’s first recruiting class.

Many were skeptical when former UA athletic director Dave Heeke hired Hale in July 2021. It seemed like a reactionary decision on the surface. Arizona had just lost Jay Johnson to LSU. Hale — a UA alum who holds the record for games played in a Wildcats uniform — never would leave his alma mater for another college job.

Hale had flamed out as the manager of the Diamondbacks, the critics noted. He never had coached in college and therefore never had driven even a mile on the recruiting trail. And how could he possibly connect with teenagers at 56 years old?

The doubters were wrong — about everything.

Four years into his tenure, Hale has led Arizona to the College World Series. The Wildcats will face Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m. Friday in Omaha.

Also on Hale’s résumé: four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances; a Pac-12 regular-season championship; Pac-12 and Big 12 tournament titles; and triumphs in a regional and Super Regional. Only one of those trophies was captured at Hi Corbett Field.

If you asked Hale about disproving the doubters, he’d probably defer credit elsewhere. That’s one of the characteristics that makes him an effective leader: He seldom if ever makes it about himself.

When he arrived for the postgame news conference after the Wildcats rallied to defeat the Tar Heels on Sunday in Chapel Hill, the first thing Hale did was commend North Carolina. Later, he expressed empathy for Tar Heels second baseman Jackson Van De Brake, who’d made a critical error that sparked Arizona’s eighth-inning comeback. Hale also discussed how happy he was for his players and thanked their families for supporting them and the program. There wasn’t an ounce of insincerity in any of his remarks.

Hale coaches in a manner that could be described as honest positivity, or perhaps positive honesty. He doesn’t tear anybody down. But he doesn’t sugarcoat anything either. The players appreciate, respect and respond to that approach.

I don’t get the impression that Hale cares about money. I bring this up because he has one year left on a five-year contract that pays him less than $600,000 annually — a for the coach of a Top 25 program.

Arizona AD Desireé Reed-Francois needs to do the right thing and complete an extension with Hale before the Wildcats start playing games in Omaha. Not that he’s looking to leave, but do you remember what happened to Arizona’s coach the last time the Cats played in the CWS? Johnson had one year left on his deal. Days after the Wildcats were eliminated by Stanford, he was headed to the Bayou.

I’d be shocked if Hale played hardball with Reed-Francois. If anything, he’ll seek big raises for his assistants — who also appreciate him because he lets them do their jobs without meddling.

Maturing Mason

White is about to be paid to play professional baseball. He won’t be a first-rounder like teammate Brendan Summerhill, but White’s bat will play in pro ball.

That he’s put himself in this position is a testament to his determination. Largely overlooked coming out of Salpointe Catholic High School because of his size (generously listed at 5-foot-11) and high leg kick, White became a Wildcat in that same summer of 2021 when then-assistant coach Dave Lawn told Hale about him. Hale watched White work out and immediately recognized his talent.

White started for most of his freshman season and has done nothing but get better. He became an all-conference performer, a two-time league-tournament Most Valuable Player and a regional MVP.

White is Arizona’s second all-time leading home run hitter. The hit that put that Wildcats ahead Sunday was a single. It was an illustration of how he’s matured.

Earlier this season, and at various times throughout his career, White sacrificed batting average and eschewed making contact in pursuit of power. He’d swing from the heels. No one has struck out more in a UA uniform than White.

Down the stretch of his junior season — at Hale’s urging — White learned when to say when. In that Sunday, after taking a mighty hack and whiffing on a first-pitch changeup, White took what the UNC defense gave him. He slashed an outside pitch through the shortstop hole vacated by the Tar Heels’ shift.

No one was more emotional afterward than the normally stoic White. You could tell how much the moment meant to him. His father and grandfather had played for Arizona. He was a diehard fan. All he ever wanted was to become a Wildcat. He’ll leave a legend.

Cool closer

Pluta also has made his mark on the UA record book. The save he earned Sunday was his 14th of the year, the most by a Wildcat in a single season.

Pluta wasn’t a high-level recruit because of his height, or lack thereof. He’s listed at 5-9. He’s probably closer to 5-7. But he’s built like a fullback and probably could squat a Smart Car.

Houston was interested in Pluta as a potential two-way player — pitcher and catcher — but he and his family preferred the vibe at Arizona. He came to ´óÏóAPPfrom the Chicago suburbs as essentially a walk-on — no athletic scholarship money. He had to prove himself. He’s done so and then some.

Pluta has become an incredibly reliable closer. He hasn’t been charged with a run since April 1 — no joke. And he might not have given up any that day if hadn’t arrived late to Grand Canyon because of an exam he had to take. Pluta is an aerospace engineering major.

If your GPA (3.91) is three times greater than your ERA (1.26), you’re doing something right.

Although he had thrown a career-high 52 pitches the day before to seal Arizona’s 10-8 victory in Game 2, Pluta was the obvious and only choice to get the last three outs in Game 3. The closest the Tar Heels came to threatening was a 3-1 count. Pluta retired the side in order. The crowd at Boshamer Stadium that had unnerved other UA pitchers fell silent.

Pluta — all 5-foot-whatever of him — stood tall.