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– Shelley Duncan, the Wildcats’ all-time leader in home runs

– Brian Anderson, an All-American and first-round pick in the MLB Draft

– Scott Kingery, the 2015 Pac-12 Player of the Year

What made this undertaking so interesting — and challenging — is that UA baseball has produced so many quality players since 2000. Even when the program was down by its lofty standards, it still sent a plethora of players to professional baseball.

How did we sort it all out? We looked at both individual statistics and team accomplishments. We emphasized longevity and consistency over peak performance. We set a minimum of two full seasons in a UA uniform — bad luck for the likes of Austin Wells and Kiko Romero. And we gave zero consideration to post-UA achievements.

Why not Duncan, who hit 35 of his 55 homers in 2000 and ‘01? He had the misfortune of hitting 20 of those bombs in 1999 and doesn’t quite stack up in some other categories.

Why not Anderson? He raked as a Wildcat, no doubt, posting a .342/.414/.555 slash line with 23 home runs, 130 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. But it’s a crowded outfield, and we only have so many spots.

Why not Kingery? This was probably the toughest call of all. But the reality is, one of his teammates has a more impressive overall résumé.

Here’s the 25-man squad we put together, featuring a starting nine, a six-man bench, a four-pitcher starting rotation and a six-man bullpen:

LINEUP

Catcher: Nick Hundley (2003-05)

Arizona is the cradle of catchers, so it was hard to narrow this down to just one. Hundley stands out for his all-around excellence, including a .339 batting average, a .582 slugging percentage, 48 doubles (tied for eighth most among Wildcats in the 2000s), 21 home runs (second most among catchers) and a 30.4% caught-stealing rate. He was the starting catcher for the 2004 squad that reached the College World Series.

First base: Jordan Brown (2003-05)

Brown narrowly beat out Ernie Durazo for this spot thanks to his power and production — 30 home runs and 152 RBIs, both top-10 figures for Wildcats in the 2000s — and his role as the starting first baseman for the ‘04 CWS squad. Durazo’s case: a .382 batting average (No. 1 in our subset, minimum 200 at-bats) and a 1.083 OPS (No. 2) over two seasons (2000-01).

Second base: Mason White (2023-25)

We had to find a spot for White, who ranks second on Arizona’s career leaderboard in home runs (49) and first in extra-base hits (111). So we moved White from shortstop to second base, where he played as a freshman. As a lifelong Wildcat and UA baseball aficionado, he’d surely appreciate making room for an all-time defensive standout at short.

Shortstop: Alex Mejia (2010-12)

Mejia was one of the most important players for Arizona’s 2012 national-championship club, earning All-American honors and becoming the first Wildcat to be named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. (He was also the 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year). Over his career, Mejia helped turn 117 double plays (most among three-year Wildcats in the 2000s) while accumulating 240 hits, batting .339 and driving in 132 runs.

Third base: Brad Glenn (2006-09)

A rare four-year starter, Glenn played multiple positions and ranks in the top five in multiple offensive categories among 21st-century Wildcats. They include: home runs (43, second), RBIs (190, second), total bases (441, third), runs scored (176, tied for fourth), doubles (53, fourth) and hits (245, fifth). He ranks third on the all-time UA leaderboard in extra-base hits (103).

Outfield: Trevor Crowe (2003-05)

This one was a no-brainer. Crowe was the best player on the ‘04 CWS squad, a first-team All-American in ‘05 and pops up all over the leaderboards among Wildcats of the 2000s. He’s tied for first in triples (26) and ranks fourth in batting average (.361), second in stolen bases (66), fourth in stolen-base success rate (85.7%), fifth in total bases (388), tied for fifth in doubles (52), sixth in runs scored (170) and 10th in slugging percentage (.594).

Outfield: Jeff Van Houten (2002-05)

Crowe’s teammate was no slouch, authoring a .348/.436/.565 slash line while ranking first among 21st-century Wildcats in RBIs (213), total bases (468) and walks drawn (123), and second in hits (288) and runs scored (199). Van Houten also hit 30 home runs and 48 doubles. He died in 2020 at the age of 37.

Outfield: Robert Refsnyder (2010-12)

Another key member of the ‘12 College World Series champs — he was named the CWS Most Valuable Player — Refsnyder had a stellar three-year career with Arizona. He finished it with a .343 batting average and the third-most hits (246) among Wildcats of the 2000s. Refsnyder also drove in 161 runs (tied for fifth) and scored 153 (13th).

Designated hitter: Chase Davis (2021-23)

Any number of players could fill this slot. We chose Davis because of his prodigious power. He hit 39 home runs, third most among 21st-century Wildcats, despite barely playing as a freshman. Davis’ OPS of 1.088 is the best among UA players who played at least two seasons in the 2000s.

RESERVES

C Daniel Susac (2021-22)

Susac bridged the Jay Johnson and Chip Hale eras with two brilliant offensive seasons before becoming a first-round pick as a draft-eligible sophomore. Susac batted .351, slugged .586, smacked 24 home runs, hit 43 doubles and piled up 126 RBIs. He was the starting catcher, as a true freshman, for the Wildcats’ ‘21 CWS qualifier.

C Jett Bandy (2009-11)

Bandy edged Cesar Salazar for the No. 3 catcher spot thanks to superb defense and an interesting offensive profile. Bandy threw out 37.8% of would-be base stealers, best among UA catchers of the 2000s. No 21st-century Wildcat had more doubles than Bandy’s 61. He also had a knack for getting hit by pitches, ranking second in that category with 54.

SS Kevin Newman (2013-15)

Although he played at Arizona just a decade ago, Newman is a throwback in many respects. He hit only two home runs in 674 at-bats as a Wildcat. But he stole 46 bases, walked more than he struck out (57-48) and batted .337. Newman also stood out in the field, twice making the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He was named first-team All-Pac-12 in all three seasons before turning pro.

IF Brad Boyer (2003-06)

Boyer is our utility guy and pinch-running specialist. He ranks first among 21st-century Wildcats in runs scored (218) and stolen bases (73) and is tied for first with Crowe in triples (26). Boyer also piled up 265 hits (third), 395 total bases (fourth) and 154 RBIs (eighth).

3B Nick Quintana (2017-19)

Arizona made the NCAA Tournament only once during Quintana’s three seasons, but he was a consistent producer while starting 170 of 171 games. Quintana ranks in the top five among Wildcats of the 2000s in home runs (35, tied for fourth), RBIs (170, fourth) and doubles (52, tied for fifth). He’s in the top 12 in walks drawn (110, sixth), total bases (362, eighth) and runs scored (156, tied for 11th).

OF Donta’ Williams (2018-21)

Our squad needs a defensive specialist in the late innings; no one roamed Hi Corbett Field’s massive outfield better than Williams, who joined Newman as the only Wildcats to make the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team two times. Williams also was a nuisance at the plate, recording a .443 on-base percentage by drawing 118 walks (third most among 21st-century UA players) and getting hit by pitches 40 times (tied for fourth most).

ROTATION

RHP Kurt Heyer (2010-12)

Heyer is indisputably the Wildcats’ ace of the 2000s. The Friday-night guy for the ‘12 CWS champs, Heyer registered a career ERA of 2.56 that ranks No. 1 among 21st-century UA pitchers (minimum 100 innings). Heyer also leads the way in wins (28-11 win-loss record) and complete games (10) while tying for first in shutouts (three) and ranking second in strikeouts (356).

RHP Preston Guilmet (2006-09)

If Heyer is the ace, Guilmet is the clear-cut No. 2. Guilmet went 27-18 across four seasons with a 3.52 ERA. No 21st-century Wildcat started more games (61), pitched more innings (416â…”) or struck out more batters (419) than Guilmet, who also tied Heyer and James Farris with three shutouts.

LHP JC Cloney (2016-17)

Cloney enjoyed two stellar seasons at Arizona, playing an instrumental role in the Wildcats’ run to the ‘16 CWS finals. Cloney recorded a 2.74 ERA that’s third best among 21st-century UA qualifiers while going 15-6 in 33 starts. Cloney relied on elite control and “pitchability.� He allowed just 1.75 walks per nine innings, third best among Wildcats in the 2000s.

RHP Jon Meloan (2003-05)

We’re sticklers for ERA, but we’re making an exception for Meloan, the ace of the ‘04 CWS club. Meloan went 10-0 that season and 24-4 in his career. His overall ERA of 4.14 ranks just 20th among UA pitchers of the 2000s, but he’s sixth in strikeouts per nine inning (8.96) and tied for first in combined shutouts (five).

BULLPEN

RHP Mark Melancon (2004-06)

Melancon checks all the boxes as a shutdown reliever. He finished his career with 18 saves, second most in UA annals, along with a 3.32 ERA that’s eighth best among Wildcats of the 2000s. Melancon also ranks among the leaders in games finished (56, second), batting average against (.226, third), K/9 rate (8.95, seventh) and appearances (77, eighth).

RHP Jason Stoffel (2007-09)

Stoffel was the closest thing to a true closer before the race to the bullpen came into vogue, recording a program-record 29 saves. He also has, by far, the most games finished among 21st-century UA pitchers with 89 among 99 career appearances (also a program record). Stoffel’s 3.28 ERA ranks sixth among qualifiers; he’s second in K/9 rate (11.70) and batting average against (.219).

LHP Daniel Schlereth (2006-08)

Who ranks first in K/9 rate and batting average against? That’d be Schlereth, who posted marks of 12.11 and .195, respectively. Schlereth’s 2.98 ERA is the best among qualifying UA relievers. (Schlereth made one career start in 81 appearances.) He had that “Wild Thing� aspect to his game, too, walking 86 batters in 139 innings.

RHP Tony Pluta (2023-25)

Pluta is coming off a season for the ages that puts him in the conversation for best UA closer of all time. The NCBWA Stopper of the Year has 16 saves, tied with Schlereth for third in Arizona annals. He has a career ERA of 2.70 and a batting average against of just .229. Pluta has yet to allow a home run in 73â…“ innings.

RHP Bobby Dalbec (2014-16)

One of the best two-way players of the modern era, Dalbec did it all for the Wildcats. His 2.65 ERA is second behind Heyer among UA pitchers of the 2000s. He also ranks among the leaders in games finished (47, third), batting average against (.231, fifth) and saves (14, sixth). Oh, by the way: Dalbec bashed 24 home runs as a third baseman.

LHP Cameron Ming (2015-17)

Ming essentially swapped roles with Dalbec during the Wildcats’ run to Omaha in ‘16, recording four of his six career saves in the postseason. Ming finished his career with a 3.29 ERA that ranks seventh among qualifying UA pitchers of the 2000s. He appeared in 69 games (12th), finished 23 (13th), completed two (tied for 13th) and was part of three combined shutouts (tied for 10th).

HEAD COACH Andy Lopez (2002-15)

Lopez lifted the UA program from its doldrums of the 1990s and early 2000s, led the Wildcats to two CWS appearances, guided them to their fourth national championship in 2012 and recruited most of the players who almost won it all in ‘16. His 490 wins rank third in program history behind UA legends Jerry Kindall (860) and Frank Sancet (831).