After all, the triumvirate first made a name for themselves at the University of Arizona, some 130 miles south of the Indians’ spring home in Goodyear.

Crowe, Donald and Duncan are among 32 ex-Wildcats playing or coaching professional ball when the boys of summer return to the diamond this week (Japan games excluded).

And while seven of the 32 play in the Indians’ organization (Cleveland: Old Pueblo North?) there are former Wildcats spread throughout the country ready to feast on fastballs, over-anxious hitters and the promise that arrives every year with the freshly cut grass and crisp white chalk lines of spring. Baseball is back and ballplayers everywhere are bearing down.

AN OPENING DAY GUIDE TO ARIZONA ALUMS:

THE PLAYERS

TREVOR CROWE

Cleveland Indians, OF

Final year at the UA: 2005

Rich Pilling - Getty Images

Crowe returns to the diamond after shoulder surgery limited him to 15 games last season.

He only saw 13 plate appearances this spring, but made the most of them, hitting .358 and swiping two bases.

Despite limited success, the outfielder will start the year in extended spring training.

Was the final out in Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga’s notorious one-hit shutout in 2010.

R, H, HR, RBI, AVG

2011: 6, 6, 0, .214

CAREER: 76, 160, 3, 55, .245

We’re gonna give this guy an extra million, he really moves the runner over and gets his bunts down. #thingsyouneverhere

— Trevor Crowe (@tcrowe4) March 28, 2012

JASON DONALD

Cleveland Indians, INF

Rich Pilling - Getty Images

Final year at the UA: 2006

Donald, thanks to a .291 spring batting average, made the Indians’ opening-day roster as a reserve infielder.

Although listed as a shortstop, the Tribe will use Donald to fill needs anywhere in their infield, likely seeing the most time at third base.

Was dubiously called safe at first, ending Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga’s perfect game bid in 2010.

R, H, HR, RBI, AVG

2011: 13, 42, 1, 8, .318

CAREER: 52, 117, 5, 32, .273

SHELLEY DUNCAN

Cleveland Indians, OF

Final year at the UA: 2001

Rich Pilling - Getty Images

With 5 home runs this spring, it appears that Duncan has earned the Tribe’s starting left field nod.

He slugged 11 dingers in each of the last two seasons, and could be poised to finally have a breakout year if he can surpass his previous-high of 229 at bats in a season.

Duncan is one of two active former Wildcats, the other being Houston Astros manager Brad Mills to win a World Series ring. Championship jewelry is in no short supply in the Duncan family, however, as Shelley (’09 Yankees) his brother Chris (’06 Cardinals) and father Dave (’72 and ’89 A’s, ’06 and ’11 Cardinals) have all earned World Series rings.

R, H, HR, RBI, AVG

2011: 29, 58, 11, 47, .260

CAREER: 82, 143, 30, 107, .239

Great day today at the ballpark. Was pumped all day having Dad there. Got to see us win with our pitchers having a strong day. #bullpenmafia

— Shelley Duncan (@shelldunc) March 13, 2012

NICK HUNDLEY

Rich Pilling - Getty Images

San Diego Padres, C

Final year at the UA: 2005

He has similar batting stats through age 27 as fellow backstop Jorge Posada, according to BaseballReference.com.

The catcher’s most dubious mark to date came in 2009 when he led the NL with seven passed balls.

R, H, HR, RBI, AVG

2011: 34, 81, 9, 29, .288

CAREER: 111, 257, 30, 126, .255

DUNCAN vs. HUNDLEY: Shelley Duncan and Nick Hundley each have 30 career home runs. The first to go deep this season will become the active leader among ex-Wildcats.

MARK MELANCON

Boston Red Sox, RP

Charles LeClaire - U.S. Presswire

Final year at the UA: 2006

It appears Melancon will get the nod as the BoSox’ closer with Andrew Bailey likely out with a thumb injury. Melancon proved he can pitch at the Big League level in 2011, registering 74.1 innings, nearly double the amount of innings in his first two seasons combined. He finished with an 8-4 record, 66 strikeouts and 20 saves.

The hurler is second all-time on the Wildcats’ career saves leader board with 18, behind Jason Stoffel (29). Ironically, Stoffel’s success in Houston’s minor league system could be a reason why Melancon was expendable by the Astros, despite saving 20 games last season.

His 20 saves and 10-career wins in three seasons, makes him the active leader among Arizona alums in both categories.

Melancon joins Tony Clark as the only ex-Cats to play for both the Red Sox and their rivals the New York Yankees — even though Clark technically played basketball for the Wildcats and not baseball.

W-L, ERA, SO, SV

2011: 8-4, 2.78, 66, 20 

CAREER:  10-5, 3.21, 98, 20

BRAD MILLS

Jamie Squire - Getty Images

Los Angeles Angels, RP

Final year at the UA: 2007

Although they share the same name and Alma mater, Brad Mills of the Angels and Brad Mills, manager of the Houston Astros, are not related.

The Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted Mills in both 2006 and 2007, traded the southpaw to the Angels in December for Jeff Mathis.

Despite allowing just 2 runs and 7 hits in 14 2/3 innings this spring, the Halos sent Mills to begin the season with their Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees.

W-L, ERA, SO, SV

2011: 1-2, 9.82, 18, 0

CAREER: 2-3, 8.57, 45, 0

BRAD MILLS

Houston Astros, Manager

Andrew Weber - U.S. Presswire

Final year at the UA: 1979

Mills begins his third season as manager of the Houston Astros. The rebuilding ‘Stros finished with an MLB-worst 56 wins in 2011, six fewer than the next-to-worst team.

The coach teamed up with former Wildcat teammate Terry Francona as a bench coach from 1999 to 2000 with the Philadelphia Phillies and again with the Red Sox from 2004 to 2009.

He finished 6th in Manager of the Year voting in 2010

PLAYER

(4 Seasons)

R, H, HR, RBI, AVG

CAREER: 11, 43, 1, 12, .256

MANAGER

W-L

2011: 56-106, 6th NL Central

CAREER: 132-192

I decided to make Brett Myers our closer this season. What??? Theres alot of closers who run it up to 89 on the gun… #Astros

— Brad Mills (@Not_Brad_Mills) February 28, 2012

Brad Barr - U.S. Presswire

RYAN PERRY

Last year inTucson: 2008

After three seasons in Detroit, the Tigers shipped the hard-throwing Marana native to the Washington Nationals in the off-season. Perry will start the season with the Nats’ Triple-A farm team, the Syracuse Chiefs.

W-L, ERA, SO, SV

2011: 2-0, 5.35, 24, 0

CAREER: 5-6, 4.07, 129, 2

PERRY vs. SCHLERETH: Ryan Perry and Daniel Schlereth appear to be mirroring each other’s careers. Teammates at the UA, the bullpen duo were selected five picks apart in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft — Perry No. 21, Schlereth No. 26. They teamed up once again in Detroit for the 2010 and 2011 campaigns. Both hurlers enter the 2012 season with identical 5-6 career records, Perry has the edge over Schlereth in career saves 2-1 and strikeouts 129-85. Schlereth has the better ERA 3.87 – 4.07.

DANIEL SCHLERETH

Detroit Tigers, RP

Derick Hingle - U.S. Presswire

Final year at the UA: 2008

Schlereth went 2-1 after joining the Tigers’ bullpen in July of last season and will provide depth for a Detroit squad looking to repeat as AL Central champs. He appeared in three postseason games in 2011, yielding 5 hits and 3 earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched.

Daniel is the son of ESPN personality and former Denver Bronco All-Pro Mark Schlereth.

Fifteen Wildcats have been drafted since the Arizona Diamonbacks made Schlereth a first-round pick in 2008, but none of those ex-‘Cats have yet to make The Show.

W-L, ERA, SO, SV

2011: 2-2, 3.49, 44, 0 

CAREER:  5-6, 3.87, 85, 1

Gotta get going rolling to Lakland! GO TIGERS!!!!!

— mark schlereth (@markschlereth) March 9, 2012

FORMER WILDCATS IN THE MINORS

* Independent League in 2011

** With Cleveland in 2011

*** Last time in MLB in 2009

KEEP AN EYE ON: 

CORY BURNS: Led the Double-A Minor Leagues with 35 saves in 2011 pitching for the Akron Aeros of the Cleveland Indians organization, before the Tribe sent him back to the Old Pueblo to close games for the Tucson Padres, San Diego’s triple-A afiliate

JETT BANDY: Drafted in June by Los Angeles, rose though the Angels’ ranks and finished the season in Triple-A

DAN BUTLER: Was a finalist for the Arizona Fall League’s Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award in November

Day 4 of #SpringTraining done and learned a lot today! Tomorrow we get to throw to bases!

— Dwight Childs (@DCLaserShow4) March 9, 2012

WHO KNEW? A COLLECTION OF UA-MLB STATS

The MLB All-Star Game has featured a former Wildcat 17 times:

Trevor Hoffman, 7

Kenny Lofton, 6

Hank Lieber, 3

Scott Erickson, 1

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From Brian Anderson to Alan Zinter: a total of 67 ex-Wildcats have appeared in a Big League game.

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Ex-Wildcat pitchers have a combined 504-589 win-loss record and a combined 4.61 ERA in the Show.

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Arizona alums have slugged 740 total home runs — 22 less than Arizona State alum Barry Bonds and 585 fewer dingers than Bonds and his cousin and former Sun Devil Reggie Jackson combined.

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Arizona hitters have struck out 5,897 times in the Majors with 1,016 of them belonging to Kenny Lofton. In Lofton’s defense, he’s tops among UA alums in every major offensive category except for OPS and SLG.

MLB PLAYERS WITH TUCSON ROOTS

Scott Hairston, New York Mets – Canyon Del Oro High School

J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles –Sabino High School

Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers – Canyon Del Oro High School

Tom Wilhelmsen, Milwaukee Brewers –Tucson High School

Tim Wood, Pittsburgh Pirates –Sabino High School

Kenny Lofton is out of baseball, but his legend lives on…on Twitter

“@terrym0516: @Kenny_Lofton7 Tell all these people you can still play centerfield for the Tribe.”Hahathey all know it already;0)

— Kenny Lofton (@Kenny_Lofton7) March 25, 2012

@Kenny_Lofton7 When you came back to CLE in ’07 I paid a co-worker $50 to come take my shift so I could see your debut. That was a fun year!

— Mr. Warmth(@pronk00) March 25, 2012

@Kenny_Lofton7 Was awesome seeing you at the game in Goodyear tonight. Will always be one of the all time great Indians & fan favorite.

— Chris Butts (@cab0305) March 24, 2012