Trent Gilbert tagged out Florida State's Sherman Johnson at second base in the first inning of a game at the College World Series. Photo by Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats second baseman Trent Gilbert, who hit .303 in the postseason and drove in three runs in the College World Series-clinching victory, made his Cape Cod Baseball League debut Monday night.

Gilbert, playing for the Bourne Braves, walked and scored a run in a pinch-hit appearance, staying in the game to play shortstop.

Gilbert capped his freshman season at UA by driving in three runs, including a two-run hit in the ninth inning, as the Cats beat South Carolina 4-1 to win the national championship. He also made a diving catch of a line drive in the bottom of the ninth.

Three other Cats are participating in the wood-bat Cape Cod League — which is the top annual summer event for collegiate players — and should soon make their debuts.

Starting pitcher James Farris and reliever Mat Troupe, who combined on a three-hitter in the final victory over South Carolina, will pitch for the Orleans Firebirds. Farris went 7 2/3 innings vs. the Gamecocks, with Troupe picking up the win in relief. Farris said they will be roommates this summer.

Starting pitcher Konner Wade, whose postseason effort was one of the grandest in school history, will play for the Wareham Gateman. Wade was 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four postseason starts. He allowed 27 hits and walked only three in 35 innings, throwing three complete games.

Outfielder Johnny Field was also slated to play for the Wareham Gateman, but he was selected for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. The team will play in Cuba and The Netherlands later this month.

Joey Rickard gets ready to high-five Alex Mejia as he scores the go-ahead run in the 12th. Photo by Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE

The one question about the Arizona Wildcats baseball team: The bullpen.

No one dominant emerged. This season’s pitching staff is the reverse of Andy Lopez’s last great team. The 2008 squad had Daniel Schlereth, Ryan Perry and Jason Stoffel in the back end, and Lopez learned hard on those guys, able to get multiple innings from each to finish games.

That trio combined to throw 176 1/3 innings in 61 games.

This season, Lopez is riding his starters as long as he can. The not-so Big Three relieving crew of Tyler Crawford, Mathew Troupe and Stephen Manthei have combined for only 107 1/3 innings, also in 61 games.

But two of them came up huge Friday night in the first round of the College World Series.

Crawford and Troupe — a pair of freshman — combined to throw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, successfully holding down the fort while Arizona finally solved Florida State’s All-American closer Robert Benincasa in his fourth inning of work.

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