No. 22 Arizona bounced back in its last game of its four-game series finishing up against Ball State with a .500 record after earning an 11-5 victory on Monday to wrap up opening weekend.

The Wildcats came out quick and strong in the first game, having many different players contribute to a 3-0 win to open the season.

It was a different story in the games on Saturday and Sunday as things weren't clicking for Arizona, especially at the plate. The Wildcats held a lead in both of those games only to end up losing both including Saturday's matchup that ended in extra innings after UA squandered a four-run lead in the eighth inning.

Arizona’s improving pitching staff had been hyped up leading to its first series and seemed to prove itself during the first game, but as the series moved along it proved to be the weak point in the losses over the weekend.

Head coach Jay Johnson said this is a part of starting the season and trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work for this specific group.

“We’re trying to find the right combination to win the game,” said Johnson after his team's loss on Sunday. “It makes it a little easier to swallow a day like today when you’re going through some of those growing pains. We have to be better from a mindset standpoint and we have to put players in situations for them to be successful. In a couple instances we didn’t do that.”

Another area where the 'Cats struggled during the games they lost was on offense. Coming into the season the Wildcats were still expected to be one of the most potent offensive teams in college baseball, as they have been the last few years, but many players either weren’t swinging at enough pitches or were swinging too much resulting in missed opportunities and players left on base.

“We left a lot of guys on base and we struck out way too much,” said Johnson. “Some young players on the other side of the ball are struggling with that and some old players on the other side of the ball are struggling with that as well. Again, we need to retool their mindsets and retool how we operate.”

First baseman Branden Boissiere said he was surprised that the Wildcats were 1-2 after Sunday's game, but he was sure they would come out swinging and things would turn around in by Monday

Well, Boissiere was right. Johnson had a long talk with his team after Sunday's loss which must have clicked with his team as they came out in the last game of the series strong to earn a six-run victory.

“Today we were a little more present and in the moment not trying to do too much as one person as an individual “ said freshman third baseman Jacob Berry, who got his first and went 3 for 3 in Monday's win. “We just continued to play hard and just executed our plan“

Johnson alluded to some forthcoming adjustments after Sunday's loss, and a change that took place Monday was Johnson coaching from the dugout for the first time in his career at Arizona. While many head coaches will work from the dugout and allow their assistants to coach on the field, Johnson serves as his team's third base coach and has since he arrived.

“Improve communication with the players and improve communication with the coaching staff,“ Johnson said about his decision to coach from the dugout Monday. “That way we’re in the position I want us to be in relative to approach, relative to game adjustments, relative to personnel.”

Johnson hasn’t done this since 2005, but he says his plan is to remain in the dugout moving forward this season.

The Wildcats will be back at Hi Corbett Field this weekend in another four-game series against Southeastern Louisiana (3-0), which outscored Mississippi Valley State 66-0 in its first series over the weekend.

WATCH: Arizona freshmen Jacob Berry and TJ Nichols discuss Ball state win

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