Two weeks ago I ventured over to Hi Corbett Field to take in a few innings of the Saturday night game between Arizona and rival Arizona State, and I was blessed with getting to see the Wildcats' great red baseball uniforms on display and in action.

That was the end of the good news on that trip, as Arizona lost that game 7-0 en route to losing two of three to Girls Gone Wild University and Casino.

Even more distressing was what I learned from UA baseball sports information guy Blair Willis when I asked him something that's bothered me for two years now: why doesn't Arizona sell the red jerseys?

"Nike won't let us," Willis told me, and it was all I could do not to drop my jaw on the floor.

Arizona has red, white and blue tops that it alternates through, and while the whites are nice and traditional and the blues are sharp, they don't hold a candle to the reds. I've wanted one since I first glimpsed the new version in 2012, during Arizona's run to the College World Series title, yet every time I've checked at UA bookstore or online in its team shop, all I've seen are white and blue.

Apparently, I'm not the only person frustrated by the lack of red jerseys for purchase. Willis said it's a regular question he hears, but the only answer he can give is that the folks at Nike for some reason feel only the white and blue versions are worthy for mass sale.

Really? A company that sells a shoe that essentially looks like a fuzzy sock with grippy stuff on the bottom believes a red baseball jersey isn't a good idea?

I guess there's a reason I went into journalism and not marketing.

Anyways, for the time being the only opportunity to get a red jersey is to somehow purloin one from the team. There's two more weekends' worth of opportunities, as Arizona (18-28) plays out its worst season in years with games Friday-Sunday at Hi Corbett against Stanford and then three more at home May 23-25 against ... Abilene Christian?