Boy it’s good being the defending champs. Perfect Game Baseball last week came out with their projected NCAA baseball tournament bracket if the season were to have ended. The Wildcats were the very last team to receive an at large bid.
In 2007, the defending champions, Oregon State Beavers, had no business reaching the NCAA baseball tournament. The Beavers posted a 10-14 Pac-10 conference record, but were given one of the final spots in the tournaments most likely because they were the reigning champs. The Beavers took full advantage of their status and found some late momentum that carried them all the way back to Omaha, Neb. where they some how found a way to defeat North Carolina again for their second straight title.
The Wildcats though can’t rely on their status to get them back to the post-season. And with just 13 games left Arizona (28-14, 9-9 Pac-12) is currently sitting tied for fifth place with Stanford.
The Wildcats have a non-conference game Tuesday April 30 against rival Arizona State before they return to the conference schedule this weekend against 10th place Washington. After the weekend series with the Huskies, Arizona has three more weeks left. Two out of those three games are on the road against No. 9 UCLA and No. 8 Arizona State who are tied for third place in the conference. Following possibly the two most important weekends of the season, the Wildcats return to Hi-Corbett Field to host ninth place USC for the final weekend of the season.
It is nearly impossible for Arizona to defend their conference title, as they sit 5.5 games behind Pac-12 leaders Oregon. But the Wildcats don’t need to win the conference to safely make it to the post season. What they can’t do is lose this up coming home weekend series against Washington or play poorly on the road at UCLA and ASU. They won’t have to sweep those back-to-back series but it for sure makes up for being swept in March by Oregon State and Oregon, which has been a burden on the team all season long.
What is done is done, and if the Wildcats can build off their most recent success by finishing the season strong it better shows the committee they are more than just deserving a spot in the 2013 post season because of their defending champ status.
1.No 11 Oregon (33-10, 16-5): Last week 1
This week: Two mid-week games at Seattle and weekend at Washington State
Last week: W 2-1, W 6-4, W 4-3 vs. Stanford
2. No. 6 Oregon State (34-8, 14-4) LW:2
This week: Weekend series vs. California
Last week: W 10-4, 3-0, 6-1 vs. USC
3. No. 9 UCLA (27-13, 11-7): LW: 5
This week: One game at UC Irvine and weekend series vs. Utah
Last week: W 7-6 (11), W 10-1, L 4-3 at Washington State
4. No. 8 Arizona State (28-12-1, 11-7) LW: 3
This week: One game at Arizona and weekend series vs. Stanford
Last week: W 5-4, W 5-1, W 9-6 at Utah
5. Arizona (28-14, 9-9) LW: 4
This week: One game vs. Arizona State and weekend series vs. Washington
Last week: W 8-2, W 4-3 (10), W 18-3 vs. Alabama State
6. Stanford (23-15, 9-9) LW: 6
This week: One game vs. St. Mary’s and weekend series at Arizona State
Last week: L 2-1, L 6-4, L 4-3 at Oregon
7. California (20-23, 9-12) LW: 8
This week: One game at Pacific and weekend series at Oregon State
Last week: L 3-2 (12), W 8-1, W 6-5 (14) at Washington
8. Washington State (20-20, 7-11) LW: 7
This week: Weekend series vs. Oregon
Last week: L 7-6 (11), L 10-1, W 4-3 vs. UCLA
9. USC (16-26, 8-13) LW: 9
This week: One game at Pepperdine and weekend series vs. TCU
Last week: L 10-4, L 3-0, L 6-1
10. Washington (14-28, 6-12) LW: 11
This week: Weekend series at Arizona
Last week: W 3-2 (11), L 8-1, L 6-5 (14) vs. California
11. Utah (16-23, 5-16) LW: 10
This week: Weekend series at UCLA
Last week: L 5-4 (10), L 5-1, L 9-6 vs. Arizona State
