Three years ago, a group of freshmen leading the Arizona baseball team stumbled their way to a losing Pacific 10 Conference record and early exit from the postseason.

Now, that group is three wins away from the school’s fourth national championship and first since 1986.

The Wildcats will play Florida State on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Omaha, Neb., needing a win to get them into the best-of-three championship series of the College World Series. Should the UA lose, it would play a rematch in a win-or-go-home game Friday at 5 p.m.

Arizona has stormed through the postseason, winning all seven of its games — two of which took extra innings. The Wildcats beat Florida State 4-3 in 12 innings in their CWS opener before beating UCLA 4-0 on Sunday.

Wildcat head coach Andy Lopez said he’s “leaning heavily” toward starting ace Kurt Heyer in Thursday’s game. That would leave sophomore Konner Wade to start either Friday’s elimination game or Sunday’s opening game of the championship series.

Wade tossed a shutout and allowed just five hits in the 4-0 win over UCLA.

Heyer didn’t factor into the decision against Florida State despite tossing 7.2 innings and allowing one earned run while striking out eight.

The UA’s move to Hi Corbett Field gave the Wildcats an opportunity to host postseason games for the first time since 1992.
Arizona has won 15 of its last 17 games en route to Omaha, the school’s first trip to the CWS since 2004.