Pac-12 baseball on TV viewer guide: May 16-18
This may be the busiest baseball weekend of the year on the Pac-12 Networks. We've got four full conference series for you on the airwaves. Here's a rundown:
[Related: Pac-12 Networks channel finder]
No. 11 Washington at No. 2 Oregon State
Friday: 4 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network/Mountain/Oregon/Washington
Saturday: 4 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network/Mountain/Oregon/Washington
Sunday: 3 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network/Mountain/Oregon/Washington
This, of course, is the headline series of the weekend. Oregon State leads the conference race with a 20-4 record. Washington is only a game behind at 19-5. The rest of the pack is out of contention, so it's between these two for the title. The Beavers have been in this position frequently as of late, while the resurgent Huskies are looking to knock off the Pac-12's current king. Who will prevail in Corvallis?
Arizona at Cal
Friday: 4 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area/Los Angeles
Saturday: 4 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area/Los Angeles
Sunday: 3 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area/Los Angeles
Both of these clubs have had disappointing years, but the Bears still have a fighting chance of finishing the year at .500 or above, and that should motivate them over the final two weekends of the season. Cal currently sports a 21-25 overall record, but the struggles of Arizona's pitching staff should be making them lick their chops.
Washington State at Stanford
Friday: 7 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Bay Area/Washington
Saturday: 1 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks
Sunday: noon PT, Pac-12 Bay Area/Washington
These two teams find themselves in the middle of the conference pack. The Cougars (12-12) are in sixth place, while the Cardinal (11-13) are right behind in seventh. Both teams are around .500 in the overall season tally, yet Stanford's no. 42 RPI is surprisingly high, so they may still be holding onto a smidge of postseason hope. They'd have to run the table to have any shot of making that dream a reality. Either way, this is a series that will go a long way toward deciding which team ends in the top half of the Pac-12 and which team ends in the bottom half.
[Related: Pac-12 baseball standings]
No. 17 Oregon at UCLA
Friday: 7 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles/Mountain/Oregon
Saturday: 7 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles/Mountain/Oregon
Sunday: noon PT, Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles/Mountain/Oregon
The Ducks dropped two of three at Arizona State, and that removed them from conference title contention. Now, George Horton's squad will scramble to circle the wagons on the road in time to impress the selection committee so that they can get a desirable seeding at the end of the regular season. Injuries have decimated defending national champion UCLA this season, but the Bruins should be a desperate squad at home as they look to salvage a disappointing season.