5 teams battling for final 3 berths in 2023 Pac-12 Baseball Tournament
Six teams — Stanford, Washington, Oregon State, USC, Oregon and Arizona State — have already secured their spot in the 2023 Pac-12 Baseball Tournament heading into the final week of the regular season. The other three berths are up for grabs by the other five teams — UCLA, Arizona, Washington State, California and Utah.
How will it shake out? Tune in to Pac-12 Network to find out. Starting Thursday and running through Saturday, all five Pac-12 series will air on Pac-12 Network. Here's a look at what those five teams in the running have in store.
UCLA Bruins (26-21-1, 11-14-1)
Who do the Bruins face? UCLA visits fifth-place Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Bruins swept the Sun Devils in Los Angeles last season.
Why the Bruins could clinch: Led by right-hander Kelly Austin, UCLA has the third-best ERA in the Conference, has at least one more Pac-12 win than the other four teams vying for a bid, and owns the tiebreakers over Arizona and Washington State.
Arizona Wildcats (28-22, 10-17)
Who do the Wildcats face? Arizona caps the regular season at home against fourth-place USC. The Wildcats lost two of three to the Trojans in Los Angeles last season and USC heads to Tucson on a six-game winning streak. The Trojans' pitching — best in the Pac-12 in Conference play — could pose a problem for the Cats' usually-hot bats. USC's Caden Aoki was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week last week after tossing eight shutout innings against Arizona State.
Why the Wildcats could clinch: Led by Pac-12 RBI leader Kiko Romero and home run leader Chase Davis, the Wildcats boast the highest-scoring offense in the Pac-12 and have been hard to beat at home, posting a 20-11 record at Hi Corbett Field. They also hold the head-to-head tiebreakers over Cal and Utah.
Washington State Cougars (29-20, 10-16)
Who do the Cougars face? WSU will host Pac-12 regular-season champion Stanford, the No. 5 team in the country. The Cardinal swept Washington State at Stanford last season and has won 11 straight series against WSU, including seven straight in Pullman. WSU hasn't won a series vs. Stanford since 2007.
Why the Cougars clinch: WSU is 15-7 at its home confines of Bailey-Brayton Field. The Cougars also have the tiebreakers over UCLA, Arizona and Cal.
California Golden Bears (22-25, 10-17)
Who do the Golden Bears face? The Golden Bears visit second-place Washington in Seattle. Cal took two of three from the Huskies in Berkeley last season, but UW is one of the hottest teams in the Pac-12 right now, winning six straight games and three straight series.
Why the Golden Bears could clinch: Cal's pitching is fifth in the Pac-12 in ERA and the offense has been heating up, hitting .328 with 14 doubles and 19 home runs over its last six games. The Bears own the tiebreakers over UCLA and Utah.
Utah Utes (21-30-1, 8-18-1)
Who do the Utes face? The Utes host sixth-place Oregon. The Ducks swept Utah in Eugene last season and have not lost a series to Utah since 2017.
Why the Utes could clinch: Don't doubt Jayden Kiernan. The fifth-year first baseman leads the Pac-12 with a .407 batting average and has reached base safely in 33 consecutive games. However, the Utes have the most ground to make up and only hold the tiebreaker over Washington State.