The mission for Arizona’s baseball team: Win the rubber match Sunday against Utah, which will narrow the Pac-12 title race to the Wildcats and Oregon State — participants in the final regular-season series this week at Hi Corbett Field.
Even with a loss in Salt Lake City on Sunday, the No. 17 Wildcats (31-18, 18-8) will be in the driver’s seat with the conference lead going into the last week, a result of their 8-4 victory over the Utes on Saturday morning.
Oregon State is in second place, 1 1/2 games back with a 16-9 record. Utah is in third at 16-10 and Oregon is fourth at 15-11.
Arizona’s magic number is 3 factoring combinations of the Wildcats’ wins and the losses of their challengers down the stretch. A direct Oregon State-Arizona matchup at Hi Corbett Field, from Thursday to Saturday (all games at 6 p.m.), could decide the matter quickly for the Wildcats if they win from the outset.
Sunday’s Pac-12 slate involving contenders:
Arizona (31-18, 18-8) at Utah (31-17, 16-10), 6 p.m.
UCLA (16-32, 6-20) at Oregon State (38-12, 16-9), 12 p.m.
Oregon (33-16, 15-11) at Washington (19-24-1, 10-16), 12:05 p.m.
The Utes will be eliminated if Arizona beats them.
The Ducks will be eliminated with a loss or an Arizona win.
In Saturday’s win at Utah, the Wildcats rode three home runs and another quality start from right-hander Clark Candiotti.
Tucson products Mason White of Salpointe and Andrew Cain of Ironwood Ridge hit the home runs. White blasted two. White and Cain each had three RBIs.
Come for the dinger, stay for the dogs
@Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/ucUzGaQhTZ
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) May 11, 2024
White’s two-home run performance was the second multiple-home run game of the sophomore’s career (he also accomplished the feat on April 8 at Stanford with two homers).
Designated hitter Maddox Mihalakis and catcher Blake McDonald combined to go 6 for 8 at the plate with three runs and two RBIs.
Candiotti worked seven innings and allowed just three runs while striking out seven to earn his sixth win of the season.
Right-handers Dawson Netz and Anthony Susac effectively pitched the last two innings. Netz pitched a scoreless eighth and Susac the ninth.
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