Cougars still atop Pac-12 baseball standings heading into Conference play

Arizona State, USC only Pac-12 schools with losing records

WSU+first+baseman+Sam+Brown+celebrates+with+Brian+Green+after+hitting+a+home-run+with+during+an+NCAA+game+against+Seattle+University%2C+Tuesday%2C+March+7%2C+2023%2C+in+Pullman%2C+Wash.

JULIAN CABALLERO

WSU first baseman Sam Brown celebrates with Brian Green after hitting a home-run with during an NCAA game against Seattle University, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Pullman, Wash.

JAKE HULL, Evergreen reporter

With Pac-12 Conference play starting for most schools this weekend, we look at how each team fared in non-Conference play so far this season.

The Cougs still have the best non-Conference record this season with a record of 11-1. The USC Trojans hold the worst non-Conference record at 5-6-1.

Three Pac-12 teams are ranked in the top-25 heading into Conference play. The Stanford Cardinal are nationally ranked No. 2, the UCLA Bruins are nationally ranked No. 16 and the Oregon State Beavers are nationally ranked No. 25, according to ESPN.

No. 1 WSU, 11-1

After three weeks of NCAA Baseball the Cougs have lost one game of their first 12, their best start since 1980 when the team started the season 18-0. This is the best start from the Cougs under head coach Brian Green. Sam Brown, Jacob McKeon and Jonah Advincula lead the offense for the Cougs. Caden Kaelber leads the Conference with 27 strikeouts. Dakota Hawkins is close behind with 22.

The Cougs square off against the Oregon State Beavers Friday for a three-game series. This will be the first major test for WSU on the season.

No. 2 Oregon State, 10-2

The Oregon State Beavers take a two-game winning streak heading into Conference play this weekend, which puts the top two teams currently in the Conference against each other, as WSU takes on the Beavers, who have an impressive 10-2 record with big wins early in the season.

Gavin Turley is a problem on offense. He has 17 hits, five home runs and 15 RBIs. Trent Sellers leads the Beavers pitching with 26 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

No. 3 UCLA Bruins, 10-2

Tied for second in the Pac-12 is the UCLA Bruins. They take a four-game winning streak into Conference play after winning all their games in the Southern California College Baseball Classic, including a 5-3 win over the Trojans.

Their first Conference series starts Friday as they travel to Eugene, Oregon to take on the Oregon Ducks.

No. 4 Washington Huskies, 10-2

After an impressive third week of baseball, the Huskies have jumped into a tie for the second-best Conference record.

The Huskies are currently on a nine-game winning streak, including a 32-7 rout of Northern Colorado. Sam DeCarlo had six RBIs in the game. The Huskies will take on the Utah Utes to start their Conference schedule.

No. 5 Arizona Wildcats, 9-3

The Arizona Wildcats post a 9-3 record heading into their fourth week of baseball. They started the season with a gritty 3-1 win over then-ranked No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers and are currently on a six-game winning streak.

Their first Conference action sees them take on the Cal Golden Bears starting Friday.

No. 6 Stanford Cardinal, 9-3

Currently with the sixth-best record in the Pac-12, but ranked as the second-best team is the Stanford Cardinal. They have won nine of their last 11 games, but are on a one-game losing streak heading into Conference play where they take on the USC Trojans.

Alberto Rios has 16 hits and 17 RBIs for the Cardinal. Quinn Mathews has 21 strikeouts in 18 innings.

No. 7 Cal Golden Bears, 8-3

A bit of a surprising team with an 8-3 record after three weeks is the Cal Golden Bears. They already defeated their rival Stanford with an 8-4 win and are currently on a one-game winning streak after winning two-of-four in the Frisco Classic.

Their first Conference series of 2023 starts Friday as they travel to Tucson, Arizona to take on the Wildcats for a three-game series.

No. 8 Oregon Ducks, 8-3

A team with the same record as the Golden Bears is the Oregon Ducks. After a four-game sweep against San Diego, the Ducks improved to 8-3 on the season.

Drew Cowley leads the Ducks with 10 hits and 10 RBIs heading into their first Conference series, a matchup against the UCLA Bruins.

No.9 Utah Utes, 6-6

The last team with a .500 or better non-conference record is the Utah Utes, who sit at 6-6 on the season. They take a win against Cal State Fullerton into their Conference schedule.

TJ Clarkson has 13 hits and 14 RBIs on the season to lead the Utes as they are set to travel to Seattle, Washington to take on the Huskies.

No. 10 ASU Sun Devils 6-7

The first team with an under .500 non-Conference record is the Arizona State Sun Devils. They have had a bit of a disappointing start to the season, but with big games against Conference opponents coming up, the Sun Devils have a chance to improve their record.

Their first Pac-12 matchup starts next week, the Sun Devils take on UC Davis this week.

No. 11 USC Trojans, 5-6-1

The team with the worst record in the Pac-12 non-Conference is the USC Trojans, with a 5-6-1 record. They currently take a two-game losing streak heading into Conference play.

Their first Conference matchup of 2023 takes place Friday as they host the Stanford Cardinal for a three-game series.