They were picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12.
They were slighted during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, missing out on a #1 seed in their regional.
They were underdogs in their regional tournament.
And in their Super Regional.
And in almost every game of the College World Series so far.
Yet, despite all these slights and predictions against Arizona, the Wildcats keep on winning. And they are now just two games away from winning the national title. Just how did they get there?
Statement Wins over Cal State Fullerton, ASU, OSU
The Arizona Wildcats didn't blow anyone away with their start to the season. They started 4-3 before welcoming the Cal State Fullerton Titans into town for a non-conference matchup. Arizona featured a little bit of everything that has allowed them to make this deep run into the postseason in that game. In blanking the Titans 2-0, the Wildcats featured timely offense, lights-out pitching, and clean defense. Those traits have become well-known features of the Wildcats during their run.
During this College World Series, they have featured an ERA of 1.20. They have surrendered six runs in five games. The Wildcats also picked up big wins over Arizona State (8-0), and a sweep of Oregon State. The Beavers finished with the same conference record as Arizona, yet they didn't make the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats finished the season with a 16-14 conference record, good for third in the Pac-12, six slots above where they were picked. They got a #2 seed in an NCAA Regional.
Postseason Run
Arizona looked to be ready to exit the tournament quickly, after sufferinga blowout loss to top seeded UL Lafayette. They beat Sam Houston St., earning them a rematch with the top seed in their region. However, the Wildcats had to beat Lafayette twice to advance. Despite the inprobability of it all, the Wildcats did just that, upsetting the top seed twice in a row to advance to a super regional date with the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. Once more, the Wildcats were not expected to win their Super Regional against the Bulldogs, ranked sixth in the country.
However, the Wildcats shut out the naysayers, sweeping the Bulldogs with a pair of one-run victories. Bobby Daldec pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings in the 1-0 opening victory. In the second game, the Wildcats had a comeback that proved they just might be a magical team. Down 5-1 in the eighth inning, the Wildcats scored three runs in the eighth to cut the deficit to one. Facing a team that was undefeated when leading after eight innings, the Wildcats scratched out another run to tie the game and proceeded to win it in the eleventh, advancing to Omaha.
In Omaha
The Wildcats were given a tough game to start with, having to face off against the #3 Miami Hurricanes. However, Arizona handled the Hurricanes easily, winning 5-1 without too much of a problem. However, they suffered a tough loss in the winner's bracket, losing 1-0 to Oklahoma State, despite Daldec's eight inning, one run gem. Arizona came right back with a shutout of their own in an elimination game against UC Santa Barbara, shutting out the Gauchos 3-0.
However, once again, the Wildcats were placed in a situation in which they had to twice beat a team that had already beaten them. However, the Wildcats cruised in two straight games, winning 9-3 and 5-1, scoring 14 runs in two games against a Oklahoma State pitching staff that had not given up a run in the College World Series prior to those two games. And suddenly, the Wildcats are two games away from a national title.