Roundup: UCLA softball 1 win away from Women's College World Series
Powered by four homers, UCLA softball defeated Arizona 7-1 in Game 1 of its Super Regional series. One more win against the Wildcats and UCLA is going to Oklahoma City for the fourth straight year (Game 2 is set for Friday night at 6 p.m. PT and will be on ESPN2).
NCAA Softball Super Regionals began Thursday night, and top-seeded Oregon will have to do it the hard way after losing to 16th-seeded Kentucky 9-6 in Eugene. The Ducks gotta win two straight now.
Caitlin Faust advanced to 800-meter quarterfinal at NCAA West Regional prelims on Thursday night in Sacramento, California.
Jose Saldana of the Stanford Daily reminds us that Stanford baseball is one win away from its first Pac-12 title in 14 years. The Cardinal lost at Washington Thursday night but have two more chances to get that one W (or a Beavers loss).
Speaking of that Thursday night game… Washington baseball blew out Stanford 7-0 behind a three-run homer from Levi Jordan and 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball from Lucas Knowles (Pac-12 Networks recap).
Oregon State pitcher Luke Heimlich broke the program single-season strikeout record after fanning 10 to lead Oregon State to a 2-0 win over UCLA Thursday night in Corvallis (The Oregonian/OregonLive). The Beavers are gonna make Stanford earn that Pac-12 title.
In other baseball action, Arizona blasted Oregon 10-2 Thursday in Eugene behind a career-high 6 RBI from Cesar Salazar. Our Rich Burk and Donnie Marbut recap the action.
The USC men's tennis season has come to an end as Brandon Holt and Riley Smith bowed out in the NCAA round of 16. Holt was vanquished in the singles tournament by Ohio State's Mikael Torpegaard (7-5, 6-3), before teaming up with Smith in a 6-4, 6-1 doubles defeat to Memphis' Ryan Peniston/Andrew Watson.
James Harden was unanimously voted All-NBA first team, it was announced on Thursday (ESPN). Other Pac-12 alums on the All-NBA teams are Russell Westbrook (second team) and DeMar DeRozan (second team as well).
Cal women’s rowing won all three of its races on the first day of the NCAA Rowing Championships in Florida and have advanced to Saturday’s A/B semifinals.
Washington State track and field’s Brock Eager and Sander Moldau advanced to the NCAA Championships at the NCAA West Region Preliminary Rounds in Sacramento on Thursday. Eager is a hammer thrower, while Moldau is a pole vaulter.
Brian Howell is of the opinion that spring recruiting visits are a big plus for Colorado football. Recruits used to have to wait until September of their senior year to take official visits, but now they can take officials from April 1 to June 24.