The Arizona Wildcats' baseball team will not have an opportunity to play in Omaha this season after the NCAA announced it was canceling all remaining winter and spring championship events because of the coronavirus pandemic. The same goes for the UA softball program, which returned to Oklahoma City last year following a long drought and was hoping to compete for a championship this season.
In announcing the cancellation of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments due to “the evolving COVID-19 public health threat,” the NCAA also nixed the College World Series and Women's College World Series — even though they weren't scheduled to begin until June.
The NCAA said the decision to cancel all championships was based on “our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to (the) spread of the pandemic and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.”
Arizona's Blake Paugh (28) gets his arm loose as the sun sets over Hi Corbett field just before first pitch against Albany in the Wildcats season opener, February 14, 2020 Tucson, Ariz.
An NCAA spokesperson said the cancellation of the College World Series did not necessarily preclude schools or conferences from playing regular-season games. However, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott announced that the league would “halt for the moment” all sporting competitions, so it’s highly unlikely Arizona or any other conference member will be playing baseball anytime soon.
Jay Johnson’s Wildcats were off to a 10-5 start. They were considered more likely than not to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Arizona was to have begun Pac-12 play against Oregon State on Friday at Hi Corbett Field. The regular season was set to run through May 23.
Johnson declined comment Thursday through a school spokesman but is expected to address the sudden and almost certain end to the 2020 season in the coming days.
A plan had been announced Wednesday evening to play games without fans, but the situation changed Thursday when college conferences and pro sports leagues instituted a massive shutdown.
UA baseball season-ticket holders were told via email that they would receive a prorated credit to their account for each home game affected by the cancellations. The credit can be used toward any future event sold by the McKale Ticket Office through the 2020-21 season. The Wildcats had 22 home games remaining on their schedule.
Arizona's softball team was ranked No. 4 in the country when it beat Saint Joseph's 11-1 in five innings on Tuesday. The Wildcats were 22-3 overall and preparing to open Pac-12 play with a series against Oregon State at Hi Corbett Field. The UA played the U.S. Olympic team on Feb. 18, and was scheduled to take on the Mexican National team on March 28.
