The NCAA Selection Committee bucked recent precedent by awarding one of the 16 regional host spots in the upcoming national tournament to Tucson, home of the Arizona Wildcats.
Despite winning the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament championships, Arizona was considered something of a long shot to host because its RPI — one of the main metrics the committee considers — was just 31.
But the committee clearly valued the Wildcats’ double championship in a power league — albeit one that’s breaking apart this summer — as well as Arizona’s No. 1-ranked nonconference strength of schedule.
UA coach Chip Hale and his players stated their case on the field Saturday night, rallying from a three-run deficit to defeat USC 4-3 in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game in Scottsdale. They then stated their case verbally.
“We're the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champion,” Hale said after hoisting the tournament trophy at Scottsdale Stadium. “I think we deserve to host.”
“That's obviously not my decision,” added senior outfielder Emilio Corona, who scored the winning run, “and whatever they want to do is perfectly fine with us. We just want to keep playing ball and keep playing with this group. This is a special group, and I don't think anyone wants it to be done anytime soon.”
The host sites were revealed on X (formerly Twitter) Sunday evening in alphabetical order by city. Tucson was the 16th and final site to be announced.
The complete NCAA Tournament field will be revealed Monday morning on ESPN2. The Wildcats will watch the unveiling from their clubhouse at Hi Corbett Field. The regional will begin Friday.
Arizona advanced to the College World Series the last two times it hosted (2012, 2021) but was able to stay at home throughout as a top-eight seed. The Wildcats won’t be in the top eight this time and therefore wouldn’t play at home in the Super Regionals unless a higher-seeded team gets upset on the other side of the bracket.
The Wildcats swarm Tommy Splaine (20) after his single drove home pinch runner Emilio Corona for the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth in a 4-3 win over USC in the championship game in the 2024 Pac-12 Baseball tournament Saturday in Scottsdale.
Arizona (36-21) went 19-7 at Hi Corbett this season.
‘Consummate professional’
In some ways, junior first baseman Tommy Splaine was the least likely walk-off hero on the UA roster. In other ways, not so much.
Splaine has spent much of the season tinkering with his batting stance and swing after an offseason experiment that didn’t quite work.
In searching for ways to tap into the power his 6-5, 207-pound frame suggests he should have, Splaine and hitting coach Toby DeMello sought an approach with more movement and a triggering mechanism. So Splaine held his bat near the middle of his body before pulling it back into a loaded position.
Although he has a career-high five home runs, Splaine entered Saturday with a career-low .231 batting average. He also has a career-high 56 strikeouts, including in each of his first two plate appearances vs. USC.
“Starting (in) the fall, I started working with some different stuff,” Splaine said. “As the season has gone on, honestly, it didn't go as I wanted it to. But my coaches and I have been working hard just to keep improving and just sticking with it really.”
Arizona first baseman Tommy Splaine skids on his knees to glove a grounder up the line by Oregon State's Jabin Trosky and get the putout himself in the fifth inning of their Pac-12 game at Hi Corbett Field on May 18, 2024.
Splaine kept tinkering with his setup before reverting to something closer to his original stance. He has hit safely in four of his past five games, going 6 for 18 over that stretch.
Splaine helped ignite and finish Saturday’s comeback. With the score 3-1, he led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single. After advancing to second on pinch hitter Richie Morales’ walk, Splaine scored on Brendan Summerhill’s single to make it 3-2.
With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, Splaine came to the plate with runners on first and second. He laced a 2-1 pitch into left field to score Corona and set off another walk-off celebration.
Hale said Splaine has handled his struggles the right way.
“If he was a professional, I'd say he's a consummate professional,” Hale said. “Because he has not let any of his struggles at the plate affect him on defense. That's why he's out there. He holds down that infield, and I was just so happy that it was him that got the winning hit.”
Arizona pinch runner Emilio Corona just beats the throw to USC catcher Jacob Galloway to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the 2024 Pac-12 Baseball Tournament championship game on May 25 in Scottsdale.
Splaine played a key role in each of Arizona’s previous two walk-offs. On April 21 vs. Washington State, Splaine got hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the 11th. He eventually scored the winning run on Mason White’s single.
Splaine reached base the same way leading off the bottom of the ninth in the regular-season finale vs. Oregon State. He scored the tying run on Summerhill’s walk-off double, preceding Maddox Mihalakis to the plate.
“It’s been happening a lot all year,” Splaine said. “But it just goes to show you that we trust each other and we're really never out of it as a team.”
Ready in a pinch
Corona’s participation in Arizona’s twin titles has been limited after he was hit in the right hand by a pitch in the May 16 series opener vs. Oregon State. The Wildcats’ starting right fielder had to leave that game, and he only has been able to pinch-run since.
Corona spent time loosening up between innings as Saturday’s game progressed, getting ready for just such an opportunity. It came in the bottom of the ninth when catcher Blake McDonald hit a one-out single.
USC shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, left, and Arizona pinch runner Emilio Corona look for the call after Corona swiped second to get in scoring position with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the championship game in the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament on Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Scottsdale.
“We had talked all game about when he would go into run. McDonald was the guy,” Hale said. “We had the one out, got him on and basically just said, ‘Hey, if you get a jump, go.’ He's an elite base stealer.”
Corona took off on Josh Blum’s first pitch to Andrew Cain, swiping his team-high 15th base in 19 attempts. USC elected to walk Cain, setting up Splaine’s heroics.
Corona has been a vocal presence in the dugout while working his way back from the injury.
“Obviously it's been hard because I want to be out here and help the guys win games,” Corona said. “They've done a great job taking care of business. Just support any way I can. It doesn't do me any good to sit around the dugout and sulk. That does no one any good. So I just try and bring my best energy that I can to support the team in as many ways as possible.”
Corona said there’s no break in his hand. It’s conceivable he could return to the lineup for the NCAA Tournament.
Tommy Splaine, Arizona's latest walk-off hero, meets with the media after producing the winning hit for the Wildcats in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game (video by Michael Lev / Arizona Daily Star)
