The redundancy of the regular season three game series is over. Now is the time for the U baseball team, because every game could mean a chance to go to the NCAA Regionals or to go home.
Utah (32-24, 16-14 MWC) pulled it together at the end of the regular season and found itself in second place as the team heads into the Mountain West Conference Championships in Provo, starting today at 3 p.m. versus UNLV.
The Utes topped BYU in the conference standings by a half game, which usually would be improbable. However, the Cougars had a conference match with Air Force canceled due to severe weather conditions, and the match could not be postponed due to MWC regulations.
The U earned the second place seeding, its best finish since joining the MWC. The U’s 32 wins is also its largest total since 1963.
However, it puts the Utes in a tight situation, as they will play the UNLV Rebels?a team that has played the U tough throughout the season.
UNLV finished the regular season with a conference record of 13-17, 28-28 overall. The Rebels did not play consistent baseball all year, and they ended the season on a two-game losing streak.
But the one team the Rebels have played close against has been Utah. The two teams split their regular season meetings with three wins apiece. After the Utes took two of three from UNLV in Las Vegas, the Rebels came right back and overwhelmed the Utes at home by taking two out of three.
In Vegas the Utes saw amazing pitching out of Cheyenne Rushton and Mitch Maio, who both provided wins.
Rushton only allowed 3 earned runs in his win, while Maio pitched a complete game and was subsequently named MWC Pitcher of the Week.
The same could not be said for the second time the Utes played the Rebels.
Though Maio shut down the Rebels with another complete game in a shortened 7-inning game due to a doubleheader, the other two starting pitchers did not fare well. Jason Wylie and Rushton both shouldered losses.
However, this time around it is only a one-game series, and all pitchers are expendable. Being one of the best pitchers in the league, Maio is the probable starter. Not only did Maio have a pair of good outings against UNLV, he also led the league in wins, earned run average, and was second in the league with 5 saves.
The U has been playing well as of late, taking two of three from both BYU and Air Force to finish off the season.
Rushton picked up MWC Pitcher of the Week honors for the third time this season after the Air Force series, and the U seems to be gelling as it goes into the championships.
Adam Castleton and Nate Weese have been tearing the cover off the ball, as Castleton owns a .368 average. Weese leads the team with 68 RBI, 16 home runs and 80 hits.
Three freshman starters?Brett Baldwin, Matt Ciaramella, and Jared Snyder?have been contributors.
Baldwin has been the only player to start in every game for the U, while Ciaramella hit .330. Snyder has gone both ways for the Utes. As a catcher, he has batted .327, and as a reliever he is tied with Maio with 5 saves.
If the Utes advance past UNLV, regular season champion San Diego State will likely be waiting in the second round. A U loss could mean another match-up with BYU or New Mexico.