The Arizona Wildcats knew what they had to do.
To secure a third straight NCAA Tournament berth, Arizona likely would have to win five of its final six games – or maybe even all of them.
Impossible? No. Improbable? Maybe. But highly, highly unlikely without a win Thursday in Game 1 of a three-game series against rival Arizona State.
“You can’t win six games all at once,” UA pitching coach Dave Lawn said on the eve of the series. “But you can win one game six times. That’s kind of our theme anyways. That’s the blueprint for what we do.