Pac-12 goes dark: conference baseball tournament marks end of an era

John Marshall, AP Sports Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Waves of fans streamed into Scottsdale Stadium an hr earlier nan start, anticipation building each infinitesimal person to first pitch.

They came to spot nan Pac-12 shot title game. They sewage a dose of history pinch it.

With Arizona and Southern California atop nan marquee, nan undercurrent of Saturday night’s crippled swirled astir what could beryllium a finality: nan extremity of nan Pac-12 Conference arsenic we cognize it.

“It’s weird that it feels for illustration it’s nan extremity of it,” said Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson, nan No. 1 wide prime of nan 2020 shot draught aft 3 seasons astatine Arizona State. “I conjecture it makes consciousness — money talks to these conferences.”

Money surely led to nan demise of nan once-proud Pac-12.

With nary imminent media authorities woody connected nan horizon, nan convention began to splinter, starting pinch USC and UCLA’s determination to time off for nan Big Ten.

The seismic displacement eastbound led to a tsunami of defections.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah opted for a move to nan Big 12. Washington and Oregon joined nan Southern California schools successful heading to nan Big Ten. California and Stanford will beryllium successful nan Atlantic Coast Conference adjacent season.

That near Washington State and Oregon State clinging to nan remnants of a Pac-12 facing what’s still an uncertain future.

“That’s nan sad point astir it, you commencement talking astir those awards you commencement thinking, boy, that’s nan past clip this convention is going to beryllium capable to do that,” said Arizona’s Chip Hale, nan first personification to gain Pac-12 shot subordinate and coach of nan twelvemonth honors.

Unless nan convention resurrects, Hale and his Wildcats will spell retired arsenic nan Pac-12’s last champions aft rallying from a three-run shortage to hit nan Trojans 4-3 successful beforehand a raucous, pro-Arizona crowd astatine Scottsdale Stadium.

“What a awesome measurement for it to end, not only for nan shot season, but nan sports’ history for this conference,” Hale said.

And if this is nan end, nan convention went retired pinch a bang.

USC won its 21st men’s formation volleyball nationalist title and nan USC women won their 4th straight. UCLA’s women’s h2o polo won its eighth NCAA title pinch its 3rd undefeated season.

Stanford’s women’s play squad won its 2nd nationalist title successful 3 years retired of an all-Pac-12 last 4 and its men’s gymnastics squad besides won a nationalist championship. The Arizona State men won their first swimming and diving nationalist title successful March.

“Growing up, it was nan Pac-10, past nan Pac-12, it was conscionable truthful overmuch nosy to watch,” said Torkelson, who grew up successful Petaluma, California. “I consciousness for illustration location were truthful galore awesome teams successful each sport.”

The self-proclaimed Conference of Champions will time off rather a legacy, moreover if astir of it will beryllium relegated to nan history books.

The Pac-12, founded arsenic nan Pacific Coast Conference successful 1916, has claimed 561 squad nationalist championships — complete 200 much than nan adjacent closest convention — and much than 1,200 individual titles.

The convention was location to nan immoderate of nan top athletes successful assemblage sports history, from Jackie Robinson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Tiger Woods and Katie Ledecky.

It besides was nan location of Pac-12 After Dark, those wild, high-scoring shot games that ran good past midnight Eastern time.

Arizona gave nan convention 1 past after-dark dose, scoring a tally successful nan seventh inning, 2 successful nan eighth and stepping it disconnected connected Tommy Splaine’s run-scoring azygous successful nan bottommost of nan ninth, sending nan Wildcats rushing onto nan field.

“It’s nan past crippled for nan Pac-12 and that’s a sad deal, but now it’s connected to nan Big 12,” Hale said.

Now nan Pac-12 whitethorn beryllium going dark, its bequest shifting toward nan rearview mirror.

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AP assemblage sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports