Cougar baseball salvages series finale against USC

A lot can change in 10 days. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the Washington State baseball team’s playoff hopes.

On May 8, the Cougars were coming off a win against UCLA the night before. At that very moment, they were likely on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, or at worst, in the thick of contention.

When the Cougars woke up on Sunday, May 16, they were riding a five-game losing streak. All the momentum that had surged them onto, and possibly beyond, the bubble had vanished.

The Cougars would seemingly need a miracle to get into the tournament at this point. If they are going to get that miracle, they got it off to a good start with a 20-hit, 13-2 drubbing of the Trojans. The win improved WSU’s record to 24-22 including 11-16 in Pac-12 play.

In his most recent bracket projection, Teddy Cahill of Baseball America had Alabama as the final at-large team to make the field. The Crimson Tide also went 1-2 over the weekend, but still sit with a 29-19 record.

For their part, the Cougars will close out the season this week with a three-game series at home against Washington. A series sweep is still likely not enough to get the Cougs to the postseason, but there are much worse ways to end a season.

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Baseball:

Cougars Take One from Trojans, Lose Series in Los Angeles – Cougar Sports Network
After losing the final two against UCLA and dropping the non-conference game to Portland, WSU headed to the Golden State, to take on a tough USC team. The Cougars dropped the first two of the three-game series but salvaged one in the finale. WSU (24-22, 11-16) has one more series to go in the 2021 …

Football:

Six reasons why 2022 could be a banner year for WSU Cougars at the NFL draft | The Seattle Times
WSU was one of just two teams in the Pac-12 without someone selected in the 2021 NFL draft, ending an eight-year streak. But with several key returners, 2022 could be...

Back injury sidelines Ryan Kershaw's WSU football career before it got going | Washington State University Sports | yakimaherald.com
La Salle graduate Ryan Kershaw’s chance to play football for his “dream” school, Washington State, came to an abrupt end late last week.

Track:

College roundup: WSU men's track has pair of seconds at Pac-12 meet | Sports | lmtribune.com
LOS ANGELES — Buoyed by a pair of second-place finishes, the Washington State men's track and field team placed sixth at the Pac-12 outdoor championship meet Sunday at Loker Stadium