The UCLA Bruins have been members of the Pac-12 Conference since 1928. Nearly 100 years have come to an end, as the Pac-12 officially played their final game.
It was a wild one, in the Pac-12 Conference title game. The Arizona Wildcats beat USC 4-3. The game was held in Scottsdale. The game ended with Tommy Spaline hitting a walk-off single.
Arizona did not have a hit until the 7th inning and trailed 3-0 heading into the 8th inning. The win for the Wildcats pushed them to 36-21-0 overall. They won the conference title with their 20-10 mark in the regular season. USC dropped to 31-28 on the season.
Head coach Chip Hale of Arizona talked earlier this week about losing the conference and his feelings about it:
“That’s the sad thing about it: You start talking about those awards, you start thinking, boy, that’s the last time this conference is going to be able to do that.”
Hale was the first person to earn Pac-12 Baseball Player of the Year in 1987 and coach of the year – 2024 honors.
Hale also praised his team and had a sigh of relief for how great the game ended:
“What a great way for it to end, not only for the baseball season but the sports’ history for this conference.”
Roxy Bernstein was on the call as the game ended:
"One last Pac-12 After Dark. That's how the Pac-12 comes to a conclusion."
– Roxy Bernstein on the call as Arizona beats USC in the final Pac-12 game in any sport. pic.twitter.com/Uc5g6JDk7o
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 26, 2024