May 15, 1998

SEATTLE - The 19th-ranked Washington baseball completed a two-game sweep of No. 1 Stanford Friday, beating the Cardinal 12-8 to win its second straight Pacific-10 Conference championship.

The win earns the Huskies the Pac-10's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, marking the first time ever that the Huskies have gone to the NCAAs in consecutive seasons. The 48-team tournament field will be announced Monday at noon on ESPN. Stanford, already selected to host the West Regional, was already guaranteed and NCAA berth.

Friday, the Huskies (39-15) fell behind in the first inning when the Cardinal scored three runs on a solo homer by leadoff man Edmund Muth and a two-run shot by Josh Hochgesang. But Washington scored five in the second inning and never trailed.

Chris Magruder, who reached base all six times in Thursday's first game vs. Stanford, went 4-for-6 Friday with a double, a home run (his 11th), three runs and three RBIs. Nick Stefonick went 3-for-6 with a homer and two RBI and Ryan Bundy, whose two-run triple scored the Huskies' first two runs, went 3-for-5.

The Huskies handed Stanford ace Jeff Austin (12-3) the loss, touching the All-American and National Team ace for eight runs on eight hits in only three innings. The Cardinal (41-12-1), which also got a home run from Joe Borchard and two doubles from Jody Gerut, threatened late, getting to within two runs of the Huskies at 10-8 after six innings.

Washington, however, pulled away on solo homers from Magruder and Jim Na in the seventh and eighth innings. Freshman starter Jeff Carlsen didn't get a decision, throwing only four and two-thirds innings. Frosh lefty Mike Bomar (3-1) threw one inning for the win and Wayne Lee retired the side in order in the ninth to close it out.

Last season, the Huskies beat Stanford, two games to one, to win their first overall conference title since 1922. The sweep was the first by the Huskies over a team in the Southern Division since 1911, 31 series ago. Stanford lost, which entered last weekend without having lost two straight games all season, has now lost four straight.

Washington will find out where it will play and against whom when the NCAA field is announced Monday.

Pac-10 Championship -- Game Two
Final Score
No. 19 Washington 12, No. 1 Stanford 8

Washington  053 110 110 -- 12 7 1
Stanford    301 031 000 -- 8 11 0

Jeff Carlsen, Mike Bomar (5), Bryan Williamson (6), Matt Massingale (8), Wayne Lee (9) and Ryan Bundy.

Jeff Austin, Justin Wayne (5), Austin Coose (9) and John Salter, Damien Alvarado (8).

W - Bomar (3-1). L - Austin (12-3).

2B - SU, Jody Gerut 2, Joe Borchard; UW, Chris Magruder, Ryan Lentz. 3B - UW, Bundy.

HR - SU, Edmund Muth (13), Josh Hochgesang (10), Joe Borchard (8); UW, Nick Stefonick (6), Ed Erickson (11), Kyle Woods (14), Magruder (11), Jim Na (3).

T - 3:24. A - 678.