The Bears head north for a three-game series at Washington to close out the 2019 regular season. Much is at stake over this final Pac-12 weekend, as Cal is aiming to secure its first NCAA Regionals berth since 2015. The Bears are tied for fourth place in the conference with Arizona State, and they're ranked 34th in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, which is part of the criteria for selecting the 64-team NCAA Regional field. Only four Pac-12 teams are ranked higher than Cal in RPI.

The Bears and Huskies play 6:05 p.m. games Thursday and Friday nights, and they'll close out the regular season with a 12:05 p.m. game Saturday. The entire series will air live on the Pac-12 Network. KALX-90.7 FM will broadcast all three games, and fans can also listen at kalx.berkeley.edu/live-streaming and TuneIn Radio.

Cal split two games last weekend at home against Arizona State in a scheduled three-game series that was shortened due to rain. In Sunday's 3-2 victory, junior right-hander Jared Horn threw his first career complete game, a five-hitter in which he struck out nine and walked two. He's won six of his past seven starts and is set to take the ball in Saturday's finale.

Cal has won two of its past three Pac-12 road series, going 6-3 over that stretch. The Bears took two of three at Arizona (April 12-14), then claimed one victory in three games at No. 1 UCLA the following  week and swept Utah in Salt Lake City (May 3-5). Overall, the Bears are 13-8 this season in the opponents' ballpark.


PROBABLE STARTERS
Thursday, May 23
Cal: RHP Sam Stoutenborough (7-4, 4.04)
Washington: RHP David Rhodes (5-5, 4.21)

Friday, May 24
Cal: TBA
Washington: RHP Jordan Jones (4-5, 4.87)

Saturday, May 25
Cal: RHP Jared Horn (6-1, 1.820 
Washington: RHP Josh Burgmann (4-6, 3.99)

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Last meeting: Cal hosted Washington last year and took two of three, winning by scores of 11-4 and 5-2, and dropping a 4-3 decision.   
Washington 2018 Record: 35-26, 20-10 Pac-12

• The Huskies (28-22, 12-15) are in sixth place in the conference, 3 1/2 games behind Cal and Arizona State right above them. They were swept last weekend by No. 1 UCLA but had won five in a row before that.
• Washington enters the weekend ranked eighth in runs scored in the Pac-12 with 286. In ERA, the Huskies are fifth (4.25).
• CF Braiden Ward is the table-setter from the leadoff spot and leads the Pac-12 with 24 stolen bases. He's been caught five times.
• Right-hander Stevie Emanuels' 2.39 ERA ranks fifth in the conference, and he's also among the leaders with six saves.


NEXT UP
The Bears will fly home to the Bay Area and eagerly await Monday morning's NCAA selection show to find out if they've made the postseason for the first time in four years.