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After years of Pac-10 dominance, Stanford finished the year with a losing record in conference pl

Baseball in the Pac-10 looks a little different this year.

In past years, teams such as USC, Stanford and defending champs No. 5 Oregon State have dominated conference foes and reaped the postseason benefits.

This year there is a lot more parity in the conference, with teams bunched closer together. Four and a half games separate the last place team, Arizona State, from the first place team, Oregon State. As a result, teams such as Stanford that are yearly postseason selections are on the postseason bubble.

“I think the conference is the strongest it has been from top to bottom as long as I can remember,†Stanford coach Mark Marquess said. “I don’t think it’s ever been this strong since there’s been nine teams involved. It’s indicative of how bunched it is, so I think it’s the strongest it’s been since we’ve been a conference.â€

Before this weekend’s play, six of the nine teams had overall records over .500. California was at .500; only Arizona and USC were under by five games and one game, respectively.

The balance is good for the reputation of the Pac-10, but puts pressure on specific teams. The last time Stanford did not make it to NCAA Regionals was in 1993.

“You’re talking about a program that literally goes every year,†said UCLA coach John Savage. “Stanford’s history the last 30 years has been remarkable on not only their regional history but their Omaha experience. They’ve been in Omaha a lot.â€

A chance to go to Omaha for the College World Series is no guarantee for a Stanford team that had to battle back from a rough start in conference play to even be in contention for the postseason.

“I think everyone was surprised on where they started in conference,†Savage said. “They turned it around and now they’re a legitimate contender to be in the regional. Their (Ratings Percentage Index) is in the 30s, so I would think both (UCLA and Stanford) would be going.â€

The RPI rates the level of competition a team faces, and is factored in when regional bids are handed out. Both UCLA and Stanford have high RPIs, which is due in large part to the toughness of the conference schedule.

In past years Stanford never had to worry about needing its RPI to help it get into the tournament – its conference record was enough. If the Cardinal make it in, their RPI will be a large factor.

Asked what their regional hopes were, Marquess responded, “I really don’t know. We had five teams last year from the conference (make it) and I hope to God we have at least five, maybe six (this year). We play very demanding schedules and our league suffers. The problem is that we’ve beaten each other up so much.â€

Over the weekend, Stanford and UCLA were evenly matched until the Bruins pulled away with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth from junior Tim Stewart.

With the win, the Bruins put themselves in position to receive a bid for regionals. The series reflects a growing movement for parity in the conference, as does Stanford’s conference record. From 1994 to 2004, Stanford finished at least eight games over .500 in the Pac-10. Last year the Cardinal finished at 12-12 and qualified for regionals, and this year they finished the year at 11-13 and have their fingers crossed for the postseason.