Arizona center fielder Mac Bingham is this week’s Pac-12 Player of the Week after putting together a stellar series versus Oregon State over the weekend.
Against a Beavers team that is currently ranked second in the nation by D1Baseball.com and sitting atop of the Pac-12 standings, Bingham went 6-for-14 and contributed five RBIs in the series including a three-run home run on Sunday that helped the Wildcats come back from a 5-1 deficit.
What was most impressive about Bingham’s weekend performance was that he did it while batting ninth in the order for two of the three games.
“Yeah it doesn’t matter,” Bingham said when asked about where he is placed in the order. “I mean, we have a lot of dudes on this team and anyone can be plugged in anywhere. I have confidence in whatever he’s doing and hopefully the same. So, no, it didn’t change anything.”
Up until last weekend’s series, Bingham had been struggling a bit. The sophomore outfielder only managed to collect four hits in his previous eight games. Bingham picked up a single hit during the entire series against USC two weekends ago.
As the Wildcats flipped the page to OSU, Bingham came into game one against projected first-round draft pick Cooper Hjerpe and had two RBIs in as many hits, including a hard-hit double to right center that scored Daniel Susac.
“He didn’t really play all fall,” head coach Chip Hale said on Mac’s improvement as a hitter this season after his slow start due to a shoulder injury. “And you know, he’s been great. Great in center field and yeah, he’s making adjustments. He’s getting breaking balls up in the zone and he’s whacking them, and pound for pound he has as much power as anybody we have. It’s amazing to watch him take BP.”
Bingham’s home run in Sunday’s game came after the Wildcats started off slow leaving Arizona in a 5-1 deficit through four innings. The fifth-inning home run reignited the offense leading to the Cats scoring three runs in three straight innings in the 10-5 win.
“Just gave everyone a sense of more urgency and energy and you know a better vibe,” outfielder Chase Davis said about the momentum shift following Bingham’s big at-bat. “... More electric and just wanting to do better as a team and help each other really be there for each other. It’s a rally-starter. You keep going and keep getting hits and walks keep coming in and just keep winning games.”
Bingham is the fourth Arizona player to win a weekly Pac-12 award this season and the third different Wildcats player to earn the player of the week honor. Fellow UA outfielder Tanner O'Tremba won the first award of the season back in February before Susac earned the nod in mid-March. Pitcher Dawson Netz earned the first Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award back on Feb. 21.
Arizona (35-18, 16-11 Pac-12) currently sits in fourth place in the Pac-12 and are one game back of UCLA for third (33-18, 17-11) and two games back on Stanford for second (33-14, 18-9) in the conference race.
Bingham and the Wildcats will now look to the last series of the regular season when they go to Eugene to face the Oregon Ducks (31-21, 15-12), which are only one game back on the Wildcats for fourth in the conference standings.
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