Arizona (44-20) will play Louisville (40-23) at 11 a.m. PT Sunday, the first step in what would be a tremendously steep climb to stay alive in the series. The Wildcats would have to win four in a row to reach the championship series, with three of those on consecutive days.

The Arizona Wildcats have reached the College World Series for the 19th time in school history, and the quest for a fifth national title begins against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Arizona (44-19) lost in three games to Coastal (53-11) in the 2016 CWS championship series.

Arizona made it to Omaha all but one year from 1954-60 and won its three titles in the 1970s and 1980s across five CWS appearances. After missing it 17 consecutive times between 1987 and 2003, the Wildcats returned to the CWS in 2004, marking their first of five appearances this century. Four of those trips have come since 2012.