WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore Jeff Van Houten is greeted at home plate by fellow outfielder Brian Anderson (27), Pat Reilly (17) and other teammates following a homerun earlier this season. Van Houten face a tough series with No. 4 Stanford this weekend.

UA takes on Pac-10 leader No. 4 Stanford

Forgive head coach Andy Lopez if he doesn't seem too concerned about his team's surprising 4-0 loss to Division II Grand Canyon Tuesday night. He has more important things to worry about.

Like the three-game road series against Pacific-10 Conference leader Stanford that begins today at 6:30 p.m., for instance öö a series he said is the most important he's faced in his two years at Arizona baseball's helm.

With his Wildcat team in the Pac-10 hunt late in the season for the first time in years, this weekend's results could make or break its conference championship hopes.

"There's a lot riding on the line in terms of where we could wind up after the weekend," Lopez said. "We could end up tied for first, in first, or chasing (Stanford) by more than we want to."

Arizona (28-15, 7-5 Pac-10) trails the No. 4-ranked Cardinal (27-11, 9-3 Pac-10) by two games coming into the three-game series at the historic Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif. A sweep would vault the Wildcats into prime position for their first conference title since 11 years ago when it was the Pacific-10 south.

Ask his players if they know how important the weekend is, and Lopez's words echo back like bat pings off the outfield walls.

"Very important. This is pretty much what we've been practicing for," senior Brian Pemble said. "Obviously, this is the biggest series (this season). This is the one we really want."

It seems every player has his sights set on taking a series from Stanford for the first time in a decade, especially after Stanford escaped from Sancet Field with a 2-1 series victory last year. That series included the longest-running game in Arizona history, an 18-inning, 5-4 UA loss that lasted more than five hours and ended in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

"It's probably the series with the most meaning," junior Brian Anderson said. "It's a race for the Pac-10 right now, and there's only 12 games left in the Pac-10, so every game counts."

But the Cardinal won't be the only obstacle the Wildcats face this weekend. Arizona's second straight road series will unfold in front of a Stanford crowd that consistently ranks among the Pac-10's largest and is a drastic change from Sancet Field's sparsely populated bleachers.

"It would be a little bit easier if we were playing them at home," Anderson said. "But I don't think the road really bothers us as much as other teams. We'll play anywhere ÷ it doesn't matter to us. But besides ASU, it's probably my favorite place to play."

Lopez said he hopes that the team's earlier trips to packed venues acclimated it to playing in front of big crowds.

"I think they'll handle it," he said. "They seemed to handle Texas pretty well, so I don't think it should be a big factor. That's why we went out to Texas and places like that."

Not surprisingly, Stanford is bringing out its big guns in an attempt to stymie the Wildcat bats. Junior All-America candidate John Hudgins (7-2, 2.90 ERA), the Pac-10 strikeout leader, will take the mound in today's opener. Arizona will counter with staff ace Richie Gardner (6-1, 3.63).

Sean Rierson (7-1, 4.50) will start tomorrow's game for Arizona. Stanford has not announced a starter for tomorrow or Sunday, and Lopez said he would decide on his Sunday pitcher at a later time.

If the 2,000-plus Stanford faithful isn't enough of an audience for the Wildcats, they can expect a few more viewers from across the nation. The fledgling College Sports Television network will broadcast today's game nationally, beginning with the first pitch at 6:30. Tomorrow's and Sunday's games are scheduled for 1 p.m. starts.