OMAHA, Neb. – The team projected to finish ninth in the Pac-12 will play for the College World Series championship.

Perpetual underdog Arizona did it again Saturday. The UA defeated Oklahoma State 5-1 at TD Ameritrade Park to eliminate the Cowboys and advance to the CWS finals. Arizona will face Coastal Carolina or TCU in a best-of-three starting Monday. The Chanticleers and Horned Frogs play later Saturday.

The Wildcats won their third straight elimination game in Omaha, replicating the feat they pulled off in the Lafayette Regional earlier this month. In between, they swept No. 6 national seed Mississippi State in Starkville.

Arizona is playing in the CWS championship series for the first time since 2012, when the Wildcats won the title. That was also the last time the UA qualified for postseason play.

Arizona had to beat Oklahoma State ace Thomas Hatch to do it. Hatch entered Saturday having not allowed a run in 23 postseason innings.

The streak ended immediately. The Wildcats scored twice in the bottom of the first. Cody Ramer and Ryan Aguilar each had doubles and scored runs. Zach Gibbons and Jared Oliva drove them in.