STANFORD, Calif. – Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Corey Baird capped off Stanford's final regular-season homestand in fine fashion on Sunday afternoon, launching his second game winner of the year past Oregon State's keeper in the 84th minute and helping the No. 10 Cardinal to a 2-1 victory at Cagan Stadium.
The win was Stanford's 12th of the year, its highest regular-season total since 2002. It was also the Cardinal's fifth in Pac-12 play against one loss and three draws. With 18 points, Stanford sits atop the Pac-12 table one point clear of UCLA and two ahead of Washington with just one game remaining for all three. The Cardinal travels across the bay next Sunday for a match at Cal at 1 p.m. with its first Pac-12 title since 2001 on the line.
"Every game you look at and you hope to do your best in each one, but you have to definitely say these are two massive wins at home," Stanford head coach Jeremy Gunn said. "The conference race is on. To do what we did this weekend was absolutely magnificent."
Baird's winner was the fourth goal of the season for the freshman and third in Stanford's last four games. The Cardinal won a header near midfield and Baird found the ball in space. Sprinting up the left, through OSU's defense and into the box, he unleashed a left-footed blast to the far post and out of the reach of the Beavers' diving Matt Bersano.
His strike extended the Cardinal's unbeaten streak to eight, with Stanford going 5-0-3 since early October.
Baird's heroics were needed after Oregon State's Will Seymore converted a penalty kick in the 78th minute. With the Beavers pressing, a bouncing ball in the box kicked up and struck a Stanford defender in the arm. OSU was awarded the free shot from the spot.
"When you look at what you try and create as foundations of the program it's hard work, determination and resiliency," Gunn said. "Always looking forward to the next opportunity whether it's the next play in the game or the next match. We're in a game where we're in charge and suddenly we're tied again. It's fantastic that the mentality of the team says 'Alright, let's get after them again.'"
Oregon State's penalty kick equalizer was needed after Eric Verso got Stanford on the board with his fourth goal of the season in the 67th minute. Jordan Morris controlled the ball at the top of the box, dribbled one way, then retraced his steps and came back the other. His slipped it in front to Baird, whose tap forward freed up Verso for the goal.
It was the redshirt junior's first goal in Pac-12 play, first since scoring in a 2-1 victory over Delaware on Sept. 21 and 10th of his career.
Stanford heads to Berkeley knowing that a win secures the program just the second Pac-12 title in its history. That match will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks beginning at 1 p.m.
"It's the same business as normal – keep playing the way we're playing," Gunn added. "We have to go to Cal and they're a great program. We're in a good position, but obviously it's another very tough game. We again have to prepare the right way and look forward to competing as always."
Sunday's win also marked Senior Day for Zach Batteer, Matt Taylor, Austin Meyer, Bobby Edwards and Jimmy Callinan, as the quintet was honored before the game with their families. That group has led a program which has improved every year under their guidance, starting from a 6-10-2 mark in 2011 to today's top-10 12-2-3 Stanford side.