The sixth-seeded Utah Utes continued their amazing run in the 2009 Conoco Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship with a 6-4 upset victory over top-seeded TCU Friday afternoon at Lupton Stadium. With the win, the Utes (24-29) advance to their first MWC Tournament championship game where they will face San Diego State at 7 p.m. CT. Utah must beat the Aztecs twice to win the tournament title and earn its first NCAA regional berth since 1963.

"We know we're a really good team and we can create some trouble for other teams," Utah freshman designated hitter C.J. Cron said.

Utah had to stop a TCU rally in the bottom of the ninth inning as Utah's top starter Jordan Whatcott turned closer and earned his first career save. Whatcott retired Matt Carpenter and Matt Vern with runners at first and second to end the game.

The Utes came out swinging and led the entire game. Catcher Devin Walker got the offense started with a two-run home run to left field in the second off Frogs starter Greg Holle (5-2). Then in the fifth inning, the Utes exploded with four runs to take a 6-0 lead, highlighted by Cron's two-run double. His hit was one of five, including four consecutive, in the inning. Walker also stayed red-hot with an RBI double in the inning. Cron and Walker went a combined 6-for-7 with three doubles, a home run and five RBI.

"Our guys are locked in right now and we've played really well," Utah coach Bill Kinneberg said. "For them to come in here with some confidence, they are doing that."

On the mound, Utah starter Bryn Card (5-2) had TCU off-balance the entire game. He went five and two-third innings and allowed seven hits and three runs.

"He held them off with his changeup and changing bat speeds," Kinneberg said. "He did a tremendous job and got us where we need to be."

TCU's loss snapped its consecutive tournament championship streak at five, which included the last three in the MWC.

TCU finally broke through offensively in the fifth with two runs and sent the winning run to the plate twice in the ninth.

"If we would have had the same focus in the first four and a half innings as we had in the last four in a half it would have been a different ballgame," TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said.