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With baseball season starting up tomorrow with San Diego hosting Vanderbilt, the 2017 baseball baseball season has officially arrived. Here are the following team capsules on each of the ten West Coast Conference teams.
WCC POLL AND PRESEASON ALL-WCC TEAMS
San Diego Toreros
Predicted Finish: 1st
Preseason All-WCC: Riley Adams, Nick Sprengel
Manager: Rich Hill
Last year record: 27-29
Last year WCC record: 13-14
After a tough season where they did not finish in the top four, the Toreros are projected to bounce back this year and were voted to finish on top of the conference standings. Catcher Riley Adams, a preseason All-WCC and All-American, hit .327 last year and figures to be the heart and soul for the offense this year.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Predicted Finish: 2nd
Preseason All-WCC: Jeff Bohling, Tyler Frost, Eli Morgan
Manager: Mark Machtolf
Last year record: 36-21
Last year WCC record: 18-9
After being tied at the top of the standings and a NCAA tournament team last year, Gonzaga figures to be once again a team to be reckon with in the WCC. Jeff Bohling, the defending WCC player of the year, leads a group of six returning everyday starters that is expected to be one of the top offenses in the conference. On the mound, the bulldogs will rely on their new ace Eli Morgan, who went 8-0 in conference last season, as their Friday starter.
Pepperdine Waves
Predicted Finish: 3rd
Preseason All-WCC: Ryan Wilson
Manager: Rick Hirtensteiner
Last year record: 29-24
Last year WCC record: 16-11
The Waves look to continue the momentum of last years fourth place finish and are picked this year to finish third in the WCC. Pepperdine will look at pitcher Ryan Wilson to become their ace and replace last years Friday starter and second round draft pick, A.J. Puckett. Wilson, who spent last year in the bullpen and occasionally as a starter, finished last season with an ERA of 0.63 in 42.2 inning pitcher.
BYU Cougars
Predicted Finish: 4th
Preseason All-WCC: Keaton Kringlen, Colton Shaver
Manager: Mike Littlewood
Last year record: 37-17
Last year WCC record: 18-9
Offense will be the key once again for the Cougars as they are predicted to finish in fourth by the coaches this season. Colton Shaver and Keaton Kringlen, both All-WCC preseason selections, figure to both hit in the middle of a dangerous lineup that features several returning starters. BYU in all returns twenty-two letter winners from a team that finished last season as the WCC regular season co-champions.
Saint Mary's Gaels
Predicted Finish: 5th
Preseason All-WCC: Zach Kirtley, Cameron Neff, Johnny York
Manager: Eric Valenzuela
Last year record: 33-25
Last year WCC record: 18-9
Last seasons Cinderella story, the Gaels are predicted to finish in fifth place after winning the conference tournament last season that clinched the first WCC title in program history. Despite having several key players either graduate or get drafted, the Gaels still have plenty of firepower to have another run to the NCAA tournament. Second baseman Zach Kirtley, who is the defending WCC tournament MVP, will be called upon to be a leader for the offense. On the mound the Gaels return two starters in Cameron Neff and Johnny York, whom are both legitimate Friday starters.
San Francisco Dons
Predicted Finish: 6th
Preseason All-WCC: Nico Giarrantano, Ross Puskarich
Manager: Nino Giarrantano
Last year record: 22-34
Last year WCC record:14-13
The Dons, who finished last season in fifth place, are picked to finish one place lower at fifth this year. Nico Giaranntano, defending WCC Defensive Player of the Year, and Ross Puskarich are both coming off of strong season and were picked as preseason All-WCC selections. However, it may be senior catcher Dominic Miroglio, who missed most of last season with an injury after hitting .340 as a sophomore, as the key to the Dons success for the season.
LMU Lions
Predicted Finish: 7th
Preseason All-WCC: Phil Caulfield
Manager: Jason Gill
Last year record: 26-27
Last year WCC record: 13-14
No team is successful without a great leadoff hitter and that is exactly what the Lions have in senior Phil Caulfield. Caulfield, who was named to the All-WCC team in his first year with the program, hit an impressive .379 in conference play with seventeen runs scored.
Pacific Tigers
Predicted Finish: 8th
Preseason All-WCC: Danny Mayer
Manager: Mike Neu
Last year record: 22-30
Last year wcc record: 12-15
After an historic offensive season, Danny Mayer comes back for an encore in his senior season. The big right-handed hitter led the conference last year in home runs and reached on base in every game except for one. Predicted to finish eight, head coach Mike Neu will continue to rely on Mayer to try and claw the tigers to the top of the standings.
Santa Clara Broncos
Predicted Finish: 9th
Manager: Dan O'Brien
Last year record: 23-29
Last year WCC record: 10-17
Santa Clara is picked to finish in ninth place, which is the spot in which they finished last year at. Despite losing a few key players, the Broncos are confident that their shortstop John Cresto, who led the team in home runs as a freshman, will be one of the premier hitters in the conference.
Portland Pilots
Predicted finish: 10th
Manager: Geoff Loomis
Last year record: 17-37
Last year WCC record:3-24
With twenty new players coming into the program this year, it will surely be a year of growing pains for the Pilots. Head coach Geoff Loomis will look for improvement in his second year as the man in charge, but with a new batch of players, Pilots fans are surely excited for the future of this team.