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7 2018 PAC-12 BASEBALL // PAC-12 CONFERENCE 2018 SEASON PREVIEW PRESEASON RANKINGS USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll 2. OREGON STATE 14. UCLA 16. STANFORD NCBWA Preseason Top 35 2. OREGON STATE 12. UCLA 13. STANFORD 30. ARIZONA Baseball America Preseason Top 25 2. OREGON STATE 9. STANFORD 13. UCLA Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 40 2. OREGON STATE 14. UCLA 24. STANFORD 36. ARIZONA • ARIZONA - finished fourth in the Conference with a 16-14 league record and 38-21 overall record. The Wild- cats lost 2017 Pac-12 Batting Champion, JJ Matijevic who led the Conference in batting average (.389), to the MLB draft last year. The squad returns first baseman Alfonso Rivas a National Collegiate Baseball Writers As- sociation (NCBWA) preseason All-American and 2018 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list member. • ARIZONA STATE -finished the season tied for 10th with an 8-22 Pac-12 record and 23-32 season record. The Sun Devils look to lean on junior pitcher Connor Higgins, named to the NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year award. The Perfect Game announced its preseason All-Pac-12 predictions, naming outfielder Gage Canning All-Pac-12 First-Team selection and infielder Drew Swift was pegged as the preseason Pac-12 Freshman of the Year favorite. • CALIFORNIA - ended up tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with a 15-15 Conference record and a 25-29 season record. Cal welcomes back a familiar face with new head coach Mike Neu who severed as the Golden Bear's pitching coach from 2012-2015. The team returns infielder/pitcher Andrew Vaughn the 2017 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and right-handed pitcher Erik Martinez, a three-time NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list recipient. • OREGON – finished eighth in the Pac-12 standings with a 12-18 league mark and a 30-25 overall record. Oregon lost pitcher David Peterson, the NCBWA March Pitcher of the Month was selected by the New York Mets with the 20th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. The Duck's closer Kenyon Yovan returns to the mound for his second season after earning NCBWA first team All-America and Collegiate Baseball's second team All-America honors. • OREGON STATE – the 2017 Pac-12 Champion (27-3) finished the season with a 56-6 overall record that garnered a .903 winning percentage, which ties for fourth on the NCAA single-season list. The Beavers solidi- fied their Conference title the same game as head coach Pat Casey's 1,000th career win. Casey was named the NCWBA National Coach of the Year. The Beavers open the season as a unanimous top-10 team for the second consecutive year with the No. 2 spot in the country. • STANFORD - finished second in the Conference going 21-9 in league play with a 42-16 overall record. The Cardinal was slated second again in the 2018 Pac-12 Coaches preseason poll. David Esquer enters his first year as the new head coach in 2018. Junior infielder Nico Hoerner and pitcher Kris Bubic each collected at least three preseason All-America honors and were named to the Golden Spikes Award watch list. • UCLA - recorded a 19-11 league record to hold third place in the Conference and tallied a 30-27 overall mark. UCLA was tied for second in the Pac-12 for the most student-athletes in the 2017 MLB draft with six. The Bru- ins return junior right-handed pitcher Jon Olsen, who earned All-Pac-12 honors last season and was named a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. • USC - finished the season tied for 10th in the Conference with an 8-22 conference record and a 21-34 season record. The Trojans had two student-athletes drafted in the 2017 MLB draft. USC returns five starters and nine pitchers, including junior infielder Brandon Perez, who ranked 11th in the Pac-12 with a .328 batting average. • UTAH - tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with a 15-15 Conference record and had a 27-24 overall record. The Utes had four student-athletes drafted in the 2017 MLB draft. The Utes return two-time All-Pac-12 junior outfielder DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. who finished third on the team last year with a .327 batting average and fourth in the Pac- 12 in both hits per game (1.42) and triples (5). • WASHINGTON - landed seventh on the Pac-12 table with a 14-16 league mark and a 25-29 season record. Was picked to finish similarly this season according to the Pac-12 Coaches Preseason Poll. Four student-athletes from UW were drafted in the 2017 MLB draft. The Huskies return three All-Pac-12 honorable mention players in the field including infielders AJ Graffanino, Levi Jordan and catcher Willie Maclver. • WASHINGTON STATE - finished the season ninth in the Pac-12 with a 10-20 conference record and a 24-29 overall record. WSU had three student-athletes drafted in the 2017 MLB draft. This year the Cougars will be led by a pair of honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference picks with junior shortstop Andres Alvarez and junior left fielder Justin Harrer. Oregon State is led by junior Nick Madrigal, the reigning Pac-12 Player / Defender of the Year. Baseball America Preseason All-Americans First Team Nick Madrigal, OSU .............. 2B Tanner Dodson, CAL ........... UTL Second Team Cadyn Grenier, OSU .............. SS Third Team Alfonso Rivas, ARIZ ............... 1B Nico Hoerner, STAN .............. SS Kris Bubic, STAN ................. SP NCBWA Preseason All-Americans Second Team First Team Nick Madrigal. OSU .............. 2B Alfonso Rivas, ARIZ ............... 1B Kenyon Yovan, ORE ..............RP Second Team Jake Mulholland, OSU ...........RP Andrew Vaughn, CAL ............ 1B Third Team Kris Bubic, STAN .................. SP Jon Olson, UCLA ................... SP Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger Preseason All-Americans First Team Luke Heimlich, OSU ............LHP Nick Madrigal. OSU .............. 2B Kenyon Yovan, ORE ..............RP Third Team Kris Bubic, STAN .................. SP Jon Olson, UCLA ................... SP Jake Mulholland, OSU ...........RP Andrew Vaughn, CAL ............ 1B Nico Hoerner, STAN .............. SS NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List Connor Higgins, ASU ..........LHP Erik Martinez, CAL .................. P Jake Mulholland, OSU .........LHP Kenyon Yovan, ORE ........... RHP USA Baseball Golden Spikes Watch List Kris Bubic STAN .................LHP Tanner Dodson, CAL .............UT Nico Hoerner, STAN .............. SS Nick Madrigal, OSU .............. 2B