FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The University of San Diego has been selected to win the 2012 West Coast Conference baseball championship in a preseason poll of the WCC’s nine head coaches. The Toreros earned five first-place votes and 59 overall points in the poll. Last year’s second place finisher, Gonzaga University, earned 57 points and picked up three first place votes in the annual survey.
The University of San Francisco, 2011 West Coast Conference champions, garnered a first place vote and tallied 51 points to finish third in the poll. Loyola Marymount University captured 37 points to finish fourth. Pepperdine University and Saint Mary’s College – each with 30 points – tied for fifth, while West Coast Conference newcomer BYU was tabbed seventh with 28 points. The University of Portland (23 points) and Santa Clara University (nine points) rounded out the poll.
In all, six of the nine WCC schools are represented on the preseason All-West Coast Conference team, led by Saint Mary’s with five selections, and San Diego with four. Ten members of this year’s Preseason All-WCC Team were All-West Coast Conference selections last year, led by 2011 Co-Players of the Year Kris Bryant (San Diego) and Marco Gonzales (Gonzaga).
The 2012 season begins on Friday, February 17, with all nine West Coast Conference teams in action. For a complete interactive schedule, please visit WCCsports.com.
2012 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
Team (First Place Votes), Points
San Diego (5), 59
Gonzaga (3), 57
San Francisco (1), 51
Loyola Marymount, 37
Pepperdine, 30
Saint Mary’s, 30
BYU, 28
Portland, 23
Santa Clara, 9
2012 PRESEASON ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE TEAM
Player, School, Yr., Pos.
Kris Bryant, San Diego, So., 3B/1B
Troy Channing, Saint Mary’s, Sr., IF
Turner Gill, Portland, So., IF/OF
Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga, So., IF
Bryan Haar, San Diego, Sr., UTIL
Brenden Kalfus, Saint Mary’s, Jr., OF
Corey LeVier, San Diego, Sr., 1B/OF
Matt Lowenstein, Loyola Marymount, Jr., OF
Joe Sever, Pepperdine, Jr., IF
Patrick Wisdom, Saint Mary’s, Jr., INF
Pitcher, School, Yr., P
Martin Agosta, Saint Mary’s, Jr., RHP
Kyle Barraclough, Saint Mary’s, Sr., RHP
Dylan Covey, San Diego, So., RHP
Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga, So., LHP
Kyle Kraus, Portland, Sr., RHP
