DENVER – Sacramento State is the preseason favorite to win the 2015 Western Athletic Conference baseball title and Hornets’ pitcher Brennan Leitao and Grand Canyon infielder Chad De La Guerra were selected as WAC Preseason Pitcher and Player of the Year respectively in a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.
The Hornets received eight first place votes in the preseason survey. Grand Canyon earned the two remaining first place votes and will enter 2015 as the favorite to take second in the league table. Bakersfield, the 2014 preseason favorite, was selected third with 60 points. Seattle U earned the fourth place nod by a single point over Utah Valley while New Mexico State and Texas-Pan American tied for sixth in the preseason poll. Chicago State is predicted eighth, followed by North Dakota and Northern Colorado.
Leitao and De La Guerra highlighted the Preseason All-WAC squad. Sacramento State led the way with five honorees as Nathan Lukes, Sam Long, Sutter McLoughlin and Scotty Burcham joined Leitao. Grand Canyon had three Lopes selected with David Walker and Andrew Naderer joining De La Guerra. Bakersfield was represented by Soloman Williams and Mylz Jones and Seattle U earned recognition from Brian Olson and Landon Cray. New Mexico State’s Derek Umphres and Utah Valley’s Mark Krueger rounded out the 14-player team.
2015 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
Rank Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1 Sacramento State (8) 80
2 Grand Canyon (2) 71
3 Bakersfield 60
4 Seattle U 49
5 Utah Valley 48
T6 New Mexico State 45
T6 Texas-Pan American 45
8 Chicago State 19
9 North Dakota 17
10 Northern Colorado 16
2015 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
Catcher: Brian Olson, Sr., Seattle U
First Base: Soloman Williams, Sr., Bakersfield
Second Base: Chad De La Guerra, Sr., Grand Canyon
Third Base: Derek Umphres, Jr., New Mexico State
Shortstop: Mylz Jones, Jr., Bakersfield
Outfield: Nathan Lukes, Jr., Sacramento State
Outfield: Landon Cray, Jr., Seattle U
Outfield: David Walker, Sr., Grand Canyon
Starting Pitcher: Brennan Leitao, Sr., Sacramento State
Starting Pitcher: Sam Long, So., Sacramento State
Starting Pitcher: Andrew Naderer, Jr., Grand Canyon
Relief Pitcher: Sutter McLoughlin, Jr., Sacramento State
At-Large: Scotty Burcham, Sr., SS, Sacramento State
At-Large: Mark Krueger, Jr., 1B, Utah Valley
