After providing one of the most entertaining series of the 2017 season when Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State met in the Super Regionals, I think the Big West Conference could take a step back in 2018. Both of those teams lost a lot from last year. However, that does leave this conference wide open with a lot of good teams. I think anyone in the top five could win this conference. There isn’t much separation at the top.
Cal Poly (2017 Record: 28-28, 16-8)
Despite finishing second in the Big West with 16 wins, Cal Poly did not play well enough out-of-conference to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Lineup:
Outfielder Alex McKenna should be back atop the lineup after leading the team last year with a .360 average, 45 runs scored, 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He also had 11 doubles and 31 RBI. Third baseman Bradlee Beesley is back after a fantastic freshman season in which he hit .305 with 33 runs scored and 13 doubles. Shortstop Kyle Marinconz led the team with 32 RBI last year to go along with a .273 average, 22 runs scored, 13 doubles and 3 home runs. Those were their 1-3 hitters in their last game of the season, so it’s a big plus having them back. Catcher Nick Meyer is also back after hitting .255 with 4 home runs a year ago. Elijah Skipps, Josh George and Scott Ogrin all return after receiving significant playing time a year ago. This lineup really only loses one key bat from last year.
Pitching:
That’s not the case on the pitching staff as they lose their two best starters from last year, but almost everyone else is back. Michael Clark returns with the most innings pitched from last year tossing 48.2 innings mostly out of the bullpen (1 start) with a 2.59 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 11 saves. Trent Shelton is also back after posting a 2.30 ERA last year in 43 innings pitched (3 starts) with 42 strikeouts. Bobby Ay made 11 starts last year and had a 5.40 ERA in 46.2 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts. Cam Schneider made three starts last year and posted a 4.15 ERA in 26 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
This team could have one of the best lineups in the conference, but it will be hard to replace the two starting pitchers they lost. If they have some guys step up in the rotation this could be an NCAA Tournament team, assuming they play better in their out-of-conference schedule.
Cal State Fullerton (2017 Record: 39-24, 15-9)
It was another great year for Cal State Fullerton that saw them return to the College World Series after beating conference rival Long Beach State in the Super Regionals. They went two-and-out in Omaha, but ultimately won 39 games.
Lineup:
“The returning players that will have a good impact on our team will be Ruben Cardenas (was injured in 2017-possible player of the year candidate), Sahid Valenzuela – returning Freshman of the Year and Freshmen All-American, and Hank LoForte – was the DH last season and will play second base — will be one of our better hitters,” said Assistant Coach Chad Baum. “Chris Prescott – played left field, has had a great fall and is in best shape of his life. (We) expect a good year out of him — he can hit and play defense.”
Cardenas hit .293 in just 58 at-bats because of injuries in 2017. Valenzuela was second on the team with a .314 average last year to go along with 31 runs scored, 1 home run and 24 RBI, while LoForte hit .247 in 154 at-bats with 17 runs scored and 19 RBI. Newcomers Mitchell Berryhill and Jarius Richards should contribute right away in the outfield.
Pitching:
“Brett Conine – closer- was First Team All-Big West, as well as an All-American (going to be high draft pick). Blake Workman (will be a) starter/reliever this season, and was outstanding out of the pen last season,” coach Baum continued. “Colton Eastman was injured most of (last) season. He is our Friday night starter, and was a Freshman All-American two seasons ago.”
Eastman had a 2.24 ERA in 100.2 innings with 100 strikeouts as a freshman, and last year he had a 2.14 ERA in 33.2 innings with 37 strikeouts while dealing with injuries. Conine posted a 1.39 ERA in 45.1 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts, while Workman had a 2.89 ERA in 62.1 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts. There are several newcomers that could have an immediate impact in the pitching staff according to coach Baum. Those players include Andrew Quezada, Tanner Bibee, Tommy Wilson and Timmy Josten.
2018 Outlook:
“We want to improve on team speed,” said coach Baum. “This team is very athletic and has chance to steal some bases. This team will also be able to really pitch, as usual.”
Cal State Northridge (2017 Record: 26-29, 12-12)
CSUN had some big wins last year over UCLA and Vanderbilt out-of-conference, but finished just fourth in the Big West and missed out on the postseason.
Lineup:
They should be strong up the middle with shortstop Alvaro Rubalcaba and second baseman Kevin Riley. Rubalcaba hit .299 last year with 41 runs scored, 5 home runs, 27 RBI and 16 stolen bases, while Riley hit .291 with 30 runs scored, 11 doubles, 8 home runs and 32 RBI. Albee Weiss led the team with 11 home runs last year to go along with a .262 average, 28 runs scored and 45 RBI. Junior college transfer Trevor Casanova should have a huge impact on this lineup in 2018.
Pitching:
Tei Vanderford led the team with 98 innings pitched last year to go along with a 3.77 ERA and 69 strikeouts. Andrew Weston posted a 4.16 ERA in 88.2 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts. Junior college transfer Walker Armstrong should have a major impact on the pitching staff in 2018. Cassius Hamm is another junior college transfer who should have an immediate impact.
2018 Outlook:
“Our pitching and pitching depth will be better this year. Cassius Hamm from El Camino College was one of the best RHP’s in the state last year. He’s going to make an impact. Our lineup will be old and mature, with a chance to have seven seniors and two juniors starting.” – Head Coach Greg Moore
Hawai’i (2017 Record: 28-23, 10-14)
It was a pretty good year for Hawai’i with wins over NC State, Minnesota (2x) and Indiana out-of-conference. But with just a 10-14 record in Big West, they didn’t quite do enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
Lineup:
Outfielder Dylan Vchulek returns after leading the team with a .302 average last year with 35 runs scored, 8 doubles, 23 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Another outfielder, Adam Fogel, hit .293 last year with 21 runs scored, 16 doubles, 4 home runs and 27 RBI last year. Shortstop Dustin Demeter hit .286 a year ago with 22 runs scored, 2 home runs and a team-high 29 RBI. Catcher Kekai Rios hit .282 last year and scored 29 runs. Second baseman Johnny Weeks started 49 games last year and hit .266 with 27 runs scored and 25 RBI. They only lose one key hitter from last year, so the offense should at least be as good as they were in 2017.
Pitching:
Dominic DeMiero should return to the starting rotation after leading the team with a 3.23 ERA last year in 75.1 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts. Neil Uskali should also get a shot in the starting rotation after posting a 3.59 ERA a year ago in 88.2 innings pitched with 44 strikeouts. Jackson Rees started 11 games last year and had a 4.11 ERA in 81 innings pitched with 39 strikeouts. Dylan Thomas was the team’s closer last year with a 2.01 ERA in 22.1 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts and 9 saves.
2018 Outlook:
Both the lineup and the starting rotation lose one key contributor from 2017, which means there is a lot of talent coming back. I could see this team taking a step forward in 2018.
Long Beach State (2017 Record: 42-20-1, 20-4)
Long Beach State had a wild ride in 2017 and were one of the most exciting teams to watch in the postseason. After racking up 20 wins in the Big West and finishing first in the conference, they hosted the Long Beach Regional. There they lost to Texas in their second game of the regional, but fought back and won three in a row, including back-to-back games over Texas, to advance. In the Super Regionals they faced rival Cal State Fullerton. After winning the first game in front an electric crowd, Cal State came back to win the next two in maybe the most exciting series of the season.
Lineup:
Second baseman Jarren Duran was second on the team last year with a .308 average as well as 47 runs scored, 9 doubles, 5 triples, 27 RBI and 19 stolen bases. He should return at the top of the lineup. Shortstop Lane Huffman was drafted this past summer, but did not sign. He hit .294 with 22 runs scored, 2 home runs and 26 RBI last year. Five of their top seven hitters from last year either graduated or were drafted. That’s a big blow to this offense.
Pitching:
The pitching staff also loses its best two starting pitchers from last year in Darren McCaughan and Dave Smith who were both drafted. They also lose Josh Advocate from the pitching staff. What they do have coming back is senior John Sheaks who had a 4.09 ERA in 88 innings pitched with 55 strikeouts. Chris Rivera was the team’s primary closer last year with a 2.60 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts and 13 saves. AJ Jones started six games last year and had a 2.36 ERA in 26.2 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
This team is losing a lot of key contributors from last year and it would be crazy not to think they would take a step back. But Long Beach State always puts a solid team on the field and I’m sure they’ll still compete for a Big West title.
UC Davis (2017 Record: 21-30, 10-14)
The Aggies had a difficult time of things in 2017 managing to win just 10 conference games and 21 games overall. They will be looking to get things back on track in 2018.
Lineup:
Left fielder Ryan Anderson led the team with a .313 average last year and RBI with 39 to go along with 30 runs scored, 6 home runs and 7 stolen bases. Right fielder Ryan Hooper was second on the team with a .310 average to go along with 30 runs scored, 6 home runs, 29 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Rounding out the outfield is Alex Aguiar who hit a solid .262 last year. Brad Pluschkell will resume duties at shortstop, so there is a lot coming back to the lineup from last year’s squad. A few newcomers who Assistant Coach Brett Lindgren said to keep an eye on are INF Kyler Arenado, 3B Joey Myers and INF Tanner Murray.
Pitching:
UC Davis loses a lot on the mound, but does return right-handed pitcher Matt Blais. He had a 3.86 ERA last year in 58.1 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts. They will need a lot of young players to step up in the pitching staff in 2018. A couple of newcomers who could help in that area are LHP Brock Moffitt and RHP Ryan Rodriguez.
2018 Outlook:
“This year we will be young on the mound, and there will be a lot of opportunities for playing time,” said Assistant Coach Brett Lindgren. “We hope to improve defensively and to build off the offensive success we had last year. We will need to pitch and play defense in order to compete in the Big West.”
UC Irvine (2017 Record: 23-33, 9-15)
It was an unusual year for UC Irvine as they had a pretty good lineup, but didn’t pitch very well. They only managed to win 23 games and nine conference games. They lose a lot from the lineup, but have almost all their pitching back.
Lineup:
Cole Kreuter played almost every game last year, hitting .223 with 5 home runs and 35 RBI. He should return at second base. Third baseman Parker Coss hit .253 last year and is the team’s leading returning hitter. First baseman Ryan Fitzpatrick hit 6 home runs last year in just 96 at-bats. Shortstop Christian Koss and center fielder Mikey Filia will need to step up and have a bigger impact on this lineup in 2018. Head Coach Mike Gillespie mentioned several newcomers who could have an immediate impact. That list includes: OF Connor Zickefoose, C Jacob Castro, IF/Relief Pitcher Brendan Brooks, OF Jake Palmer and OF Mike Peabody.
Pitching:
Louis Raymond started 15 games last year and was second on the team with a 3.54 ERA in a team-high 94 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts. Andre Pallante struck out 56 batters in 47.2 innings with a 4.53 ERA. Jordan Bocko had a 4.74 ERA in 74 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts. Coach Gillespie said Cole Spear and Alonzo Garcia should also have a big impact on this pitching staff in 2018. Here are some names the coach mentioned as newcomers who could have an immediate impact: RHP Trenton Denholm, RHP Taylor Rashii, RHP Evan McMillan and RHP/OF Nick Anderson.
2018 Outlook:
“We were 23-33 last year, so there is no area in which we don’t need improvement,” said Head Coach Mike Gillespie. “At this point in time we are optimistic about pitching depth and hopeful about offensive improvement. Team defense appears to be solid-to-good.”
UC Riverside (22-32, 8-16)
This past season was not a banner year for head coach Troy Percival’s group with just eight conference wins. But there is hope for the future with this group.
Lineup:
“Colby Schultz is a fifth year senior, and in my opinion should be considered one of the top shortstops in the Big West as well as nationally,” said Head Coach Troy Percival. “He has incredible range and a very high baseball IQ. Offensively he is a .300 hitter that shows occasional power. Dean Miller is a junior college transfer that was drafted out of Riverside CC last year. He is an average defender with a plus arm. Very physical kid, built like Mike Trout. He runs very well and has plus power, yet hits for average as well. Connor Cannon is a second year 1B/DH/closer. He is 6-foot-5 and has major league plus power. As a pitcher he goes 90-95 with an average breaking ball. Nate Webb is a primary third baseman that is also good behind the plate and in the outfield. Although he is a freshman, his defense and raw power will keep him in the lineup. He was also drafted out of King High School last year. Justin Mannens is a junior college transfer middle infielder/outfielder that will be a top of the order guy for us. He runs a 6.4 60 and plays plus defense as second baseman. He will more than likely play a lot of outfield for us as we have a senior second baseman, Cody Sporrer, that is a career .300 hitter.”
Pitching:
“Hazaheil Quijada is a third year left-handed pitcher that should be our Friday night starter,” coach Percival added. “Although he has had some command issues in the past, he appears to have rectified the issues. He will go 90-95 and is explosive through the zone. Off speed is a work in progress, but is showing signs of real improvement. Trenton Toplikar is a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher. He is a fourth year sophomore due to tommy john surgery to start his freshman year. Velocity ranges 89-94 with plus command of three pitches. Cole Percival is a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher out of Poly High School last year. He was also drafted last season. Velocity ranges 90-94 with a plus change-up. Command has room for improvement, but should be pitching weekends for us.”
2018 Outlook:
“We have a very interesting team this season with 17 new players — 13 of which are freshman,” said Head Coach Troy Percival. That being said we are very experienced on the field with some very dynamic players. I believe this team has a great core, but if we don’t improve in these few areas, all our talent will be irrelevant. As a staff we have done poorly in regards to allowing too many walks, and offensively not walking enough. Our situational hitting has been poor as well, runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs has been at the bottom of the conference. The pitching staff in general is very talented, but with only 10 pitcher-only guys, our depth is low. We do have five 2-way guys to pick up innings, but we will rely on a basically short staff.”
UC Santa Barbara (2017 Record: 24-32, 8-16)
Last year was a down year for Santa Barbara as they won just eight conference games and finished tied for last. They’ll be looking to improve on those numbers in 2018.
Lineup:
Center fielder Tommy Jew had a big 2017 where he hit .295 for Santa Barbara with 27 runs scored, 4 home runs and 30 RBI. He then had a big summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) hitting .328 in 116 at-bats with 8 home runs. Eric Yang also had a good summer coming off a freshman season where he only had 26 at-bats for Santa Barabara. He should get a shot to start behind the plate this year. Shortstop Clay Fisher is coming off Tommy John surgery and is expected to give this lineup a big boost in 2018. Ben Fariss and Jason Willow were both drafted last summer but chose to play at Santa Barbara. They could have an immediate impact on the lineup, and in Fariss’ case on the mound as well.
Pitching:
Noah Davis should be the team’s Friday night starter in 2018. Last season he had a 4.63 ERA in 81.2 innings pitched with 65 strikeouts with a fastball that sits 90-94. Left-handed pitcher Jack Dashwood should be back this year after missing a season because of Tommy John surgery. Assistant Coach Eddie Cornejo says he has the ability to be a future Friday night guy. Ben Brecht had a solid freshman campaign with a 3.99 ERA in 58.2 innings pitched with 39 strikeouts. He should get a shot in the weekend rotation behind Davis.
2018 Outlook:
Assistant Coach Eddie Carnejo said they are hoping to stay healthy in 2018, and the pitching needs to bounce-back as it’s been their bread-and-butter in the past.
2018 All-Big West Preseason Team
C: Trevor Casanova (CSUN)
1B: Ryan Fitzpatrick (UC Irvine)
2B: Sahid Valenzuela (Cal State Fullerton)
SS: Alvaro Rubalcaba (CSUN)
3B: Bradlee Beesley (Cal Poly)
OF: Ryan Anderson (UC Davis)
OF: Alex McKenna (Cal Poly)
OF: Ruben Cardenas (Cal State Fullerton)
DH: Albee Weiss (CSUN)
SP: Colton Eastman (Cal State Fullerton)
SP: Tei Vanderford CSUN)
SP: Louis Raymond (UC Irvine)
SP: Noah Davis (UC Santa Barbara)
SP: SP: Neil Uskali (Hawai’i)
RP: Brett Conine (Cal State Fullerton)
RP: Michael Clark (Cal Poly)
RP: Chris Rivera (Long Beach State)
Honorable Mention:
2B: Jarren Duran (Long Beach State)
2B: Kevin Riley (CSUN)
SS: Lane Huffman (Long Beach State)
SS: Kyle Marinconz (Cal Poly)
SS: Colby Schultz (UC Riverside)
OF: Adam Fogel (Hawai’i)
OF: Tommy Jew (UC Santa Barbara)
SP: Cassius Hamm (CSUN)
SP: Dominic DeMiero (Hawai’i)
SP: John Sheaks (Long Beach State)
Predicted Order to Finish:
- Cal State Fullerton
- Cal Poly
- CSUN
- Hawai’i
- Long Beach State
- UC Davis
- UC Santa Barbara
- UC Irvine
- UC Riverside
