Grand Canyon won the regular season WAC title in 2017, however, they were ineligible for the conference tournament. Sacramento State ended up winning the WAC tournament to secure the league’s only NCAA Tournament bid. I think that there are three or four teams who could compete for the conference title this season.
Chicago State (2017 Record: 11-41, 7-17)
There wasn’t much to get excited about for the Cougars last season. They only mustered a .212 winning percentage overall and a .292 mark in WAC play. Needless to say, they finished in last place.
Lineup:
The Cougars return six starters to the lineup, all of which are seniors. Second baseman Matt Sullivan leads the group after hitting .314 with one home run and 19 RBI last year. Outfielder Zach Thomas batted .287 with one home run and 15 RBI last season. Outfielder Jacob Vanitvelt hit .285 with three home runs and 30 RBI in 2017. Outfielder Matt Paciello finished with a .271 average, three home runs and 29 RBI a year ago. Cody Freund returns as the catcher after hitting .264 with one home run and 21 RBI last season. Junior transfer from Blackhawk College, Matt Cox could make an impact as a designated hitter. Junior Tyler Lowe could earn the starting first base spot this season after transferring from Elgin Community College.
Pitching:
Senior Grant Tower returns after starting ten games and posting a 6.79 ERA in 59.2 innings last year. Two-way senior Zach Thomas can pitch from the bullpen after going 1-2 with a 4.42 ERA in 18.1 innings last season. Junior transfer from Chabot College, Edward Kang will likely make an immediate impact this season. Overall, the Cougars’ staff will be inexperienced.
2018 Outlook:
“We should be much improved positionally, we still lack depth on the pitching front,” said Head Coach Steve Joslyn.
CSU Bakersfield (2017 Record: 32-24, 14-10)
The Roadrunners were one of only four WAC teams to post a winning overall record in 2017. They ended up taking third place in the conference a year ago.
Lineup:
Only two starters return to the Roadrunner lineup this season. Senior outfielder Andrew Penner batted .372 with 32 RBI and six stolen bases last year. Senior outfielder Mark Pena batted .256 with 20 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 2017. Junior infielder Jake Ortega comes back after starting 30 games en route to a .322 average with 18 RBI and seven stolen bases a year ago.
Pitching:
Sophomore Aaron Charles returns after starting eight games, mounting a 4.29 ERA in 42 innings last season. Junior Isaiah Moten comes back following the 2017 season in which he started five games en route to a 3.90 ERA in 57.2 innings. Senior closer Naithen Dewsnap returns after striking out 60 batters in 48.2 innings to the tune of a 2.40 ERA last year. Dewsnap also recorded 14 saves last season. Head Coach Jeremy Beard expects big things out of sophomore Kenny Johnson who had a 6.21 ERA in 37.2 innings a year ago.
2018 Outlook:
“We lost all four starting infield positions and our starting catcher. We have many unproven players,” said Coach Beard.
Grand Canyon (2017 Record: 29-25, 20-4)
The Antelopes took the WAC regular season title last season in a pretty dominating fashion, only losing four league games. It was their second championship in three seasons. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to compete in the conference tournament due to transition from Division 2. This year they are eligible for postseason play.
Lineup
Four regular starters return to the lineup for GCU this season. Senior first baseman Ian Evans stands out after hitting .323 with five home runs, 46 RBI and 34 runs last year. Junior second baseman Austin Ball returns after batting .339 with one home run, 21 RBI and 49 runs a year ago. Junior third baseman Zach Malis is back following last year’s campaign in which he hit .285 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Junior infielder Tyler Wyatt comes back after he hit .309 with two home runs, 21 RBI and 30 runs in 41 games started in 2017. Junior Preston Pavlica started 26 games in the outfield last season as he posted a .280 average with three home runs and 19 RBI in 100 at-bats. Junior transfer from Arizona Community College, Pikai Winchester could earn some playing time in the field this year.
Pitching
Senior ace Jake Repavich returns after starting 14 games last year en route to a 6-4 record and 3.80 ERA in 87.2 innings. Junior Jake Wong also started 14 games last season to the tune of a 5-3 record and 4.00 ERA in 78.2 innings. Sophomore Jack Schneider returns to round out the weekend rotation after posting a 7-0 mark with a 4.11 ERA in 50.1 innings last season. The bullpen as a whole wasn’t quite as successful as the starters in 2017, but things could be different this season as experience will play a factor. Senior Mick Vorhoff leads that group after going 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA in 33.1 innings a year ago.
2018 Outlook:
“(We need) more non-conference wins against top competition,” said Assistant Coach Gregg Wallis. The Antelopes will have many opportunities to do so with a loaded non-conference schedule headlined by road series at TCU and Cal State Fullerton.
New Mexico State (2017 Record: 35-22, 19-5)
The Aggies had the best overall record in the WAC, but finished a game behind Grand Canyon to take second place in 2017. This year, the Aggies have many opportunities to build a strong resume. They play three games against Texas Tech, two against Arizona, two at Mississippi State and three at Alabama.
Lineup:
Four starters return this season for NMSU. Senior catcher Mason Fisherbeck is back after hitting .365 with eight home runs and 52 RBI en route to being named a 2017 Second-Team All-American. Junior first baseman Tristan Carranza earned a spot on the All-WAC team last year after batting .314 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. Sophomore Joey Ortiz returns after hitting .306 with 35 RBI and ten stolen bases last season. Ortiz is also a plus defender who only committed three errors as an everyday player last year. Senior outfielder Marcus Still will bring great speed to the Aggie lineup in 2018. He stole 13 bases a year ago along with compiling a .298 average with two home runs and 31 RBI. Junior Cochise College transfer Logan Bottrell is a player to look for as a serious speed threat. He is listed as a utility player. Junior transfer from Glendale College, Bruno Teramoto is worth watching after making the All-Conference team for Western States the last year he played. Caleb Henderson is a redshirt junior who sat out last season due to injury. He could play a role either at first base or designated hitter.
Pitching:
Last year’s ace, senior Jonathan Groff, is back after starting 14 games last year with a 8-6 record and 3.10 ERA in 87 innings. Groff made the All-WAC team in 2017. Junior Kyle Bradish also returns after posting a 8-2 record with a 3.20 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 84.1 innings last season. Bradish was a Cape Cod league All-Star this summer and has been clocked as high as 96 mph. He also made the All-WAC team a year ago. Junior Justin Dehn could end up as a weekend starter after being named Western States Conference Pitcher of the Year as a member of College of Canyons. Senior Brett Worthen comes back from Tommy John surgery. He has been up to 95 mph and could play a big role in the bullpen.
2018 Outlook:
Head Coach Brian Green listed the following as their team’s improvement goals for 2018: improve offensive strikeout to walk ratio to 1:1, decrease the number of walks allowed by the pitching staff by 50%, do better in non-conference and win the conference championship.
Northern Colorado (2017 Record: 24-30, 10-14)
Last season the Bears finished just below .500 both in conference play and overall. In 2018, experience could help them improve upon their record.
Lineup:
Seven starters return to the lineup for UNC this year. Junior outfielder Jack Pauley is back after hitting .332 with eight home runs and 46 RBI last season. Senior outfielder Evan Johnson returns after batting .306 with five home runs and 41 RBI a year ago. Senior utility Cole Maltese is back after hitting .297 with nine home runs, 35 RBI and nine stolen bases in 2017. Senior catcher Alex Kiel returns following a .293, two home runs and 26 RBI campaign a year ago. Senior infielder Brett Minnick returns after hitting .269 with six home runs and 30 RBI last season. Junior infielder Tyler Yamaguchi hit .255 with four home runs and 27 RBI last year. Senior infielder Dean Lawson batted .239 with three home runs, 12 RBI and eleven stolen bases in 2017.
Pitching:
Senior Aaron Hamilton returns after starting 14 games last season en route to a 5-5 record with a 4.26 ERA in 74 innings. Sophomore Troy Watson started eight games last year, posting a 4-3 record and 4.99 ERA in 52.1 innings. Senior Conner Leedholm started seven games in 2017, earning a 2-5 record with a 5.53 ERA in 53.2 innings. Senior Anthony Brady comes back as the closer after collecting four saves in 18.1 innings with a 4.91 ERA last season.
2018 Outlook:
“Offensive timely hitting, pitching depth, improve the mental game, said Head Coach Carl Iwasaki when asked which areas his team needs to improve on moving forward in 2018.
Sacramento State (2017 Record: 32-29, 12-12)
The Hornets were the only WAC school to participate in the 2017 NCAA Tournament in after they won the conference tournament. In the Stanford Regional the Hornets were eliminated after consecutive losses to Stanford and BYU.
Lineup:
Seven starters return to the Hornet lineup this season. Senior first baseman Vinny Esposito batted .300 with ten home runs, 52 RBI and eleven stolen bases last season. Junior outfielder James Outman hit .253 with eleven home runs, 53 RBI, 47 runs and eleven stolen bases last year. Senior outfielder Ian Dawkins batted .340 with three home runs, 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases a year ago. Senior outfielder Andrew MacWilliam hit .277 with four home runs and 23 RBI last season. Senior utility PJ Floyd batted .246 with four home runs, 21 RBI and eight stolen bases in 2017. Sophomore catcher Dawsen Bacho hit .243 with two home runs and 12 RBI last year. Sophomore utility Ricky Martinez batted .296 with 11 RBI and 28 runs last season.
Pitching:
Sophomore Parker Brahms went 8-4 in 16 starts last season, posting a 3.13 ERA in 97.2 innings. Sophomore Austin Roberts was 4-1 with a 4.95 ERA and 63.2 innings pitched in 14 starts last year. Senior Austin Root could contend for a starting role after finishing 2017 with a 2.70 ERA in 56.2 innings last season. Junior Alex Dentoni returns after going 5-1 with a 2.10 ERA and three saves in 34.1 innings last year.
2018 Outlook:
The Hornets have the tools to be a top-half team in the WAC this season.
Seattle (2017 Record: 20-35, 8-16)
Injuries told the story for the Redhawks last season. A total of eleven players were moved to the DL last season, including their top two pitchers. If Seattle is healthy this year they’ll have a good shot to make their way back to the top half of the standings.
Lineup:
The Redhawks return six starters to this year’s lineup. Senior catcher Jack Reisinger batted .351 with three home runs and 17 RBI last season. Sophomore infielder Austin Lively hit .335 with one home run, 31 RBI and 35 runs a year ago. Sophomore utility Chase Wells batted .286 with two home runs, 23 RBI and nine stolen bases last season. Senior infielder Curtis Perrin hit .273 with four home runs, 24 RBI and was seven of seven in stolen bases last year. Senior utility Dalton Hurd batted .272 with four home runs, 25 RBI and 33 runs in 2017. Senior infielder Sean Sutton hit .247 with four home runs and 28 RBI a year ago. Freshman infielder Connor O’Brien is a newcomer to look out for. Freshman infielder Jake Cosgrove is another player to keep an eye on this season.
Pitching:
Junior Nick Meservey returns after missing all but 3 games last season due to injury. In 2016 he started 15 games, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.32 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 81.1 innings. Junior Tarik Skubal was sidelined all of 2017 with an injury, but will be back this year. In 2016, Skubal started eight games en route to 6-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. Junior Jake Prizina started 16 games last season, posting a 5-3 record with a 4.35 ERA in 103.1 innings. Junior Tyler Oldenburg returns after going 4-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 58.2 innings last year. Freshman Jarrod Billig is from Bishop Gorman High School and could impact the bullpen this season. Freshman Brayden Weyer is a 6’11” right hander who could immediately help out the bullpen.
2018 Outlook:
“Health would be number one. (We) had eleven different players on the DL last year,” said Head Coach Donny Harrel on what the team needs to improve. “Starting pitching consistency, better average with runners in scoring position, and better two strike approaches,”
Utah Valley (2017 Record: 18-36, 11-13)
The Wolverines weren’t very good last year overall, losing twice as many games as they won. However, they only finished two games below .500 in WAC play. That was good for fifth place in the conference.
Lineup:
UVU will return seven starters to the lineup this season. Senior outfielder Trevor Peterson batted .356 with three home runs, 20 RBI, 45 runs and seven steals last year. Senior outfielder Jackson Overlund hit .342 with six home runs, 34 RBI and 32 runs last season. Senior second baseman David Modler batted .325 in 123 at-bats last season, picking up 9 RBI and 21 runs. Junior shortstop Trevor Howell returns after hitting .270 with one home run, 18 RBI and 30 runs last year. Senior first baseman Callahan Moltzan hit .253 with one home run and 20 RBI last season. Sophomore outfielder Jake Berry batted .251 with three home runs and 32 RBI a year ago. Junior third baseman Paul Estrada hit .214 last year with one home run, 10 RBI and 17 runs.
Pitching:
Senior Jackson Cofer returns after starting 15 games last year en route to a 3-8 record with a 5.09 ERA in 81.1 innings. Sophomore Paxton Schultz comes back after starting ten games last season to the tune of a 1-5 record with a 5.18 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 66 innings. Senior Jake Mayer started 15 games in 2017, finishing with a 3-8 record and 6.05 ERA in 86.1 innings. Senior Marco Briones leads the bullpen after compiling a 4.74 ERA in 43.2 innings last year.
2018 Outlook:
The Wolverines have an experienced lineup and starting rotation. The team’s success will rely heavily on the performance of the bullpen.
UTRGV(2017 Record: 26-28, 7-17)
The Vaqueros had a good non-conference record of 19-11. However, they only won seven conference games to take eighth place in the WAC.
Lineup:
Seven starters return to the lineup for UTRGV this season. Junior outfielder Conrad McMahon batted .317 last season with 23 RBI, 36 runs and eleven stolen bases. Junior utility Anthony Gomez hit .307 with one home run, 14 RBI, 44 runs and nine steals last year. Senior shortstop Ivan Estrella batted .263 with four home runs, 45 RBI and 30 runs last season. Sophomore third baseman Tyler Torres hit .268 with 18 RBI and 29 runs a year ago. Senior catcher Noah Lee batted .265 with one home run, 14 RBI and 17 runs last season. Senior Chris Castillo platooned in the outfield last year, finishing with a .248 average and 22 RBI.
Pitching:
Senior ace Carter Johnson started 13 games in 2017, finishing 5-5 with a 2.70 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 80 innings. The other two weekend starters from last year have graduated, which means new faces will be on the bump this season. Junior Luis Acosta could be a candidate after finishing with a 5.60 ERA in 35.1 innings last year. Senior George Lamb is another option after starting two games last year, posting a 2-1 record and 5.50 ERA in 18 innings.
2018 Outlook:
The offense should be solid, however, lack of pitching experience could cause some issues for the Vaqueros this year.
2018 All-Conference Preseason Team
C Mason Fisherbeck (NMSU)
1B Tristan Carranza (NMSU)
2B Austin Lively (Seattle)
3B Curtis Perrin (Seattle)
SS Tyler Wyatt (Grand Canyon)
OF Jackson Overlund (Utah Valley)
OF Jack Pauley (Northern Colorado)
OF James Outman (Sac. State)
DH Trevor Peterson (Utah Valley)
SP Carter Johnson (UTRGV)
SP Tarik Skubal (Seattle)
SP Nick Messervey (Seattle)
SP Kyle Bradish (NMSU)
SP Jonathan Goff (NMSU)
RP Naithen Dewsnap (CSUB)
RP Austin Root (Sac. St.)
RP Mario Briones (Utah Valley)
Honorable Mention:
C Jake Reisinger (Seattle)
1B Vinny Esposito (Sac. State)
2B Austin Bull (Grand Canyon)
SS Joey Ortiz (NMSU)
OF Andrew Penner (CSUB)
OF Ian Dawkins (Sac. St.)
OF Evan Johnson (Northern Colorado)
Util. Cole Maltese (Northern Colorado)
SP Jake Repavich (Grand Canyon)
SP Parker Brahms (Sac. St.)
Projected Order to Finish:
- New Mexico State
- Seattle
- Grand Canyon
- Sacramento State
- Northern Colorado
- Utah Valley
- CSU Bakersfield
- UTRGV
- Chicago State
