Cal Poly (2018 Record: 30-27, 15-9)
Cal Poly played a really tough schedule to start the season but picked up some big wins over Gonzaga, Arkansas, and Michigan. They finished second in the conference but missed out on the postseason.
Returning Players
Outfielder Bradlee Beesley is back after hitting .277 last year with 33 runs scored, 12 doubles, 3 home runs, and 33 RBI. First baseman Tate Samuelson hit .280 as a freshman last year with 30 runs scored, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, and 38 RBI. Scott Ogrin should be back at second base after hitting .266 a season ago with 4 home runs. These three will need to step up in the lineup as Cal Poly loses its top three hitters from 2018.
Darren Nelson will be back in the weekend rotation after a solid freshman season in which he posted a 4.79 ERA in 77 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts. Michael Clark made 10 starts in 2018 with a 5.90 ERA in 68.2 innings with 61 strikeouts. Cal Poly hopes Jarred Zill is healthy this spring after only making five starts last season due to an injury. He had a 3.00 ERA in those starts with 17 strikeouts in 21 innings. Taylor Dollard could be the team’s closer after posting a 2.43 ERA in 2018 over 40.2 innings with 37 strikeouts and 3 saves.
Newcomers
Willie Cano, INF, 6-2, 175, R/R, Freshman, Mesquite High School (Arizona)
Elijah Greene, OF, 6-0, 190, L/L, Sophomore, Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, CA)
Ryan Jameson, RHP, 6-2, 180, Freshman, San Benito High School (Hollister, CA)
Outlook for 2019
“Should be better defensively than 2018. Also, I like the progression of our hitters. It’s a work in progress overall with all facets of the game. We’re trying to put together a team that will be sound in all areas.” — Larry Lee
Cal State Fullerton (36-25, 18-7)
Cal State Fullerton got off to a slow start going 4-10 in their first 14 games in what was a difficult schedule. They bounced back to dominated and win the conference. They breezed through their regional avenging early season losses to Stanford. They ultimately fell to Washington in the Super Regionals.
Returning Players
Infielder Hank LoForte hit .339 a year ago with 46 runs scored, 2 home runs, and 35 RBI. Outfielder Mitchell Berryhill hit .295 last year with 10 stolen bases. Sahid Valenzuela hit .271 in 2018 with 38 runs scored.
Tanner Bibee and Timothy Josten are expected to take on bigger roles in the pitching staff this season. Bibee posted a 3.86 ERA last year in 56 innings pitched with 56 strikeouts, while Josten had a 4.15 ERA in 26 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts. Both were freshman last year.
Newcomers
Zach Lew and AJ Curtis look very strong in the fall and should have an immediate impact on the lineup. Matthew Sanchez, Michael Knorr, and Titus Groeneweg will help add depth to the pitching staff.
Outlook for 2019
The Cal State Fullerton coaching staff believes this team will be better offensively than in years past.
Cal State Northridge (2018 Record: 28-30, 13-11)
It was a tremendous 2018 season for CSUN finishing third in the conference, which was their best finish in 18 years.
Returning Players
Brandon Bohning is a middle infielder who will return to the lineup after hitting .260 last year with 40 runs score and 4 home runs.
Matt Acosta should return to the weekend rotation after posting a 4.40 ERA a year ago in 71.2 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts. Jayson Newman is a two-way player who has improved his velocity, which will give him a chance to compete for a spot in the weekend rotation or perhaps as the team’s closer. He had a 4.46 ERA in 2018 over 36.1 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Denzel Clarke was taken in the 36th round of the last year’s draft and has a chance to play in the outfield after a nice fall. Robert Bullard is a JUCO transfer who also has a chance to find a spot in the outfield, while hitting at the top of the lineup. A two-way player, Andrew Lucas, is a freshman who could also spend time in the outfield. Third baseman Angelo Bortolin is a JUCO transfer who is a powerful left-handed hitter that could bat in the middle of the lineup.
Blake Sodersten topped 92 MPH in the fall and could have an immediate impact on the pitching staff.
Outlook for 2019
CSUN hopes to improve on a third-place finish. They return a lot of innings to the pitching staff, with a lot of them being experienced seniors. The Matadors do lose a lot from the lineup, but they believe their young players are dynamic enough to score runs in different ways.
Hawaii (2018 Record: 27-24, 11-13)
Hawaii took a big trip to Baton Rouge last year and came out with a win over LSU. They wound up finishing sixth in the Big West.
Returning Players
Shortstop Maaki Yamazaki will be back atop the lineup after hitting .325 last year with 34 runs scored. Outfielder Adam Fogel hit .296 in 2018 with 29 runs scored, 17 doubles, 8 home runs, and 37 RBI. Second baseman Dustin Demeter is back after hitting .279 a season ago with 3 home runs. Third baseman Ethan Lopez is also back after hitting .279 last year with 6 home runs.
Hawaii’s top two starters from last year are gone. Dominic DeMiero will try to step up in the rotation after posting a 5.24 ERA last year in 44.2 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. Dylan Thomas was one of the best closers in the conference with a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings with 43 strikeouts and 14 saves. Kash Koltermann will play a big role in the pitching staff as well.
Newcomers
Newcomers who make an immediate impact include: Dallas Duarte, Scotty Scott, Aaron Davenport, Calvin Turchin, and Blaze Pontes.
Outlook for 2019
The offense should be the same if not better in 2019 with a lot of experience coming back. The question will be how they replace their two best starting pitchers from 2018.
Coach Trapasso said they hope to stay healthy after losing four of their top five pitchers in the last month of the season in 2018.
Long Beach State (2018 Record: 27-30, 12-12)
It was a down year for Long Beach State in 2018 after a very successful run. I fully expect them to get back on track in 2019.
Returning Players
Shortstop Laine Huffman will be back after missing most of last year with an injury. In 2017 he hit .294 for Long Beach State. Chris Jimenez should return as the team’s catcher after hitting .205 a year ago with 32 RBI. Luke Rasmussen was granted a fifth year of eligibility after missing the majority of 2018. He’ll be a big addition to the lineup.
Zak Baayoun should return to the weekend rotation after posting a 3.58 ERA last year in 98 innings pitched with 84 strikeouts. Matt Fields is working his way back from an injury and should be a key part of the pitching staff in 2019.
Newcomers
“New guys that should make a big impact would be Calvin Estrada, Jacob Vander Wal, Dominic Campeau from the offensive side and Alfredo Ruiz, Basilio Pacheco, Tyler Gums and Nick Avila from the pitching side.” – Associate Head Coach Greg Bergeron
Outlook for 2019
“Offense needs to bounce back after a subpar year last year. Did not play well on the road last year and that needs to change. Need more stability and productivity from our middle relief guys.” – Coach Bergeron
UC Davis (2018 Record: 18-35, 9-15)
Wins over St. John’s and Oregon were the highlights of 2018 as UC Davis finished next to last in the Big West Conference.
Returning Players
Tanner Murray should be back at shortstop after a great freshman season in which he hit .333 with 27 runs scored, 10 doubles, and 22 RBI. Second baseman Caleb Van Blake hit .264 a season ago with 35 runs scored, 12 doubles, 5 home runs, and 32 RBI.
Jared Sasaki will try to lead the starting rotation after posting a 4.34 ERA as a freshman with 33 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched. Chris Brown made 14 starts last season and had a 5.14 ERA in 75.1 innings with 35 strikeouts. Brett Erwin could take over as the team’s closer after recording 3 saves last year with a 3.38 ERA in 45.1 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts.
Outlook for 2019
They lose one of their best starting pitchers from last year, and two of their top four hitters. Still, there is enough coming back for this team to have a chance to improve.
UC Irvine (2018 Record: 32-24, 13-11)
UC Irvine had some big wins over TCU and UCLA in 2018 as they finished tied for third in the Big West at 13-11.
Returning Players
Jake Palmer will be back in the lineup after hitting .298 last year in just 141 at-bats with 36 runs scored. Shortstop Christian Koss is back after hitting .287 a year ago. Mikey Filia will see a bigger role in the offense after hitting .289 in limited time last year.
Andre Pallante will be one of the best pitchers in the conference coming off a year in which he posted a 1.60 ERA in 101.1 innings pitched with 115 strikeouts. Jordan Bocko posted a 2.98 ERA in 2018 over 45.1 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts and 8 saves.
Newcomers
Brandon Lewis is a transfer who has a shot to earn some playing time on the infield. John Jensen is a JUCO transfer that is versatile enough to play on the infield and in the outfield for UC Irvine.
Tanner Brubaker is a JUCO transfer that will have a chance to make an impact in the pitching staff this year.
Outlook for 2019
“We need to improve in all areas coming into 2019. We think if healthy, we can have pretty good starting pitching and a deeper lineup.” – Head Coach Ben Orloff.
UC Riverside (2018 Record: 19-33, 7-17)
UC Riverside had some solid out-of-conference wins over Washington State, Nebraska, and Washington last year. But they struggled mightily in conference play finishing last.
Returning Players
Connor Cannon should be back for his junior season after hitting .282 mostly from the DH spot last year with 28 runs scored, 12 doubles, 10 home runs, and 33 RBI. Outfielder Matt Hardy hit .311 a season ago with 4 home runs and 32 RBI. Justin Mannens was limited to just 21 games last year but could have a big impact on the lineup this season.
Cole Percival will look to build off an impressive freshman season in which he posted a 3.19 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched with 63 strikeouts.
Outlook for 2019
This team loses a lot of key contributors from last year’s team, especially in the pitching staff. They’ll need some impact newcomers to fill those holes if they are going to improve in the Big West standings.
UC Santa Barbara (2018 Record: 27-28-1, 10-14)
Last year was a solid season for UC Santa Barbara but they fell short of their goals with a losing conference record.
Returning Players
Outfielder Tommy Jew is back after hitting .312 last year with 32 runs scored, 5 home runs, 41 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Shortstop Andrew Martinez hit .270 a year ago with 7 home runs and 28 RBI. Catcher Thomas Rowan hit .312 in 2018 with 4 home runs. Outfielder Armani Smith and second baseman Marcos Castanon will be back as well.
Chris Lincoln, Jack Dashwood, and Ben Brecht will have a chance to be their three weekend starters. Lincoln posted a 3.49 ERA last year in 69.2 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts. Brecht had a 5.09 ERA in 46 innings with 48 strikeouts, while Dashwood posted a 5.27 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched with 34 strikeouts. Joshua Candau was great out of the bullpen last year with a 0.84 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts and 3 saves. Alex Patterson and Chris Troye should also get a lot of work out of the bullpen.
Newcomers
Will Chambers and Kyle Johnson are both newcomers who could see playing time on the infield. Same could be said for two-way player Kevin Lyons.
Pitchers Brett Finnel and Trevor Beer have a chance to add some depth to the pitching staff and pick up some meaningful innings.
Outlook for 2019
With all three weekend starters for the 2019 season having a lot of experience, the pitching staff should be the strength of this team. They have also have seven starters returning to the lineup with a solid group of newcomers to add depth.
2019 All-Big West Preseason Team
C: Thomas Rowan (UC Santa Barbara)
1B: Tate Samuelson (Cal Poly)
2B: Hank LoForte (Cal State Fullerton)
SS: Sahid Valenzuela (Cal State Fullerton)
3B: Ethan Lopez (Hawaii)
OF: Mitchell Berryhill (Cal State Fullerton)
OF: Tommy Jew (UC Santa Barbara)
OF: Adam Fogel (Hawaii)
DH: Connor Cannon (UC Riverside)
SP: Andre Pallante (UC Irvine)
SP: Cole Percival (UC Riverside)
SP: Zak Baayoun (Long Beach State)
SP: Chris Lincoln (UC Santa Barbara)
SP: Matt Acosta (CSUN)
RP: Jordan Bocko (UC Irvine)
RP: Dylan Thomas (Hawaii)
RP: Joshua Candau (UC Santa Barbara)
Honorable Mention:
SS – Andrew Martinez (UC Santa Barbara)
SS – Maaki Yamazaki (Hawaii)
SS – Tanner Murray (UC Davis)
OF – Bradlee Beesley (Cal Poly)
OF – Matt Hardy (UC Riverside)
SP – Tanner Bibee (Cal State Fullerton)
SP – Darren Nelson (Cal Poly)
RP – Taylor Dollard (Cal Poly)
RP – Brett Erwin (UC Davis)
Predicted Order to Finish:
1. Cal State Fullerton
2. UC Santa Barbara
3. UC Irvine
4. Cal Poly
5. Long Beach State
6. CSUN
7. Hawaii
8. UC Davis
9. UC Riverside
