Pac-12 Baseball opens 2020 season on Friday

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COMPLETE RELEASE

PAC-12 SEASON PREVIEW
Pac-12 Baseball is back in action as all 11 programs open the 2020 season this Friday. The Conference is looking to build off last season’s success when its teams combined to record a 187-110-1 (.629) non-conference record, earning the league’s most non-conference wins since 2015 (189). Five Pac-12 teams earned 2019 NCAA Regional berths, also the most for the league since 2016, including ARIZONA STATE and CALIFORNIA which reached postseason play for the first time since 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Conference’s 104th season on the diamond begins on Valentine’s Day with four new skippers in OREGON’s Mark Wasikowski, OREGON STATE’s Mitch Canham, USC’s Jason Gill and WASHINGTON STATE’s Brian Green. Canham was an All-American catcher for a Beavers’ program that went to three straight College World Series from 2005-07, while Wasikowski (Purdue), Gill (LMU) and Green (New Mexico State) all took their previous programs to the NCAA postseason within the last two seasons.

The USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll features four Pac-12 teams. 2019 Pac-12 Champion UCLA leads the way at No. 8, followed by Arizona State at No. 13, STANFORD at No. 15, and Oregon State at No. 25.

Arizona State was picked to capture the league’s title this season in the Pac-12 Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll for the fourth time in program history, first since winning the Conference crown in 2010. Reigning league champ UCLA was voted second, and Stanford was picked third.

ASU will face a pair of top-20 oppenents this week in No. 11 Michigan and No. 17 Oklahoma State.

STAR POWER:
The Pac-12 has nine total preseason All-America selections from three different schools. Four student-athletes were named to all five preseason All-America lists, including Arizona’s Austin Wells, Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson, and UCLA’s Holden Powell and Garrett Mitchell. Junior infielder Torkelson was selected first team for all five lists, and was also named the 2020 Collegiate Baseball Projected Player of the Year. Juniors pitchers Erik Tolman of Arizona State and UCLA’s Powell were selected to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List

BACK-TO-BACK GOLDEN SPIKES:
The Pac-12 is home to nine Golden Spikes Award winners, leading all other conferences, after former Beaver Adley Rutschman claimed the league’s second-consecutive award last season. Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the nation with this award, given each year to the player who best exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship.

The 2020 Golden Spikes Award Preseason watch list will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 12:30 p.m. PT. The list features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players.  The 43rd Golden Spikes Award will be presented on Thursday, June 11th on ESPN.

STOPPER OF THE YEAR:
The Pac-12 has two student-athletes on the 2020 NCBWA Preseason Watch List, including 2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year UCLA’s Holden Powell and sophomore Erik Tolman of Arizona State. The NCBWA presents the Stopper of the Year Award to the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball for the 16th straight year at the College World Series on Saturday, June 13, 2020.

MLB DRAFT
Seventy Pac-12 student-athletes were selected in the 2019 MLS Draft, including former Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick byt the Baltimore Orioles, giving the Conference an NCAA-best seven No. 1 overall draft-picks. For the eighth-straight year, all 11 league programs had at least one player drafted. Additionally, the Pac-12 averaged 6.36 student-athletes drafted per team, the best average of any conference. The Conference had three picks in the top 10 for the first time since 2006 with California’s Andrew Vaughn being selected with the third pick and Arizona State’s Hunter Bishop chosen with the 10th pick. UCLA’s 13 selections are tied for the most of any school in the nation. After UCLA, Stanford had the second-most picks in the Pac-12 with nine, followed by California, Oregon State and USC with seven selections apiece.


CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

Teams Pac-12 Record Overall Record
Arizona 0-0 0-0
Arizona State 0-0 0-0
California 0-0 0-0
Oregon 0-0 0-0
Oregon State 0-0 0-0
Stanford 0-0 0-0
UCLA 0-0 0-0
USC 0-0 0-0
Utah 0-0 0-0
Washington 0-0 0-0
Washington State 0-0 0-0

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Pacific - Expanded Schedule Details)

Friday, February 14 TV/Stream Time
New Mexico vs. #25 OREGON STATE (1) FloSports 12:00 p.m. PT
UTAH at UC Davis   2:00 p.m. PT
Albany at ARIZONA Live Stream 5:00 p.m. PT
Villanova at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 5:30 p.m. PT
California at Long Beach State   6:00 p.m. PT
UC Riverside at #8 UCLA   6:00 p.m. PT
Western Michigan at USC Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON at Loyola Marymount   6:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON STATE at CSU Bakersfield   6:00 p.m. PT
Cal State Fullerton at #15 STANFORD Live Stream 6:05 p.m. PT
OREGON vs. Minnesota (2)   6:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, February 15    
Villanova at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 11:00 a.m. PT
Gonzaga vs. #25 OREGON STATE (1) FloSports 1:00 p.m. PT
UTAH at UC Davis   1:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON STATE at CSU Bakersfield   1:00 p.m. PT
UC Riverside at #8 UCLA   2:00 p.m. PT
Western Michigan at USC Live Stream 2:00 p.m. PT
Cal State Fullerton at #15 STANFORD Live Stream 2:05 p.m. PT
CALIFORNIA at Long Beach State   3:00 p.m. PT
San Diego vs. OREGON (2)   4:30 p.m. PT
Albany at ARIZONA Live Stream 5:00 p.m. PT
#11 Michigan at #13 ARIZONA STATE   5:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON at Loyola Marymount   6:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 16    
Pepperdine vs. OREGON (2)   10:00 a.m. PT
Villanova at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 11:30 a.m. PT
Albany at ARIZONA Live Stream 12:00 p.m. PT
Gonzaga vs. #25 OREGON STATE (1) FloSports 12:00 p.m. PT
Western Michigan at USC   12:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON STATE at CSU Bakersfield   12:00 p.m. PT
CALIFORNIA at Long Beach State   1:00 p.m. PT
UC Riverside at #8 UCLA   1:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON at Loyola Marymount   1:00 p.m. PT
UTAH at UC Davis   1:00 p.m. PT
Cal State Fullerton at #15 STANFORD Live Stream 1:00 p.m. PT
Monday, February 17    
Minnesota vs. ARIZONA   10:00 a.m. PT
BYU vs. #25 OREGON STATE (1) FloSports 1:00 p.m. PT.
UTAH at Saint Mary’s (California)   2:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON STATE at CSUN   2:00 p.m. PT
CALIFORNIA at UC Santa Barbara   5:30 p.m. PT
Tuesday, February 18    
OREGON at Grand Canyon   1:00 p.m. PT
#17 Oklahoma State at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 5:30 p.m. PT
Loyola Marymount at #8 UCLA   6:00 p.m. PT
#15 STANFORD at Santa Clara   6:00 p.m. PT
WASHINGTON at Long Beach State   6:00 p.m. PT

1 -Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic, Surprise, Ariz.; 2 - Angels College Classic, Tempe, Ariz. 

Rankings listed are USA Today Coaches Poll


PRESEASON NATIONAL HONORS 

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List: 
Holden Powell, Jr , UCLA
Erik Tolman, So., ASU

Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans
First Team 

Holden Powell, RHP, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, 1B,  ASU

Second Team
Jake Mulholland, LHP, OSU
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Garrett Mitchell, OF,  UCLA

Collegiate Baseball Projected Player of the Year
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU

D1Baseball.com Preseason All-Americans
First Team

Spencer Torkelson, DH, ASU
Alika Williams, SS, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Holden Powell, UCLA

Second Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ

Perfect Game Preseason All-Americans
First Team
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Holden Powell. RP, UCLA

Second Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Alika Williams, SS, ASU

Baseball America Preseason All-Americans
First Team

Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, UCLA 

Second Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Gage Workman, 3B, ASU
Alika Williams, SS, ASU

NCBWA Preseason All-Americans
First Team 

Spencer Torkelson, 1B, ASU
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Matthew Dyer, DH, ARIZ
Holden Powell, RP, UCLA

Third Team
Austin Wells, C, ARIZ
Trevor Hauver, OF, ASU