This week in Pac-12 Baseball

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COMPLETE RELEASE

PREVIEWING THE WEEK:
Another slate of top-25 matchups highlight the last week of non-conference play. Pac-12 Baseball is looking to continue its four-game ranked win streak this week as No. 2 UCLA and USC both take on 2019 College World Series Champion No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 18 TCU this week in the Southern California Baseball Classic, while California hosts No. 20 Michigan on Wednesday at Evans Diamond (6 p.m. PT). Pac-12 Networks will broadcast the finale of the Southern California College Baseball Classic featuring a non conference competition between USC and UCLA on Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m. PT.

NOTABLES:
• STANFORD recorded the league’s third upset of the season on Tuesday as the Cardinal’s sixth-inning surge led to a 5-4 victory over then-No. 11 Michigan.
• UCLA registered three ranked wins last week recording a perfect 3-0 record in the Frisco College Classic. Then-No. 8 Bruins defeated then-No. 17 Oklahoma State (8-1) and then-No. 21 Texas A&M (10-2) while in Texas.
• Seven Pac-12 teams earned series wins last week including sweeps by OREGON and UCLA.  ARIZONA STATE and WASHINGTON STATE both sealed the deal with wins Friday and Saturday, while Stanford, USC, and WASHINGTON clinched victories on Sunday.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• UCLA currently owns the country’s top mark in ERA (1.43) and its three shutouts this season are the third-most in the nation.
• Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson is off to a hot start this season as he leads the country in walks (26) and has the third-most runs (19) in the nation. The junior’s slugging percentage (0.944) and on base percentage (0.635) are both good for the fifth-best in the country.

PRESEASON NODS:
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. Junior pitchers Erik Tolman of Arizona State and UCLA’s Powell were selected to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.

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. Six Pac-12 student-athletes were named to the 2020 Golden Spikes Award watch list, including consensus preseason all-americans Arizona catcher Austin Wells and Arizona State infielder Spencer Torkelson. The list is further highlighted by fellow Sun Devil infielders Alika Williams and Gage Workman, and UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell and right-handed pitcher Holden Powell. 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.

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 MLB Draft, including former Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by 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
UCLA 0-0 11-1
Arizona State 0-0 9-4
Arizona 0-0 8-4
Oregon 0-0 7-4
USC 0-0 7-4
Washington 0-0 7-4
Oregon State 0-0 5-6
Washington State 0-0 5-6
Utah 0-0 4-6
Stanford 0-0 4-8
California 0-0 3-8

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Pacific - Expanded Schedule Details)

Wednesday, March 4 TV/Stream Time
#20 Michigan at CALIFORNIA Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
#13 ARIZONA STATE at Cal State Fullerton Big West TV 6:05 p.m. PT
Thursday, March 5    
Niagara at WASHINGTON STATE Live Stream 3:05 p.m. PT
OREGON at Hawaii   8:35 p.m. PT
Friday, March 6    
Niagara at WASHINGTON STATE Live Stream 3:05 p.m. PT
UTAH at Minnesota Live Stream 4:30 p.m. PT
Houston at ARIZONA Live Stream 5:00 p.m. PT
Fresno State at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 5:30 p.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara at OREGON STATE Live Stream 5:35 p.m. PT
#5 Vanderbilt at #2 UCLA (1) Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
San Francisco at CALIFORNIA Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
#18 TCU at USC (1) Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
Kansas State at STANFORD Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
UTAH Valley at WASHINGTON Live Stream 6:05 p.m. PT
OREGON at Hawaii   8:35 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 7    
CALIFORNIA at San Francisco   1:00 p.m. PT
Kansas State at STANFORD Live Stream 1:00 p.m. PT
Niagara at WASHINGTON STATE Live Stream 1:05 p.m. PT
#18 TCU at #2 UCLA (1) Live Stream 2:00 p.m. PT
#5 Vanderbilt at USC (1) Live Stream 2:00 p.m. PT
UTAH Valley at WASHINGTON (DH) Live Stream 2:05 p.m. PT
Houston at ARIZONA Live Stream 3:00 p.m. PT
UTAH at Minnesota Live Stream 4:00 p.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara at OREGON STATE Live Stream 4:05 p.m. PT
Kansas State at STANFORD Live Stream 5:00 p.m. PT
Fresno State at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 5:30 p.m. PT
UTAH Valley at WASHINGTON (DH) Live Stream 6:05 p.m. PT
OREGON at Hawaii   8:35 p.m. PT
Sunday, March 8    
UTAH at Minnesota Live Stream 11:00 a.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara at OREGON STATE Live Stream 12:05 p.m. PT
Fresno State at #13 ARIZONA STATE Live Stream 1:30 p.m. PT
Kansas State at STANFORD Live Stream 1:00 p.m. PT
Houston at ARIZONA Live Stream 1:00 p.m. PT
Niagara at WASHINGTON STATE Live Stream 1:05 p.m. PT
UTAH Valley at WASHINGTON Live Stream 1:05 p.m. PT
San Francisco at CALIFORNIA Live Stream 2:00 p.m. PT
#2 UCLA at USC (1) P12LA 3:00 p.m. PT
OREGON Hawaii   4:05 p.m. PT
Tuesday, March 10    
Gonzaga at Washington State Live Stream 3:05 p.m. PT
San Jose State at California Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
Xavier at USC Live Stream 6:00 p.m. PT
Arizona at Arizona State Live Stream 6:30 p.m. PT

(1) Southern California College Baseball Classic, Los Angeles, Calif.

Rankings listed are USA Today Coaches Poll


PRESEASON NATIONAL HONORS 

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
Austin Wells, C,  ARIZ
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Holden Powell, RHP, UCLA
Spencer Torkelson, IF,  ASU
Alika Williams, IF, ASU
Gage Workman, IF, ASU

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