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SEATTLE, WA - Northwest native and National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Famer Dave Dangler has joined the Washington baseball staff as its pitching coach, Husky head coach Lindsay Meggs announced today.

Dave Dangler (photo und.com)

“The baseball program at the University of Washington took a huge step forward today with the hiring of new pitching coach Dave Dangler,” Meggs said. “Not only is Dave well respected and well connected in the Northwest, his relationships across the country in professional baseball will help us to recruit nationally. In addition to his ability to recruit, Dave is a proven developer of pitchers. His track record both as a head coach and a pitching coach reflects his commitment to player development. Dave Dangler develops young pitchers into Major League prospects.”

Dangler, who attended Madison High School in Portland, Ore., and earned degrees from Western Oregon and Portland State, is the former head coach Portland State, Linn-Benton Community College (Albany, Ore.) and Yavapai College (Prescott, Ariz.). He also served as a professional scout for the Expos, Marlins and Orioles organizations and spent the 2010 season as pitching coach at Notre Dame.

In February of 2010, Dangler was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. He had already been inducted into the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame and the Northwest Community College Hall of Fame.

“I am extremely excited to get the opportunity to become the new pitching coach at the University of Washington,” Dangler said. “The UW has a great academic reputation, and along with Coach Meggs’ vision for future success, and the challenge of competing in the Pac-10, I can’t wait to get started.

“Having Pacific Northwest roots as both a player, coach, and scout I hope to help continue to attract talented Northwest players to Washington and draw on my experience to help recruit other areas of the country,” Dangler continued. “I believe my background will allow me to help the Husky pitching staff to develop their full potential as we pursue the goal of a championship and trip to Omaha.”

Dangler’s head coaching career began at Linn-Benton (1977-83) and continued at Yavapai (1984-94). He led Linn-Benton to three Junior College World Series berths (1979, 1980, 1981) and then coached Yavapai to the NJCAA National Championship in 1993. His 1986 Yavapai squad, which included future Major League great Curt Schilling, finished third in the nation.

Dangler is one of only two coaches in JC history ever to have taken two different colleges to the NJCAA World Series. He earned the National Coach of the Year in 1993 and was a regional coach of the year on five occasions. In 18 seasons at LBCC and Yavapai, he compiled a 516-350 overall record. In that span, he coached eight JC All-Americans and had 44 players (including 23 pitchers) taken in the Major League draft.

After the 1994 season, Dangler left Yavapai to become the head coach at Portland State, then a member of the Pac-10’s Northern Division, where he served until the 1998 season.

Dangler went on to spend 11 years as a professional scout for Montreal (1999-2001), Florida (2001-05) and the Baltimore (2005-09). He earned the scout of the year award for the Expos in 2001 and for the Marlins in 2003 and also spent a season as the manager of the Expos’ Gulf Coast League team in 2001.

Last season, he served as pitching coach at Notre Dame, where three members of pitching staff were selected in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Growing up in Portland, Dangler was a pitcher of an American Legion national championship team. He graduated from Western Oregon and earned a master’s degree from Portland State.

What They’re Saying About Dave Dangler

“If there’s any young pitcher out there who’s looking for a coach who can develop him as a man and as a pitcher. Dave Dangler would be the first guy I’d point to.”
- Harold Reynolds, longtime Major Leaguer who played American League ball under Dangler in Corvallis, Ore.

“Dave Dangler is a great guy with exceptional knowledge in all areas in the game of baseball. His feel for pitching and ability to teach and develop young arms sets him apart from most. I have the utmost respect for him as a man and a teacher of the game. He will be a wonderful asset for the University of Washington Baseball program.”
- Stan Meek, Florida Marlins scouting director

“I’ve had the privilege of working with and knowing Dave for over 30 years. He is a good man and a person of the highest integrity. He is a very good pitching coach. He is adept at identifying pitching talent and is excellent at developing that talent.”
- Kurt Kemp, Atlanta Braves director of player development and former assistant coach at Oregon State

“I think this is a great hire by Coach Meggs and for the University of Washington. Dave Dangler is one of the brightest and most articulate guys in our game.”
- Ritch Price, University of Kansas head baseball coach and Oregon native

“Dave Dangler was far more than my junior college coach, he was as much a life coach as anything to me and the lessons he taught me off the field are ones I’ve carried throughout my life. I can’t tell you how excited I am to learn he is now heading up the UW pitching staff, that leads me to believe they’ll be contending rather quickly in their division and nationally. I would also tell any kids considering a future in the game, that spending a couple of years under his tutelage is the absolute perfect solution to preparing yourself to play at the highest level.”
- Curt Schilling, 20-year Major League Pitcher and six-time All-Star who played for Coach Dangler at Yavapai College

(Washington Release)

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Can Wichita State Continue Its Dominance?

2009 Regular Season Champion: Missouri State

2009 Tournament Champion: Wichita State defeated Creighton 4-2 to win its second straight and 17^th overall conference championship.

9 Becomes 8: Northern Iowa eliminated itsbaseball program after last season to cut costs, trimming the league to eight teams this season.  Head Coach Rick Heller landed on his feet as he is now in his first season as head coach of Indiana State

Wichita State finished 3^rd in the conference during the regular season but was able to put it together and capture a league-leading 17^th tournament title to earn the 8^th straight trip to the NCAA tournament.  With the Shockers returning its top 3 starters and 19 letter winners overall, they should be the team to beat once again.

2010 MVC Preview

Bradley

2009 Season: (17-31, 4-17)

Nickname: Braves

Head Coach: Elvis Dominguez

Location: Peoria, IL

Vitals: .259 BA, 21 HR, .355 OBp, .960 Fld. %…5.51 ERA, 1 CG, 6 SVs, 327 K, 214 BB, .281 Opp. BA

The Future is Bright: Bradley’s incoming 16-man recruiting class is ranked #48 according to Collegiate Baseball. It’s the first time Bradley has cracked the top 50, and only Wichita State is ranked higher (#19) among the other Missouri Valley teams.

Strong Foundation: Jr. catcher Kevin Sullivan is the only Brave to be named to the preseason All-MVC team.  Last season, Sullivan hit .277 with 7 doubles and 15 RBI in 34 games.  Also back this season is So. LHP Joe Bircher (4-2, 3.39 ERA, 50 K) who will lead the staff.

Schedule Notes: The Braves play their first 20 games on the road, including match-ups with Illinois, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, and Indiana.  The first home game is March 31^st when they host Northern Illinois.  Bradley also will host an exhibition game against the local minor league Peoria Chiefs on April 7^th.

Creighton

2009 Season: (31-25, 14-9)

Nickname: Bluejays

Head Coach: Ed Servais

Location: Omaha, NE

Vitals: .299 BA, 37 HR, .391 OBP, .984 Fld. %…4.05 ERA, 4 CG, 9 SVs, 338 K, 164 BB, .267 Opp. BA

Bluejay Revival: Creighton is picked to finish 3^rd in the MVC by the coaches this year, with one first place vote, a year after just missing out on the NCAA tournament with a loss in the MVC tournament championship game.  Three Jays are on the preseason All-conference team with Jr. SS Elliot Soto (.322, 77 H, 13 SB), Sr. OF Robbie Knight (.344, 18 doubles, 41 RBI) and Sr. RHP Bobby Lackovic (6-1, 3.55 ERA, SV) all earning the honors.

Moving Homes: This season is the last for Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the College World Series.  Creighton will split games between Rosenblatt and its on campus facility.  Beginning next year, the Jays will play some of their home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha before moving there full-time in 2012.

Evansville

2009 Season: (25-30, 7-17)

Nickname: Purple Aces

Head Coach: Wes Carroll

Location: Evansville, IN

Vitals: .269 BA, 29 HR, .352 OBP, .967 Fld. %…5.44 ERA, 4 CG, 12 SVs, 373 K, 183 BB, .295 Opp. BA

Tom Heithoff (EU photo)

Plenty of Offense Back: Evansville returns 6 starters and should have a much better offense.  Leading the offense is 2^nd team All-MVC players Sr. DH Andy Pascoe (.331, 9 doubles, 21 RBI) and Jr. 3B Cody Fick (.307, 9 HR, 46 RBI).

Staff Aces: Leading the pitching staff is Sr. closer Tom Heithoff (4-3, 2.87 ERA, 8 SVs) as well three different returnees, LHP Seth McCabe, LHP Sean McCarthy and RHP Matt Netherton, who missed 2009 due to Tommy John surgery.

Tough Contests: The Purple Aces travel to Lexington to play Kentucky, play and home-and-home series with Louisville, and host Dallas Baptist all this season.

Illinois State

2009 Season: (25-23, 11-11)

Nickname: Redbirds

Head Coach: Mark Kingston

Location: Normal, IL

Vitals: .281 BA, 32 HR, .372 OBP, .964 Fld. %…5.47 ERA, 8 CG, 7 SVs, 313 K, 175 BB, .275 Opp. BA

Corey Maines (ISU photo)

Pitching Strength: Illinois State brings back several top-notch pitchers from last year.  Returning are Sr. LHP Ryan Copeland (4-5, 3.63 ERA, 6 CG), Jr. RHP Corey Maines (6-5, 4.26 ERA, 69 K), So. RHP Ryan Camp (6-3, 4.73 ERA, .251 Opp. BA), and Sr. RHP Jim Sajewich (4-2, 4.36 ERA, 4 SVs).

Top Hitters: Illinois State loses top hitter Mike Stalowy, but do return Sr. INF Ryan Court (.323, 5 HR, 41 RBI), Sr. OF Anthony Ruffalo (.315, 4 HR, .401 OBP), and Sr. 1B Evan Kohli (.308, 13 doubles, .431 OBP).  Also back is Corey Maines, who only hit .202, but did have 5 HR in 21 total hits.

New Era: Mark Kingston enters his first season as head baseball coach after Jim Brownlee retired after 7 seasons.  Kingston was an assistant for the 2009 season, helping the Redbirds to their first winning season since 2001.

Indiana State

2009 Season: (33-21, 15-7)

Nickname: Sycamores

Head Coach: Rick Heller

Location: Terre Haute, IN

Vitals: .317 BA, 59 HR, .404 OBP, .976 Fld. %…5.94 ERA, 2 CG, 5 SVs, 365 K, 222 BB, .301 Opp. BA

Starting Over: Indiana State begins a new era this year with Rick Heller taking over as head coach.  Heller came from Northern Iowa after they eliminated their baseball program following the 2009 season.  Heller succeeds Lindsay Meggs who left to become the head coach at Washington.

Rebuilding Year?: ISU’s 33 wins in 2009 was the most since 2003, and their 15-7 league record was good enough for second place, best finish since 1998.  This year, however, the Sycamores return just 5 regular starters, and only 4 out of 11 pichers return.  The biggest losses are leading hitter Nick Ciolli (.401, 5 HR, 50 RBI), Brady Shoemaker (.359, 14 HR, 50 RBI), and closer Matt Shelton (4-1, 5.45 ERA, 5 SVs).

Good Rotation: 2 of the 4 pitchers that do return are the top two pitchers from last season.  Jr. RHP Jacob Petricka (7-3, 4.76 ERA, 49 K) and Sr. LHP Joe Rodriguez (7-3, 5.29 ERA, 1 CG) are back to lead the inexperienced pitching staff.

Missouri State

2009 Season: (34-20, 17-5)

Nickname: Bears

Head Coach: Keith Guttin

Location: Springfield, MO

Vitals: .302 BA, 61 HR, .395 OBP, .961 Fld. %…4.51 ERA, 5 CG, 11 SVs, 431 K, 199 BB, .264 Opp. BA

Big 2009: Missouri State began 2009 a disappointing 4-10, but quickly rebounded going 30-10 over the final 40 games capturing the MVC title, their first since 2003.  Two MSU players earned All-American honors with Buddy

Kevin Medrano (MSU photo)

Baumann (11-1, 3.23 ERA, 101 K), the MVC Pitcher of the Year, a second-team selection by Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA, and Brayden Drake (.414, 10 HR, 54 RBI), MVC Player of the Year, a third-team All-American from Collegiate Baseball.

Still Talented: While the Bears lose Baumann and Drake, and had 6 players drafted, Missouri State still brings back a lot of talent for 2010.  The offense will be led by Freshman All-American So. INF Kevin Medrano (.329, 76 H, 40 RBI) while Jr. LHP Aaron Meade (9-2, 3.39 EA, 89 K) heads up the pitching staff.

Challenges Abound: A tough non-conference slate faces the Bears this season.  Among the non-conference slate are games against Georgia Tech, Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Oral Roberts.

Southern Illinois

2009 Season: (24-28, 11-9)

Nickname: Salukis

Head Coach: Dan Callahan

Location: Carbondale, IL

Vitals: .286 BA, 35 HR, .348 OBP, .971 Fld. %…4.77 ERA, 1 CG, 8 SVs, 288 K, 183 BB, .291 Opp. BA

Key Returners: Southern Illinois returns several key members from last season.  Seven starters return to the lineup including preseason All-MVC selection C Tyler Bullock (.292, 11 HR, 33 RBI) and Sr. OF Aaron Roberts (.301, 35 R, 6 SB).  The pitching staff is led by the schools all-time leader in saves Sr. RHP Bryant George (3-0, 3.21 ERA, 8 SVs), and returning starter Sr. LHP Jimmy Cornell (2-2, 3.26 ERA, .216 Opp. BA).

Courage Under Fire: SIU head coach Dan Callahan received the 2009 MVC Most Courageous Award given to those who demonstrates unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the Conference.  Callahan was diagnosed with a form of melanoma in 2006, and continues to battle the illness today.  After coaching full-time in 2007 and 2008, he was unable to travel with the team last season, but still coached every home game.  Callahan hopes to travel with the team once again this season.

Wichita State

2009 Season: (30-27, 11-7)

Nickname: Shockers

Head Coach: Gene Stephenson

Location: Wichita, KS

Vitals: .275 BA, 33 HR, .362 OBP, .964 Fld. %…4.26 ERA, 6 CG, 11 SVs, 508 K, 186 BB, .265 Opp. BA

Continuing Dominance: Wichita State finished 3^rd in the regular season last year, but put it together to capture their second consecutive, and 7th conference tournament title of the decade.  They also made the NCAA tournament for the 8^th consecutive year, and for the 21^st time in the last 22 years.  This season 7 starters and 20 letterwinners overall return.

Jordan Cooper (WSU photo)

Pitching Prowess: The Shockers return their top four starters from a season ago in Jr. Tim Kelley (5-4, 2.86 ERA, 3 CG), Freshman All-American So. Jordan Cooper (8-6, 2.78 ERA, 3 CG), Freshman All-American So. Charlie Lowell (6-2, 2.95 ERA, .246 Opp. BA), and So. Brian Flynn (2-5, 4.98 ERA, 59 K)

To Be the Best: Wichita State will play several challenging games this season with contests against Kansas, Oklahoma State, Florida Gulf Coast, Long Beach State, Arizona, Oral Roberts, Nebraska, and Dallas Baptist.

2010 Missouri Valley Predictions

Conference Champion: Wichita State

2010 Player of the Year: Elliot Soto–Creighton

2010 Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Cooper—Wichita State

Can ASU Keep On Winning Without Murphy?

2009 Pac 10 Champion:  Arizona State (No Pac 10 Postseason Tournament)

The More Things Change…:  There wasn’t much change at the top of the Pac 10 ranks, but there was some turnover in the middle.  Arizona State’s 2009 Pac 10 title was its third straight to give the Sun Devils their 10th straight NCAA appearance.  However, Washington State went from the bottom of the conference in 2008 to a second-place finish last year.  It was the Cougars’ first top five finish in the conference since 1991 and they earned their first NCAA Regional appearance since 1990.  Meanwhile, Oregon brought back baseball & played its first games since 1981, Oregon State was back in the tournament after staying home in 2008 and Stanford missed the NCAAs after a 2008 trip to the CWS.  The biggest news from the Pac 10 in 2009 though came in the off season with the departure of ASU head coach Pat Murphy.  The big question now is: Can ASU continue its success with a new head coach?

2010 Pac 10 Baseball Preview

Arizona

2009 Record:  (30-25, 13-14)

Mascot:  Wildcats

Head Coach:  Andy Lopez

Location:  Tucson, AZ

Vitals:  .314 BA, 46 HR, 71 SB, .387 OBP, .965 Fld%…5.46 ERA, 0 CG, 13 SV, 379 K, 215 BB, .293 opp. BA

Slight Returns:  The Wildcats have just 12 returning players from last year’s roster.  They will have as many as 16 freshman on the roster this season.

The Holes:  Pac 10 batting champion Dillon Baird (.433, 8 HR, 55 RBIs) leads the list of departed players.  Hunter Pace (.372, 15 SB) and Dwight Childs (.331) are gone from the line-up as well.  Arizona also loses its top starting pitcher, Preston Guilmet (6-5, 3.74 ERA), as well as relievers Cory Burns (2-0, 3.80 ERA, 40 appearances) and Jason Stoffel (2-1, 4.67 ERA, 39 app., 11 SV).

Who’s Back:  The top returning pitcher include Daniel Workman (3-1, 3.86 ERA), Joe Allison (5-1, 4.66 ERA) and Kyle Simon (3-5, 6.03 ERA, 11 starts).  Bryce Ortega (.324, 16 SB) and Steve Selsky (.318 will lead the offense).

Family Ties:  Brothers Michael and David Lopez will both wear the Wildcat uniform this season.  Their dad is head coach Andy Lopez.  Michael is a pitcher who redshirted last year, while David is a freshman infielder.

Tucson Time:  Arizona plays its first 26 games, including its conference-opening series vs. Oregon, on its home

Tim Esmay (ASU photo)

field in Tucson, AZ.  The Wildcats have a total of 44 home games in 2010.

Arizona State

2009 Record:  (51-14, 21-6)

Mascot:  Sun Devils

Head Coach:  Tim Esmay

Location:  Tempe, AZ

Vitals:  .303 BA, 75 HR, 116 SB, .418 OBP, .969 Fld%…2.90 ERA, 11 CG, 12 SV, 608 K, 157 BB, .239 opp. BA

Meet The New Boss:  Pat Murphy is gone after 15 seasons in the desert.  Murphy’s last win in a Sun Devil uniform was a 12-5 victory over North Carolina in Omaha, and it was the 1,000th of his career.  New head coach Tim Esmay is no stranger to the ASU

Kole Calhoun

program.  He played in the College World Series for Jim Brock’s Sun Devils in 1987 and ’88, and he was also an assistant to Murphy for the last five seasons.  Esmay was also the head coach at Utah from 1997-2004.

Line-Up Lowdown:  ASU returns 7 of its top 9 hitters who saw significant action in 2009.  The glaring losses are Pac 10 Player of the Year Jason Kipnis (.384, 16 HR, 71 RBIs, 27 SB) and catcher Carlos Ramirez (.338, 19 HR, 75 RBIs).  However, Kole Calhoun (.313, 12 HR, 53 RBIs) is back for his senior season.  Calhoun hit 3 HR with 11 RBIs in Omaha.  Sophomores Johnny Ruettiger (.360, 12 SB) & Drew Maggi (.309, 21 SB) and junior Matt Newman (.305, 7 HR, 54 RBIs) all return as well.

Oh Brother:  Senior co-captain Rauol Torrez (.250,15 SB) and soph. Riccio Torrez (.280, 6 HR) are the fifth set of brothers to play at ASU at the same time, but they are the first to start alongside one another in school history.  All 54 of Rauol’s starts came at third base, while most of Riccio’s were at first base.  The brothers are back as well to anchor the Sun Devil infield in 2010.

An Ace Down:  RHP Mike Leake (16-1, 1.71 ERA, 7 CG) and LHP Josh Spence (10-1, 2.37 ERA) were both good enough to be any team’s ace last year, but only senior Spence is back this season.  Leake signed after being taken in the first round of last year’s draft by Cincinnati.  Spence decided to return for his year after going in the third round to the Angels.  Other notable returning pitchers are LHP Mitchell Lambson (9-5, 3.01 ERA, 5 SV) and RHP Jordan Swaggerty (4-1, 4.50 ERA, 4 SV).

California

2009 Record:  (24-29, 9-18)

Mascot:  Golden Bears

Head Coach:  David Esquer

Location:  Berkeley, CA

Vitals:  .298 BA, 65 HR, 66 SB, .375 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.74, 2 CG, 13 SV, 423 K, 249 BB, .284 opp. BA

Big Bear Losses:  Cal loses three of its top four batters from last year, including two-way player Blake Smith (.319, 10 HR, 38 RBIs), who was drafted in the second round last year by the Dodgers.  Smith had two saves out of the

Mark Canha (Cal photo)

bullpen while starting three games as well.  Jeff Kobernus (.341, 8 HR, 20 SB) and Brett Jackson (.321, 8 HR, 11 SB) are both gone as well.

Top Bear Back:  Cal’s top overall hitter, Mark Canha, is returns.  The junior led Cal in average (.366), HR (12), RBIs (43), slg% (.634), and OBP (.444).  Brian Guinn (.315, 10 SB) and Danny Oh (.303, 7 HR) is back as well.

Plenty Of Pitching: The Golden Bears return most of their pitchers from a staff that finished with the worst ERA in the conference last year.  Reliver Dixon Anderson (3.98 ERA, 3 SV), LHP Chris Petrini (4-3, 3.98 ERA) and Erik Johnson (3-6, 4.41 ERA, 9 starts, CG, 4 SV) are among the top returnees.

No-Nonsense Non-Conference:  In consecutive weeks Cal plays non-conference games vs. 2009 CWS team Arkansas (3 at home), 2009 Super Regional team Rice (4 in Houston) and ’09 NCAA team Cal Poly (3 on the road).  They follow that with their Pac 10-opening series at Arizona State.

Call From The Hall:  Former Cal head coach Bob Milano was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in January.  He won 688 games at Cal from 1978-1999 and led the Golden Bears to the College World Series in 1980, 1988 and 1992.

Oregon

2009 Record:  (14-42, 4-23)

Mascot:  Ducks

Head Coach:  George Horton

Location:  Eugene, OR

Vitals:  .227 BA, 16 HR, 60 SB, .296 OBP, .961 Fld%…5.07 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 357 K, 239 BB, .271 opp. BA

Growing Pains:  Oregon fielded its first baseball team since 1981 last year, and things looked bright early when the Ducks beat St. Mary’s 5-3 in their season opener.  They lost the next two games of the series, but then won 2 of 3 games at home vs. defending national champion Fresno State.  That would be the high point of their inaugural season though, as they won just three games after March 31 en-route to a 14-win campaign.  Oregon finished last in the Pac 10 in these (and a few other) statistical categories:  Batting average, HR, runs, slg%, OBP, hits, RBIs, doubles, total bases, walks, strikeouts (by pitchers), saves.  They also committed the second most errors (85) in the conference behind USC”S 101.

The Bright Side:  After a bumpy first year George Horton returns all but five players who saw action last year, while nine freshmen and a handful of junior college transfers join the team.  Here’s a look at some of the returnees with the category in which they led the Ducks last year Curt Raulinaitis (batting avg.-.291), K.C. Serna (RBIs-19 & HR-3), Danny Pulfer (starts-55 & BB-19), Drew Gagnier (ERA-2.70, appearances-23, saves-7).  Starting pitchers Erik Stavert (5-6, 3.04 ERA, 14 starts) & Tyler Anderson (2-9, 15 starts) are both gone.

Homecoming:  Oregon opens the season at Cal State Fullerton, where Horton played and later spent 11 seasons as the Titans’ head coach.  Horton guided Fullerton to six College World Series appearances and the 2004 National Championship.  Current Fullerton head coach Dave Serrano was an assistant under Horton.

Oregon State

2009 Record:  (37-19, 15-12)

Mascot:  Beavers

Head Coach:  Pat Casey

Location:  Corvallis, OR

Vitals:  .278 BA, 23 HR, 53 SB, .392 OBP, .977 Fld%…3.93 ERA, 3 CG, 13 SV, 431 K, 199 BB, .245 opp. BA

Sam Gaviglio (OSU photo)

Locked Line-Up:  Oregon State returns six starters from last year’s team.  All-Pac 10 honoree Adalberto Santos (.320, 4 HR, 43 RBIs, 15 SB) and team HR and RBI leader Stefan Romero (..291, 5 HR, 51 RBIs) head the group.

Plus Pitching:  The Beavers’ 3.93 team ERA ranked second in the Pac 10 last year to Arizona State, and they return two starters, Sam Gaviglio (10-1, 2.73 ERA) and Tyler Waldron (6-4, 4.15 ERA), and closer Kevin Rhoderick (3-3, 4.18 ERA, 9 SV).  Gaviglio was a Freshman All-American last year.

Turn The Page:  Baseball America recently named Oregon State the #2 team of the past decade, while tabbing head coach Pat Casey the coach of the decade.  The Beavers won back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007 and made an additional trip to Omaha.  They averaged 35.6 wins a season from 2000-2009.

Stanford

2009 Record:  (30-25, 13-14)

Mascot:  Cardinal

Head Coach:  Mark Marquess

Location:  Palo Alto, CA

Vitals:  .279 BA, 49 HR, 46 SB, .360 OBP, .977 Fld%…5.12 ERA, 2 CG, 8 SV, 381 K, 222 BB, .268 opp. BA

Rare Absence:  After a trip to the 2008 College World Series Stanford missed the NCAA Tournament last year.  It was

Colin Walsh (Stanford photo)

the second time in three seasons that the Cardinal failed to receive a post season bid, but it’s also just the third time since 1990 that Stanford did not at least go to an NCAA Regional.

Core Cardinals:  Stanford returns 2B Colin Walsh (.320, .466 OBP), SS Jeff Schlander (.232), catcher Zach Jones (.239, 3 HR), and OF Kellen Killsgard (.313, 9 HR, 46 RBIs).  Walsh was the team’s top hitter as a sophomore and was named a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer,  while Schlander was named the 2009 Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Year.  The team loses top run producer Brent Milleville (.306, 14 HR, 52 RBIs).

Cardinal Arms:  Starting pitchers Jordan Pries (4-4. 4.62 ERA) and LHP Brett Mooneyham (6-3, 4.14 ERA) are back to lead the weekend rotation.  The duo combined to make 22 starts last year as freshmen.

Gerhart’s Gone:  Two-sport sensation Toby Gerhart (.288, 7 HR, 36 RBIs, 7 SB) burst on the national scene on the football field in 2009.  He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and won the Doak Walker Award after rushing for a school record 1,871 yards and 28 TDs.  Gerhart hit 16 home runs in three years with the Cardinal baseball team.  He was an outfield starter on the 2008 CWS squad.  He won’t play baseball this year as he prepares for the April NFL Draft.

Tough Tests:  Stanford opens the season by hosting a 3-game series with perennial power Rice.  They go to Austin, TX the next weekend for a 3-game set with 2009 national runner-up Texas.

UCLA

2009 Record:  (27-29, 15-12)

Mascot:  Bruins

Head Coach:  John Savage

Location:  Los Angeles, CA

Vitals:  .285 BA, 54 HR, 55 SB, .382 OBP, .969 Fld%…4.28 ERA, 5 CG, 12 SV, 509 K, 197 BB, .259 opp. BA

Power Outage:  UCLA loses its top two run producers, Cody Decker (.322, 21 HR, 53 RBIs) and Casey Haerther

Gerrit Cole

(.305, 9 HR, 42 RBIs) from last year’s team.  Haerther was selected in the 5th round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Angels, while Decker was tabbed in the 22nd round by San Diego.

The Line-Up:  Justin Uribe (.318, 3 HR, 23 RBIs) and Blair Dunlap (.301, 7 HR, 39 RBIs, 15 SB) are the top hitters back in the Bruin batting order.  Uribe will move from the outfield to first base this year.  Junior college transfer Dean Espy will be expected to step-in at third base as well.

Bruin Pitching:  Sophomores Gerrit Cole (4-8, 3.49 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (9-3, 2.99 ERA, 4 CG) will lead the pitching rotation.  Bauer had pitched a  team-high of 105 1/3 IP last year.  Cole is a Preseason All-American who struckout 104 in 85 IP last year.  He pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team last summer.

Big 12 West:  UCLA plays five games against three Big 12 teams in 2010.  The Bruins host Oklahoma State in one of their three games in the Dodgertown Classic (Vanderbilt & USC are the other two opponents there).  They also host a 3-game series vs. Nebraska and play Oklahoma in their last game of the Whataburger College Classic in Corpus Christi, TX.

USC

2009 Record:  (28-28, 13-14)

Mascot:  Trojans

Head Coach:  Chad Kreuter

Location:  Los Angeles, CA

Vitals:  .274 BA, 41 HR, 58 SB, .359 OBP, .954 Fld%…4.06 ERA, 5 CG, 10 SV, 438 K, 231 BB, .259 opp. BA

Top Losses:  USC loses three players, Grant Green (.374, 4 HR, 32 RBIs, 16 SB), Brad Boxberger (6-3, 3.16 ERA) and Robert Stock (5-4, 2.90 ERA, 4 SV), who were taken in the first two rounds of last year’s MLB Draft.  Green went with the 13th overall pick to Oakland.

Returning Trojans:  Ricky Oropesa (.314, 13 HR, 48 RBIs) was named a Freshman All-American last year.  He and Mike O’Neill (.319) are the top returning players in the USC line-up.  Sophomore RHP Andrew Triggs (5-3, 3.96 ERA) is expected to be the staff’s #1 starter.  Fellow Soph. Chad Smith (3-4, 3.40 ERA) and Sr. Kevin Couture (3-3, 5.66 ERA) return as well.

New Faces In Many Places:  A total of 15 newcomers (7 transfers and 8 freshman) will look to contribute for USC in 2010.  One of them is redshirt sophomore Mike Greco, who hit .250 with 2 HR and 27 RBIs in 46 games as a freshman at Army.  He sat out last year after transferring and will battle for a spot at first base this year.

Washington

2009 Record:  (25-30, 13-14)

Mascot:  Huskies

Head Coach:  Lindsay Meggs

Location:  Seattle, WA

Vitals:  .265 BA, 64 HR, 42 SB, .357 OBP, .967 Fld%…4.88 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SV, 387 K, 194 BB, .276 opp. BA

Lindsay Meggs

New Skipper:  2010 will be Lindsay Meggs’ first season as head coach at Washington.  He arrives after three seasons at Indiana State.  Meggs was named the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Sycamores to a 33-21 record and a second-place conference finish.  Prior to that Meggs spent 13 seasons at head coach at Chico State, where he won Division II National Championships in 1997 & 1999.

Draft Losses:  The Huskies lose their top run producer, Ryan Conley (.303, 19 HR, 55 RBIs), who was taken by St. Louis in the 7th round of last year’s draft.  Top reliever Brian Pearl (3.05 ERA, 8 SV) and starter Jason Erickson (5-4, 4.34 ERA) were both drafted and signed as well.

Husky Returns:  Pierce Rankin (.299, 6 HR, 26 RBIs) and Troy Scott (11 HR, 31 RBIs) are the top returnees in the line-up.  Sophomore Andrew Kittredge (4-5, 4.27 ERA, 3 SV, 7 starts) and LHP Geoff Brown (4-4, 5.01), who made 31 relief appearances, are among the top returning pitchers.

Big Home Slate:  Washington’s first nine home games are three 3-game series vs. 2008 National Champion Fresno State, perennial power Cal State Fullerton and intrastate rival Washington State.

Washington State

2009 Record:  (32-25, 19-8)

Mascot:  Cougars

Head Coach:  Donnie Marbut

Location:  Pullman, WA

Vitals:  .273 BA, 56 HR, 44 SB, .358 OBP, .971 Fld%…4.34 ERA, 1 CG, 15 SV, 453 K, 184 BB, .279 opp. BA

The Drought Is Over:  Last year’s NCAA Regional appearance was the first for the program since 1990.  The Cougars swept five series in 2009, including three in Pac 10 play.  All of the sweeps came on their home diamond, where they had just three series sweeps in the previous 11 seasons combined.

Leaving & Staying:  WSU loses its top three hitters, Alex Burg (.346, 7 HR), Jared Prince (.343, 7 HR) and Greg Lagreid (.332, 5 HR), from last year’s NCAA squad.  They return stolen base leader Garry Kuykendall (.299, 11 SB), Matt Argyropoulos (.277), Shea Vucinich (.230, team-high 40 runs), and Derek Jones, who hit a team-best 12

Chad Arnold

home runs despite just a .223 batting average.

On The Mound:  Junior Chad Arnold (8-3, 4.39 ERA) will lead the weekend rotation.  Arnold got the team’s only NCAA win with an elimination game victory vs. Wichita State in the Norman, OK Regional.  He’s joined by David Stilley (3-3, 4.64 ERA) and reliever Seth Harvey (2.25 ERA, 22 app.).  The Cougars lose starter Matt Way (8-4, 2.43 ERA) and closer Jeremy Johnson (6-2, 2.90 ERA, 10 SV).

Texas Time:  Washington State plays 12 of its first 18 games in the state of Texas.   After four games in Lubbock they return home for a 4-game set vs. Utah and then return to the Lone Star State for three games at Texas A&M and two games at Dallas Baptist.  They end their spring trip with a 3-game series in Wichita, KS vs. Wichita State.

2010 Pac 10 Conference Predictions

Player of the Year:  Kole Calhoun – Arizona State

Pitcher of the Year:  Sam Gaviglio – Oregon State

Conference Champion:  Arizona State, with Oregon State giving the closest challenge

Bulldogs Will Play 35 games At Beiden Field In 2010

FSU Head Coach Mike Batesole

league games,” said Batesole. “If we play well, it gives us the opportunity to be in a solid position to have a great RPI headed into WAC play. This schedule is difficult enough to give us the ability to do something we haven’t done at Beiden Field in 15 years – host an NCAA Regional.”

Complete 2010 Fresno St. Schedule

Fresno State opens the 2010 season with a four-game series on Feb. 19 against Huskers of Nebraska. The Huskers went 25-28-1 in 2009 and the last time the teams met was in 2002 in Fresno, Calif.

The first road trip of the season for the Bulldogs is in Seattle, Wash., against first-year head coach Lindsay Meggs and  Washington. The Huskies visited Beiden Field last season for the 2009 home opener.

The Bulldogs host second year program Oregon in March. George Horton and the Ducks were 14-42 last season. The Ducks are one of three Pac-10 teams the Bulldogs face in 2010.

The `Dogs head South for the San Diego State Invitational Tournament. Fresno State faces Cal State Fullerton, San Diego, San Diego State and San Francisco. Three of the five teams in the tournament made it to an NCAA regional last season and Fullerton made an appearance in the College World Series in 2009.

“The San Diego Tournament is a great chance for us to experience a Regional atmosphere,” said Batesole. “Several teams invited participated in a Regional last year – and that is how we will approach it.”

Fresno State begins Western Athletic Conference play in April and hosts three WAC series at Beiden Field. The `Dogs look to win their fifth-consecutive WAC championship. The Bulldogs have won four-straight conference championships and are one of four teams west of Texas to make four-consecutive NCAA Regional appearances.

“The WAC will be the toughest it has been in five years,” said Batesole. “I would anticipate we will be a two or three team bid league in 2010.”

(Release)