Arizona State Picked To Repeat As Champion

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — ARIZONA STATE has been chosen as the favorite to win this year’s Pac-10 baseball title, according to a vote by the league’s coaches.

For the second-straight season, the Sun Devils were picked to win the Pac-10 crown receiving seven of nine first-place votes, earning 78 points overall. OREGON STATE also received two first-place votes and 67 total points for the No. 2 spot, while UCLA was picked third, totaling 65 points. Rounding out the top five was STANFORD, which nabbed 59 points overall and ARIZONA which grabbed a total of 44 points.

Winners of three-consecutive Pac-10 championships, the Sun Devils are coming off their 10th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and the program’s 21st trip to the College World Series. Last season, ASU’s pitching staff led the nation with a 2.90 ERA. This year marks the return of SR left-handed pitcher Josh Spence (10-1, 2.37 ERA, 125 strikeouts in 102.2 innings) and SO left-handed pitcher Mitchell Lambson (9-5, 3.01 ERA, 99 strikeouts in 83-plus innings). Spence and Lambson were two of four Pac-10 players named to the 10th-Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Pro-Line Athletic Preseason All-American team.

The 2010 Conference baseball season gets underway Friday, March 25, when Arizona State hosts California in Tempe.

Results of the poll are as follows. Nine points are awarded for the first-place vote, eight points for a second-place vote, and so on. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.

2010 Pac-10 Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Arizona State (7) 78
2. Oregon State (2) 67
3. UCLA 65
4. Stanford 59
5. Arizona 44
6. Washington State 42
7. California 36
8. USC 24
9. Washington 18
10. Oregon 17

(Pac-10 Release)